UAE: Robot helps Abu Dhabi surgeon repair complicated bile duct injury
30-year-old recovers quickly, discharged from SSMC after three days
Abu Dhabi: A medical team at Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC) in Abu Dhabi has achieved a new milestone for surgical repair using robotic surgery.
The medical team completed successful treatment using the robot for a patient suffering from complications related to multiple gallstones and features of acute cholecystitis.
The surgery was led by Dr Salem Al Harthi, consultant and chair of Surgery Department at SSMC.
The patient, a 30-year-old Emirati, was admitted to the hospital with clinical features of bile duct injury, a rare complication that can happen following a surgical procedurerelated to multiple gallstones and of acute cholecystitis – an incidence rate of three to six cases per 1,000.
Upon further radiological investigations, including a CT scan and MRI, the diagnosis of bile duct injury was confirmed. The patient was subsequently scheduled for a delayed bile duct injury repair, which was performed using SSMC’s surgical robotic-assisted technology.
Dr Al Harthi said: “Using the latest technologies in robotic-assisted surgery I was able to perform precise surgical repair through extremely small incisions. The use of intra venous dye, robotic magnification, and precise instrument control, facilitated the complex anastomosis between the bile duct injury and the small bowel, in very close proximity to the liver. The surgery proved successful, even under the most challenging anatomical conditions."
He added: “The technology we can deploy for robotic-assisted surgery allows me and my fellow surgeons at SSMC to perform a highly intricate procedure with levels of outstanding precision and control. In this case, it provided our multidisciplinarysurgical team with an unparalleled visualisation of the bile duct anatomy, enabling us to achieve optimal outcomes for the patient.”
The patient was discharged within three days, with no further complications reported.