Success Stories

The International Medical Center performed a delicate surgery to address a Nasopharyngeal angiofibroma that extended to the infratemporal region at the base of the skull

For four years, the patient was complaining of recurrent nasal bleeding caused by the tumour. Despite seeking treatment and surgery at major hospitals in Mecca and jeddah his condition did not improve. 
The patient eventually presented to the International Medical Center, where his condition necessitated a precise and swift diagnosis to pinpoint the issue. 

Dr. Muhammad Hafez, a radiology consultant, oversaw the MRI and CT scans, leading to the diagnosis of Nasopharyngeal angiofibroma extending to the infratemporal fossa. 
The efforts of interventional radiologists, the hospital’s sinus and skull base surgery team, the maxillofacial surgery team, and the anesthesia team led by Dr. Nafea Al-Senussi were crucial in ensuring the success of this complex  operation. Dr. Al-Senussi emphasized the seriousness of the operation and the need to take all precautions, leading to a multidisciplinary  decision to perform a special urgent surgery following deliberation. Dr. Khaled Bagnaid and Dr. Fawaz Al-Sharif are interventional radiologists performed tumor embolization, shutting down blood supply to the tumor, before the major operation performed by the sinus and skull base surgical team led by Professor Osama Marghalani consultant otolaryngologisit. The surgical team also included Dr. Hassan Bawazir and Dr. Abdullah Al-Amari, otolaryngologist  head and neck surgeons, as well as maxillofacial surgeon consultant Dr. Kamal Kumar, and the nursing team.
What was particular about this surgery was that conducting a standard surgery on the patient could pose a significant threat, given the sensitivity and danger of the surgical site. This site is located in the nasopharynx and extending to pterygopalatine and infratemporal fossa . As a result, the surgical team opted to utilize a surgical navigation device that leveraged electromagnetic technology. Without this highly specialised and professional team and this advanced technology available at the International Medical Center, there would have been considerable hesitation to proceed with the surgery. Consequently, the patient promptly underwent an endoscopic procedure with surgical navigation of the sinuses, which involved opening the sinuses and completely removing the tumor.
Right after the surgery, the patient started to recover slowly, with the bleeding and nasal congestion ceasing, until he was completely healed, thanks to God.
 

Surgery-free Relief for LES Relaxation Causing Gastroesophageal Reflux Following a Sleeve Gastrectomy Carried Out for the First Time Globally at the International Medical Center

A patient, who had undergone a sleeve gastrectomy five years ago, started to suffer from gastroesophageal reflux after her proceedure, a common symptom following gastroplasty due to the loosening of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES).

The patient had sought treatment at different hospitals before arriving to the International Medical Center (IMC). After confirming her diagnosis, the medical team proposed solutions to address her condition, and discussed the challenges associated with each of them.

According to Dr. Adeeb Elghalayini, Consultant Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist at IMC: "The solutions proposed for gastroesophageal reflux following a sleeve gastrectomy are usually surgical ones that involve complicated operations, such as removing the stomach and altering the path directly to the intestines, or even gastropexy and imperforation of the diaphragm. The success rate of these operations is not high for a patient who has had sleeve gastrectomy, unlike if the patient had a full normal stomach."

However, Dr. Elghalayini led the medical team to develop an innovative approach that avoids a major surgical operation. They performed the first procedure of its kind in the field of gastrointestinal medicine and endoscopy, by repairing the LES relaxation causing the gastroseophageal reflux using the GERDX technique, which only took ten minutes.

The main challenge faced by the medical team with this procedure was that the size of the stomach had become quite small due to the sleeve gastrectomy, which made it difficult to benefit from the GERDX technique, which is usually used for larger stomachs as the tool requires enough space to be moved around.

Dr. Elghalayini commented on this and said: "This is the first procedure of its kind executed globally in the field of gastrointestinal and bariatric surgery. Thankfully, we were able to repair the LES relaxation that caused the gastroseophageal reflux for the patient following her gastroplasty, without any surgical procedure."

The patient was discharged and went home the next day after the operation. During her first check-up at the hospital a week later, it was confirmed that she had recovered completely, and the symptoms of gastroseophageal reflux had completely disappeared.

Patient's Recovery Following a Vesicovaginal Fistula Closure at the International Medical Center

A 46-year-old patient who had underwent a hysterectomy developed a fistula, a complication that may occur following this procedure. In this case, a vesicovaginal fistula, which is an abnormal opening between the bladder and the wall of the vagina, had formed. This resulted in continuous and unremitting urinary incontinence through the vagina, which forced the patient to continuously use sanitary pads for 5 months. 

Diagnosed by Dr. Fahad Algreisi, Consultant of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women's Urology and Endoscopy, doctors concluded that the patient needed a precise endoscopic procedure to close the fistula. During the follow-up, it was confirmed that there was no inflammation in the bladder so that this would not affect the success of the procedure. The necessary imaging were also performed to determine the location and size of the fistula with the help of the radiology team led by Dr. Nouf Abdullah, Chairman, Medical Imaging Department, Consultant Diagnostic Radiologist and Women's Radiologist at the International Medical Center.

The medical team faced many challenges while studying the case and discussing the treatment plan, including the presence of abdominal adhesions due to the previous procedure, which meant that the laparoscopy was not suitable for this procedure. In addition, the length of the fistula tracts measured around 1 cm, in addition to the fistula's proximity to ureters, which requires taking precautions so that no injury occurs to the ureters during the procedure.

In order to overcome these challenges, the medical team used the cystoscope as the safest and most accurate technique to locate the fistula, and to place ureteral catheters to ensure their safety during the procedure, then the closure of fistula was carried out through abdominal incision. The procedure was thankfully successful, and the patient soon returned to her home were satisfied with her condition.

The medical team that performed the procedure consisted of Dr. Fahad Al Greisi, Consultant of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Urogynecology and Endoscopy; Dr. Feras Allagany OB/GYN & Urogynecology Consultant ; Dr. Hiba Abourafia, Senior Registrar, Obstetrics and Gynecology; Dr. Laila Al-Nashri, resident doctor; as well as the anesthesiology and nursing teams.

Newborn Successfully Recovers from Intestinal Obstruction Following a Minimally invasive complex Procedure at IMC

A pregnant woman diligently monitored her pregnancy, and during a fetal ultrasound, a possible blockage in the intestines and duodenum was suspected. Following delivery, the pediatric surgery team at the International Medical Center (IMC) examined the case and diagnosed the child with Down syndrome. Through specialized and precise imaging studies, the team confirmed the presence of an obstruction caused most probably by an annular pancreas encasing the duodenum and resulting in a rare and complex condition known as duodenal atresia and stenosis.

The procedure followed in this complex case required the removal of the obstruction while ensuring the preservation of three vital and delicate organs: the pancreas, the bile duct, and the duodenum. The doctors carefully devised a treatment plan suitable for the three-day-old infant and explained it to the parents.

The medical team faced several challenges. The initial challenge was accurately diagnosing the condition during pregnancy. Consequently, immediate post-birth imaging studies  with contrast were performed to obtain a precise diagnosis.

The second challenge was the choice of treatment method. A traditional open laparotomy surgery on the newborn, who was only three days old and weighed 2.7 kg, was the easiest choice for the pediatric surgery team. 

However, the team opted for a modern and minimally invasive approach by using a specialized laparoscopy device designed for infants. This decision aimed to minimize the surgical impact on the infant, such as infections, pain, and wound complications. Furthermore, this approach eliminated the need for abdominal incisions and expedited recovery for the newborn.

The laparoscopy procedure involved making three small openings through which the laparoscopic instruments and camera could access the abdomen. Using suturing technology under the surgical laparoscope (intracorporal), the medical team successfully created a connection between the intestines to bypass the obstruction without compromising the function of the pancreas. This technique enabled the newborn baby to recover in just one week.

The team of surgeons who performed the procedure included Dr. Mohammed Ageel, Pediatric Surgery Consultant, Dr. Nawaf Aldajani, Pediatric/NICU Consultant, Dr. Ahmad May, Pediatric Surgery Specialist, and Dr. Yasir Aldahshan, Anesthesia Consultant, in addition to the nursing team.

The vascular surgery team at the International Medical Center continues its achievements in treating complex cases..Rescuing an elderly patient after diagnosis and treatment of dissecting aortic aneurysm and expansion.

A 78-year-old patient was transferred to the intensive care unit of a hospital after experiencing severe abdominal and back pain. He was diagnosed at the time with dissecting aortic aneurysm (type b), and it was found that he did not receive proper support for his condition.

The treatment plan for the patient included taking necessary precautions to protect the spinal cord. The medical team had to overcome the challenge that the stents needed to be lined and long, which posed a high risk of increasing pressure on the spinal cord, potentially leading to paralysis in the patient's limbs.

The patient was transferred to the International Medical Center for its experienced medical teams and availability of modern technologies qualified to handle difficult and complex cases. The patient was admitted to the ICU, and after performing a contrast-enhanced CT scan of the entire aorta, the diagnosis was confirmed with dissecting aortic aneurysm, in addition to a new thoracic aortic dissection.

Dr. Ayman Ahmed, a vascular surgery consultant, studied the case and developed the appropriate treatment plan for the patient, which included taking necessary precautions to protect the spinal cord. The medical team had to overcome the challenge that the stents needed to be lined and long, which posed a high risk of increasing pressure on the spinal cord, potentially leading to paralysis in the patient's limbs.

To overcome this challenge, coordination was made with Dr. Isam Khoja, a neurosurgery consultant, to insert a spinal catheter to control the pressure on the spinal cord and prevent any damage during or after the treatment of the aortic aneurysm using stents graft.

After studying the CT scans and determining the appropriate measurements for the stents, the suitable stents were quickly provided. The patient was then taken to the operating room for treatment of the dissection. As for the nerves, the patient's condition remained stable without any complications, and he was kept under observation in the ICU for only one day. He then moved to his room after the medical team ensured the success of the operation by the grace of God. The patient was discharged from the hospital in good condition after two days of the operation.

The medical team that performed the operation consisted of Dr. Ayman Ahmed, a vascular surgery consultant, Dr. Isra Banjar, a vascular surgery specialist, and in coordination with Dr. Isam Khoja, a neurosurgery consultant, with the assistance of the anesthesia and nursing teams.
 

A successful complex operation to transplant a corneal lining for an elderly patient who almost lost her vision

 A 77-year-old patient underwent cataract surgery at a hospital, but one of the complications of the surgery was the corneal lining in the front of the eye being affected. As a result, she had to go to another hospital where she underwent a corneal lining transplant operation, but this operation was also unsuccessful. 

 When the patient arrived at the International Medical Center, she was in severe pain, and the vision in one of her eyes had weakened to the point where she almost lost her sight. When the doctors examined her, they confirmed the need for a corneal lining transplant operation. 

 In addition to the patient's advanced age, there was another challenge for the doctors, which was that the patient would undergo a third operation on the same eye within only 3 months. 

 The patient underwent a corneal lining transplant operation “Endothelial keratoplasty” using the latest corneal transplant techniques, which are only available in a limited number of major hospitals. The operation took about an hour and a half. 

 After the operation, the patient's condition improved, and the severe pain she was experiencing was controlled. Her vision gradually improved until she fully recovered, thanks to God. 

 The surgical team that performed the operation consisted of Dr. Mahmoud Showail, a consultant in ophthalmology, corneal and cataract surgery, and refractive surgery, and Dr. Abdulrahman Khalil, the anesthetist, in addition to the nursing team.