Meet the UAE doctor battling Salman Khan's painful and rare nerve disorder: ‘It’s hell’

Dubai: A 27-year-old Lebanese doctor in the UAE has found relief from an excruciating nerve disorder after undergoing a rare and complex brain procedure at Burjeel Hospital for Advanced Surgery in Dubai.

Dr Abdulrahman Mogharbel, a Sharjah resident and Gulf Medical University graduate, suffered from trigeminal neuralgia, a chronic condition that causes intense, electric shock-like facial pain. The illness, often called one of the most painful conditions known to medicine, gained wider attention recently after Indian actor Salman Khan, 59, publicly revealed his struggle with it.

Dr Mogharbel first noticed symptoms of trigeminal neuralgia during his internship at Thumbay Hospital.
“It started with my eye. I couldn’t move it. Eventually, the pain spread to my whole face.”

During his graduation days, he had read about trigeminal neuralgia and felt bad for those affected by such an incurable disorder. Years later, he found himself battling it.

According to medical reports, new cases of trigeminal neuralgia affect four to five of every 100,000 people in the US each year. Most cases develop after age 50.
“It's rare for people my age to have this condition,” Dr Mogharbel said, noting that it is often dubbed the ‘suicide disease’ because the pain is so overwhelming that many struggle to cope.

For nearly a year and a half, even everyday activities like talking, eating, shaving, or exposure to wind triggered unbearable pain.
“It felt like a truck was hitting me... like someone was ripping my eye out,” said Dr Mogharbel, who described the ordeal as “hell”.

Dr Mogharbel consulted Dr Manal Fahham, a Specialist Neurologist, at Burjeel Hospital for Advanced Surgery. He was diagnosed with idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia – a version with no identifiable cause. After limited success with medications, she referred the case to Dr Manish Raj, Specialist in Interventional Pain Medicine.
Dr Raj performed a balloon compression surgery, a minimally invasive neurosurgical technique that targets the trigeminal nerve at the skull base.
“This was reportedly the first balloon compression procedure for trigeminal neuralgia performed in the GCC,” said Dr Raj.

Dr Raj said the patient presented with a rare left-sided case, which is why the procedure was considered the best option.
“Balloon compression was the optimal choice because of the specific involvement of the left ophthalmic division of the trigeminal nerve. Other treatment options for the ophthalmic branch would have carried significant risks of serious eye complications, including paralysis of the eye muscles and severe eye infections.”
The complex procedure involves inserting a small catheter with a balloon through the cheek to compress the trigeminal nerve root, effectively disrupting pain signals.

Post-surgery, Dr Mogharbel reported a 70-80 per cent reduction in pain, and his medication dosage was halved.
“I shaved and showered recently without pain for the first time in over a year and a half,” he said. “I finally feel like I’m living again.”

He credits his recovery not just to the medical intervention, but also to the unwavering support of his family and friends.
“There were days I had over 50 attacks. My family would just sit beside me, pray, and try to comfort me. Without them, I wouldn’t have made it.”

Now recovering, Dr Mogharbel hopes to raise awareness about the condition and the available treatments. He even has a message for Bollywood star Salman Khan: “I recommend that he try this surgery. It may cause temporary numbness, but it brings tremendous relief over time.”