Dubai hospital gives Emirati teen with damaged aorta new life

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Timely intervention by doctors at Rashid Hospital saved the life of an 18-year-old Emirati after he was critically injured in a quad bike accident in the desert.
Ambulance officials brought the patient into Rashid Hospital's trauma centre on January 7 at 1:30am with polytrauma and massive bleeding.
A multispecialty team of vascular surgeons and international radiologists took immediate action and decided to opt for minimally invasive procedures to save the patient.
Dr Ayman Al Sibaie, consultant interventional radiologist at Rashid Hospital said: "The accident had resulted in a severe injury to the patient's aorta (main blood vessel in the human body), and thus the patient was in an extremely critical condition when he was brought in to the hospital.
"We decided to go ahead with the endovascular approach as it is minimally invasive and less risky compared to an open surgery. Through the use of advanced technology we repaired the aorta by stent-graft method. We inserted a catheter in the groin region and implanted a stent graft in the aorta to stop the bleeding and restore normal blood flow."
Dr Ahmad Saadat, interventional radiologist at Rashid Hospital, said that mostly in such cases, unfortunately, patients succumb to the bleeding in the ambulance itself and that time is of the absolute essence in saving the life of patient's with such injuries.
"The patient was brought in at 1:30am and by 4am the procedure was completed and the patient was shifted to an ICU. Approximately 80 per cent of patients with thoracic aortic injury die at the scene of the trauma. In those who make it to hospital, clinical diagnosis is difficult.
"The signs and symptoms are non-specific and distracting injuries are often present. The advantages of endovascular repair over open repair are that they are less invasive than open surgery, have a lower surgical morbidity and mortality rate, and they reduce the length of post-operative stay in hospital."
The patient will be able to lead a normal life, added Dr Saadat.
asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE
• Dubai