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- A multidisciplinary team approach to treatment led to quick recovery
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, recently performed successful surgery on an Emirati woman, who was suffering from mesenteric angina.
Mesenteric angina occurs when blocked or narrowed arteries restrict blood flow to the small intestines, causing severe abdominal pain, nausea and fever. This condition made the patient suffer from severe pain within a few minutes of eating. Due to the intense pain, she developed something called “food fear”, which occurs when patients want to avoid food because they anticipate pain after eating. As soon as patients smell food, their guts get ready to eat, but because they do not have enough blood supply to the gut, they experience acute pain. The condition usually leads to unintentional weight loss. However, in this patient’s case, the reduction was significant.
Dr. Mohamed Baguneid, consultant and chair of the Vascular Surgery Division at SSMC, conducted the procedure together with his radiology colleagues, Dr. Shahbazali Patil and Dr. Ravi Gadahadh. He said, “Mesenteric angina is like angina but for the gut, and in this patient’s case, it was critical. Within a week, she would have come with a dead gut. Unfortunately, many people suffer from the same condition, but they are diagnosed late, as it can be tricky to identify what is causing the pain at first, and they are, therefore, malnourished. Many people seek treatment at later stages and present with gangrene (death of body tissue due to a lack of blood flow) of the gut because they didn’t get the right treatment earlier. Gangrene of the gut is associated with a high mortality rate of 50 percent.”
A multidisciplinary team consisting of a dietitian, anesthetist, vascular surgeon, and vascular interventional radiologist was brought on board to help with the treatment. Prior to the surgery, specialized scans and ultrasounds were conducted to look at the gut arteries, which is a complex process.
Dr. Baguneid, who is UK Board-certified, along with vascular interventional radiologists, conducted the surgery in SSMC’s advanced hybrid theater suite. The high-risk procedure took around three hours, where they deployed a stent into one of the patient’s bowel arteries through her arm artery.
“The patient probably had one of the most calcified or blocked arteries I have ever seen,” shared Dr. Baguneid. “We performed an open surgery and stenting at the same time, thanks to the sterile environment of our state-of-the-art hybrid theater suite, which not many facilities in the region have. The only cut the patient has from the surgery is on her elbow. Had it not been for the state of-the-art hybrid theater suite we have here at SSMC, we would have had to do the surgery in the radiology suite, which is non-sterile, increasing the risk of infection of the open wound in the arm. The patient is now doing very well and on the road to recovery.”
The patient was discharged around two days post-procedure. The dietitian is now helping her overcome her food fear and assisting in managing her diet after the operation.
Dr. Matthew Gettman, chief medical officer at SSMC, highlighted: “As one of the UAE’s largest hospitals for serious and complex care, SSMC, in partnership with Mayo Clinic, is bringing a more comprehensive form of integrated and holistic patient care to Abu Dhabi. By successfully treating a wide spectrum of complex cases, as in this case, we are setting new benchmarks in the region, thanks to our world-class medical talent that brings extensive and diverse experience, training and education to the table. We are committed to delivering trusted quality and service excellence.
“We will continue to transform the delivery of care in the region, further establishing Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City as a regional destination medical center and upholding Abu Dhabi’s position on the global health care map.”
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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 34 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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