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Woman loses 10kg in first UAE robotic bariatric surgery

Abu Dhabi - The patient also benefitted with faster recovery time and improved pain management.

Surgeons at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi have performed a fully robotic bariatric revisional operation in a first-of-its-kind procedure in the UAE, offering a minimally invasive alternative to patients.
The young Emirati patient was treated with the first fully robotic surgery in the UAE and within days of her surgery, the patient lost 10kg.
She had a surgery years ago for a Sleeve Gastrectomy procedure at another facility, but had regained the weight, reaching a body mass index (BMI) of 63kg/m2 associated with obesity-related disabilities.
To help the patient, her physicians decided to perform Biliopancreatic Diversion with Duodenal Switch surgery, which reroutes a lengthy portion of the small intestine, so that food travels more quickly through the body, reducing the amount of fat and calories absorbed.
By using robotic surgery, the surgeons benefited from more precision, easier angles for movement, and easier suturing to reconnect the tissues. The patient also benefitted with faster recovery time and improved pain management.
Dr Ricard Corcelles, staff physician in the Digestive Disease Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi who performed the surgery, said: "By performing robotic surgery, we are able to reduce the amount of pain the patient experiences. She is very comfortable and was so happy to be well enough to travel home to Fujairah after only four days in hospital."
The procedure requires four small incisions of about one centimetre each in the stomach area - one for the camera and three for the robotic arms. The surgeon views the 3D image on the screen while controlling the robotic arms.
"3D imaging makes a big difference, providing a clear view of the entire area we are working on, and the increased angle provided by the robotic arm makes manual suturing much easier. This eliminates the risk of leaks and complications. You see everything on the console and the three robotic arms are controlled by the console surgeon," added Dr Corcelles.
The patient said: "I know I must stick to my daily routine and diet and I feel like my life has started again; like I have a second chance to become the person I want to be. I was walking very soon after surgery and I am making progress with this. Since the fifth day after my surgery, I have been walking 20 to 30 minutes every day," she added.
- asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com