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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 recently performed a lung-sparing resection surgery for an international patient suffering from hemoptysis resulting from an extremely rare congenital lung malformation.
Hemoptysis is a serious and life-threatening condition that refers to coughing up blood from the lungs as a result of pulmonary bleeding. SSMC’s patient suffered from hemoptysis due to a congenital lung airway malformation; a disease present from birth that represents an abnormal development of the lungs.
Delving deeper into the patient’s rare and complex condition, Dr. Norberto Santana Rodriguez, thoracic surgery consultant and chair of the Thoracic Surgery Division at SSMC, said: “Due to the patient having a congenital deformity, there was abnormal communication between the aorta, the body’s largest artery, and the lung. This meant that blood circulation was low in pressure, whereas the aorta had high systematic pressure. This type of malformation caused an increase in the blood pressure within the lung, which is why the patient experienced bleeding through the airways for several years.”
Dr. Santana added: “The challenging aspect of treating such a case is the precision required for a lung-sparing surgery to eliminate the lung malformation causing the hemoptysis while ensuring the rest of the area remains intact. Fortunately, we were able to successfully preserve the patient’s lung lobe and eliminate the risk of continued bleeding through the patient’s airways.”
Once the surgery was successfully completed, Husnain Shahzada, 27-year-old, from Pakistan, conveyed a sense of relief and said: “I can’t express how grateful I am to Dr. Santana and SSMC’s multidisciplinary team for treating my case with the utmost precision and compassionate care. Due to how complex and rare my case was, I sought the best and most specialized thoracic care possible. I would like to thank the team at SSMC for treating the root cause of my condition and for giving me the opportunity to live a healthier life without the life-threatening condition.”
Dr. Abdulqader Almessabi, deputy chief medical officer and consultant, division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at SSMC, highlighted the hospital’s focus on complex surgeries and said: “As one of the UAE’s largest hospitals for serious and complex care, SSMC in partnership with Mayo Clinic, is focused on improving the lives of patients in the region through delivering world-class medical care that is patient-centered at its core.
“By having leading multidisciplinary experts and adopting the latest research and medical technologies, SSMC continues to build toward its mission of becoming a Destination Medical Center that caters to the most complex of patient needs in the UAE and the wider region. Our approach will always be centered on ensuring the delivery of holistic and empathetic care at every step of the patient journey.”
About Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC)
Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC) is a joint venture between Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), the UAE’s largest health care network, and Mayo Clinic, a non-profit global leader in medical care, education, and research headquartered in the United States of America. Established in 2019, SSMC is one of the largest tertiary hospitals in the UAE. SSMC serves to elevate the provision of health care services and standards by bringing to the UAE and broader region Mayo Clinic’s unique model of care, founded on the three shields of practice, education and research.
As the UAE’s leading tertiary facility, SSMC has 732 patient beds, 18 operating theatres, including a hybrid operating room and a 26-bed neonatal intensive care unit. Supported by the latest diagnostic and treatment modalities available, SSMC offers care in 44 specialties, bringing advanced and trusted quality care closer to the UAE and the wider region.
A team of locally and internationally trained physicians and allied health staff work seamlessly together to provide integrated human-centric and compassionate care, while promoting comprehensive interdisciplinary learning. SSMC is committed to becoming a regional destination medical center for complex care and a Category of One provider in health care.
For more information on Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City, or to book an appointment, please visit ssmc.ae.
About SEHA
The Abu Dhabi Health Services Company PJSC–SEHA – is an independent, public joint stock company created to develop the curative activities of the public healthcare system in Abu Dhabi. The company owns and operates all the public hospitals and clinics of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
SEHA is part of ADQ, one of the region’s largest holding companies with a broad portfolio of major enterprises spanning key sectors of Abu Dhabi’s diversified economy.
SEHA is committed to continuous improvement of customer care to recognized international standards and providing the community with world-class healthcare. SEHA operates 13 hospitals with 3,385 beds, 70 ambulatory care, family care, and urgent care centers and 2 blood banks. Its facilities accommodate 117,162 inpatients annually and conduct 43,262 surgeries, as well as treating more than five million outpatients. SEHA is one of the largest integrated healthcare providers in the Middle East with more than 18,000 doctors, nurses, ancillary care, and administrative personnel. Learn more at www.seha.ae.
About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news and Mayo Clinic Facts for more information about Mayo.
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| Salma Chalak Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City | Fadya Al Kathairi Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City | Wael Al Kubbani |
