Complex endovascular surgery gives Pakistani patient a new lease of life

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The life of a 59-year-old Pakistani patient who was at the risk of suffering a rupture of the major abdominal aorta was saved by performing a complex endovascular surgery at Burjeel Hospital, Abu Dhabi. Asymptomatic, his condition was revealed in a medical check-up.

The doctor, Ali Keivanjah, Consultant Vascular Surgeon at Burjeel Hospital, performed a three-hour-long complex endovascular surgery to implant a multi-segmental customized stent graft with five stents inside the abdominal portion of the aorta to provide support for the weakened artery and avoid a fatal rupture.

The abdominal aorta is the largest blood vessel in the abdominal cavity, and its rupture would lead to severe and fatal internal bleeding. Eight of the ten patients who suffer the rupture die before they reach the hospital.  

The patient, SK, an entrepreneur, was diagnosed with over a five-centimeters wide bulging on his abdominal aorta during an MRI scan after he met with a minor accident in Dubai on Aug.15. 

A resident of Dubai, SK slipped and twisted his leg and fell unconscious. “It took me some time to realize what has happened. A few people at the place helped me. When I regained consciousness, I was unable to stand due to extreme pain in my right leg.”

Later, his son took him to a nearby hospital, but no fractures were found on the X-ray.

“In the next 4 days, due to severe pain in my leg, MRI test was done which revealed a hairline fracture along with an abdominal aortic aneurysm. I was advised to consult a vascular surgeon immediately due to the size of the aneurysm. After CT scan, it was found that in addition to the abdominal aortic aneurysm, there were multiple iliac aneurysms” said SK.

“Surgery was required. I started researching for the best vascular surgeons in the UAE. At last, I came across the name of Dr. Ali at Burjeel Hospital. I visited the doctor and was impressed. He explained to me about the procedure and instilled confidence in me,” he added.

SK got admitted to Burjeel Hospital for the surgery. Implanting the stent is a complex procedure in aortic aneurysm patients, and the surgery needs to be performed with the utmost precision. 

“SK’s was a complicated case. The computed tomography angiography (CTA) showed that the fusiform aneurysm measured 5.2cm*5cm with an extension of approximately 13 cm. The affected region included the bifurcation point of the iliac arteries and the left iliac artery. The scan also showed that a similar aneurysm was developing on the internal iliac artery,” said Dr. Ali, who performed a successful surgery. 

SK said that he was pleased with the service at the hospital and thanked the staff and doctor for taking care of him well. “I feel lucky to be living in the UAE and am grateful to the government for investing in the healthcare sector to bring the latest treatment technologies and medical expertise to the country. I am also thankful to my insurance provider, Daman, for their support,” he said.

He was discharged from the hospital three days after the operation. The recent post-operative consultation found that he was perfectly fit.