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Rare surgery saves Serbian woman’s life

SHARJAH — A rare, life-saving surgery to remove a brain tumour was performed on a young Serbian girl who was specially flown into the UAE after two previous surgeries proved 
unsuccessful.

The surgery, sponsored by the UAE Ministry of Health and performed at Al Qasimi Hospital, has helped Sevidia Gashi, 25, resume a near normal life after having suffered endless pain and discomfort for over six years since the tumour developed.

Doctors at the hospital removed a three centimetre tumour from the middle of the brain (pituary gland) after a complex five hour microscopic surgery on April 7. The tumour was causing loss of vision and creating a hormonal imbalance in Sevedia’s body. The tumour could have been life-threatening if left untreated, said the doctors.

“We had to work on a three millimetre area since the tumour was surrounded by a dense network of blood vessels,” said Dr Mohammed Al Olama, Neurosurgeon at Al Qasimi Hospital, who performed the operation with the help of Dr Matts Johnson from Sahlgrenska Hospital in Sweden. Two prior surgeries were performed on Sevidia in Kosovo in 2005 and 2010. However, none of them proved successful. She later travelled to Sahlgrenska Hospital in Sweden where the hospital and local charities were unable to raise 26,000 Euros for another surgery. She was finally referred to Al Qasimi Hospital that performed the surgery free of cost.

“She requires no further treatment but a MRI scan will be done after three months,” said Dr Olama. According to the doctor, patients from the UAE travel abroad for such treatments. “We want to let everybody know that patients can trust us since we can perform such surgeries here as well,” added Dr Olama.

Sevidia, who has travelled with her parents, is unable to communicate in English or Arabic but gestured that she is happy with the surgery. She will fly home today. — asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com