Aster Hospitals has performed a first-of-its-kind surgery in Dubai – on a patient suffering from diverticulitis, a gastrointestinal condition characterized by inflammation of pouches that form in the wall of the colon which in turn affects bowel functions.
Dr. Khalid Mohiuddin, Consultant Laparoscopic Colorectal/General Surgeon at Aster Hospital, Al Qusais, administered the Single Incision Laparoscopic Surgery (SILS) Anterior Resection. Following this advanced laparoscopic technique, the patient was then put on an enhanced recovery program and discharged on the second post-operative day.
The patient in this case was a 53-year-old Sudanese national who had suffered repeated episodes of abdominal pain and intermittent rectal bleeding for nearly a decade. He was admitted to several different hospitals and under repeated courses of antibiotics and painkillers. With the intention of receiving permanent treatment for his case, the patient had previously visited several other hospitals, before approaching Aster Hospitals.
Dr. Khalid Mohiuddin said, “I am pleased to have performed Dubai’s first SILS anterior resection at Aster Hospital, Al Qusais. The surgery involves advanced keyhole surgery with a single cut, leaving minimal scarring. In the United Kingdom, I have performed over 100 surgical cases similar to that of the patient and am pleased to bring my experience to the UAE. Allowing the patient to leave the second day after the operation, the surgery will be lifechanging for those suffering from acute gastrointestinal and colorectal diseases and require major medical intervention. The technique enables quicker recovery, less cosmetic damage and more efficient treatment with excellent patient satisfaction.”
The patient, Mamoun Hassan Musa added, “I travelled across countries to find a specialist doctor for my case, but was faced with a lot of general surgeons who I wasn’t comfortable with and were insisting on surgery without proper diagnosis and without addressing my concerns. I was also advised that the recovery time of such surgeries tend to be prolonged since it’s a major surgery, so it was best to do so in one’s home country. I chanced upon Aster when visiting my cousin and was introduced to Dr. Khalid who gave me the confidence and assurance I needed. I had also crosschecked his experience and was very pleased to see that he has performed similar surgeries in the UK. With only one keyhole used for the surgery, I also recovered faster without need for colostomy/stoma bag and was able to be discharged in two days.”
Diseases of the gastro-intestinal tract affects every two out of 10 people in the UAE. SILS is a minimal invasive technique in which the surgeon operates almost exclusively through a single-entry point. This is done typically through the patient’s navel, rather than the traditional keyhole surgery where four to five small cuts are made and single instrument is used at each entry point. In SILS, all instruments are placed through the small single incision.
