Successful kidney sparing surgery carried out at Mediclinic City Hospital

Mediclinic City Hospital one of the few regional centres to offer this complex procedure

Kidney tumours are one of the most common urological problems. The management of kidney tumours has witnessed a great paradigm shift over the past decade, moving from traditional open removal to a laparoscopic or even robotic approach. They do not present with any symptoms when at an early stage, which is why they are called the 'silent killers'. Thankfully, with the advancement of medicine and the thoroughness of treating patients, those tumours are often found at an earlier stage nowadays with a higher cure rate.

Nephron sparing surgery has become the gold standard in treating renal tumours. It is a very complex procedure and is therefore only offered in certain specialist centres in the UAE.

This is the story of a young woman who presented with intermittent left loin pain. She had been diagnosed with a large, benign, yet potentially deadly growth in her kidney. These are uncommon vascular tumours that have the potential to grow in young child-bearing age women with potential life-threatening haemorrhage.

She visited Dr Ali Thwaini, a consultant urologist and a previous lead in renal tumours in Belfast, UK, who has performed over 200 laparoscopic partial nephrectomy procedures in the past. After the diagnosis was made, she was offered an interventional procedure to block the vessels, but she was keen to have this growth removed. She was counselled for laparoscopic partial nephrectomy, which took place at Mediclinic City Hospital.

The operation went smoothly with no peri-operative problems. She made an excellent recovery and was home within a couple of days.

Mediclinic City Hospital stands head and shoulders above the rest of its healthcare providers in the country by being able to offer state-of-the-art services to patients with renal tumours. Patients have access to all treatment options including laparoscopic, robotic and minimally invasive treatments.