Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC), one of the UAE’s largest hospitals and a joint-venture partnership between Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA) and Mayo Clinic, has performed its first robot-assisted gynecological surgery, making it one of the few hospitals in Abu Dhabi currently offering this type of procedure. This key milestone follows the expansion of the hospital’s robotic surgery services capabilities.
The first patient, a 48-year-old from Sharjah, was referred to SSMC after initially suffering from abdominal pain due to a large pelvic mass on the left ovary. She was assessed by Dr. Salem Al Harthi, consultant general surgeon at SSMC. Dr. Al Harthi later consulted with Dr. Saladin Sawan, consultant surgeon in gynecology, oncology and robotics at SSMC, concluding that a minimally invasive approach would serve best to improve outcomes.
“Given that the patient previously had multiple surgeries, we decided to utilize the robotic surgical procedure to remove the adhesions and regain organ functionality, as well as help minimize the side effects and recovery time,” said Dr. Al Harthi. “Robotic surgeries are very beneficial for us surgeons as they provide magnified, 3D high-definition vision, a higher degree of comfort when using medical instruments, and offer easier access to areas that would have been difficult to reach using conventional methods.”, he added.
Dr. Sawan said, “At SSMC, robotic surgeries have been performed across different specialties, with gynecology being the latest addition. In my experience as a surgeon in Gynecologic Oncology and Robotic Surgery, I have always aimed to offer comprehensive surgical treatments for women with gynecological cancers, and in that regard, the robot-assisted surgery procedure provides a number of benefits such as minimal scarring, reduced risk of infection, heightened surgical precision, as well as reduced pain and discomfort for the patient. It is an honor and a privilege to offer my medical services at SSMC as one of the few doctors licensed by the Department of Health (DoH) to offer competent surgical treatment for women with gynecological cancers.”
The first robotic surgery at SSMC took place in September 2020, marking the launch of the hospital’s comprehensive robotic surgery program to help enable and enhance minimally invasive operations and improve clinical outcomes. As a destination medical center specializing in complex and serious care, SSMC’s partnership with Mayo Clinic provides patients with an amplified level of care, as they benefit from easy access to cutting-edge technologies and the latest research findings.
Dr. Matthew Gettman, who initiated the SSMC robotics program in urology and is also the Chief Medical Officer at SSMC, stated, “we are thrilled to see the ongoing expansion of robotic surgery at SSMC spearheaded by the addition of Dr. Sawan to our staff. This case exemplifies our integrated, multidisciplinary, team-based and patient-centered model of care in action that provides excellent technical results with a faster recovery.” Mayo Clinic and SSMC’s researchers are fully committed to developing new robotic surgery techniques to give patients the best medical experience possible.
