Kuwait Hospital, Sharjah, performs rare life-saving surgery

Dubai: The life of a 30-year-old patient was saved in the nick of time when surgeons at Sharjah’s Kuwait Hospital — an affiliate of Emirates Health Services (EHS) — successfully conducted a complex splenectomy to remove an enlarged spleen.

Lauding the successful efforts by the surgical team, Amna Karam, the hospital director, said: “Kuwait Hospital receives many complex and rare cases. EHS has provided us with advanced equipment that meet the highest international quality standards. That, coupled with the highly-qualified medical professionals working at the hospital, has played a major role in the success of these surgeries, drastically upgrading the medical services we provide. I take pride in the hospital’s ability to treat rare cases with great skill and speed that allow us to save patients’ lives,”

One of the most difficult surgeries

Ibrahim Al-Nujumi, consultant and head of Surgery at the hospital, said the case was considered one of the most difficult and rarest surgeries, as it occurs in one out of 1,000 people, out of which an even smaller proportion is ever diagnosed. Incidences of rupture and bleeding with cases of this kind stand at three out of every 100,000, he explained.

Dr Al-Nujumi further said: “The patient arrived at the hospital’s Emergency Room by himself. He was suffering from dizziness and pain in the upper part of the abdomen. Following a thorough analysis and clinical examinations, a drop in the patient’s blood pressure and haemoglobin levels was noted. In light of the diagnosis, the doctors suspected internal haemorrhage. CT scans and computerised scans were performed, along with X-rays and ultrasound tests, which detected abdominal bleeding and the beginning of a rupture in the stretched part of the main splenic artery.”

Quick decision

The doctors immediately decided to remove the enlarged spleen, opting to first perform a surgery to detect and control the bleeding site, which took less than three minutes — thanks to advanced medical devices at the hospital, especially the arterial and venous blocking equipment.

The surgery took an hour and 15 minutes. The patient was then provided with solutions, blood products and necessary medication, which helped him recover in just three days after the procedure.

Dr Issa Al-Moalami, consultant surgeon and assistant director for Medical Affairs at EHS, said: “Emirates Health Services is continuously updating its diagnostic equipment to meet the highest international standards, which has helped improve the health services provided and enabled the medical team to perform complex operations.”