Dubai: In a highly complicated surgery, conducted earlier this week, Rashid Hospital doctors succeeded in saving the life of a 27-year-old patient who became paralysed due to a tumour located between the bottom of the neck and chest.

The surgery was carried out by a neurosurgical team led by Dr Najmedden Attabib, consultant, Neurosurgery and Spine Surgery at Rashid Hospital. Dr Attabib said the young man came to the hospital suffering from paralysis of the hands and legs.

“After undergoing a series of medical tests, we discovered a big tumour in the cervicothoracic junction. The tumour which was between the very bottom of his neck and chest was putting pressure on his spinal cord and this resulted in paralysis,” said Dr Attabib.

Dr Attabib said a surgery was needed to remove the tumour and relieve the spinal chord from the pressure as it was not only causing paralysis but it could also affect the vocal chords and could turn life threatening.

“Before the surgery, our interventional radiologist, Dr Ayman Al Sibai, conducted an endovascular embolisation procedure, which stemmed the blood flow to the tumour during the surgery and that helped in reducing bleeding.”

After the embolisation procedure, Dr Attabib and his team conducted an 11-hour surgery that was divided into two stages.

In the first stage, the doctors removed the tumour and the mass, which took six hours.

“In the first stage, we removed the vertebra with the tumour and replaced it with an anterior inter-body cages. They are titanium cylinders that are placed in the disc space to allow the spine to be fused and allows for the bone graft,” he explained.

In the second stage, the doctors removed the remaining tumour from the back.

“This relieved the pressure from the spinal cord and, within two days, the patient was able to move his hands and legs. He was able to walk again.”

Dr Attabib said the patient is now stable and undergoing physiotherapy. He has also been moved to the oncology department for further treatment.

“Such a complicated surgery couldn’t have been successful without the skillful doctors and staff at Rashid Hospital,” said Dr Attabib appreciating the collaborative efforts of the team of surgeons.

The father of the patient thanked Dr Attabib and the hospital in restoring movement in his son’s limbs and saving his life.