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UAE: One-year-old girl undergoes 6-hour surgery to separate conjoined organs

Only one child out of every 25,000 suffers from this condition, say doctors

A one-year-old girl, suffering from rare deformities, underwent a six-hour-long surgery at Al Qassimi Women and Children’s Hospital in Sharjah.

The doctors at the hospital successfully performed a complex surgery to separate the conjoined organs, which included deformities in the urethra, vagina, and anus. Tests revealed she suffered from deformations in the urinary tract, with the kidneys not being in the regular place.

Following a thorough study of the case, the medical team at the hospital set an integrated treatment plan. As a result, a complex surgery was performed, during which the medical team was able to separate the organs successfully.

Dr Khalid Khalfan Bin Sabet, consultant paediatric surgeon, and Medical Director of Al Qasimi Women’s and Children’s Hospital explained that surgeries of this kind are complex and need to be performed in advanced, world-class centres due to their difficulty. “The deformities that the patient suffered from are rare, affecting one child out of every 25,000,” said Dr Sabet.

“These congenital anomalies are discovered during childbirth. Temporary external anastomoses are typically made from the colon to facilitate the excretion process before beginning the surgery and are then usually closed a few months after the surgery,” added Dr Sabet.

Dr Essam Al Zarouni, acting executive director of the Medical Services Sector at Emirates Health Services, said they achieved notable milestones, especially in rare and complex surgeries, and developing its medical facilities and enhancing its capabilities by adopting technologies, smart solutions, and advanced devices to serve patients, in addition to enlisting qualified and specialised medical professionals to handle various cases.

“This serves to enhance the competitiveness of EHS and its affiliated health facilities, positioning it as an ideal destination for top-quality, integrated, and comprehensive healthcare and treatment services for all segments of the community, in line with EHS’ goals and with the ‘We the UAE 2031’ vision to enhance the quality of healthcare and achieve the goals of the UAE Centennial 2071 Plan,” Dr Al Zarouni said.

For her part, Dr Safia Al Klhaja, director of Al Qassimi Women’s and Children’s Hospital, congratulated the medical staff on the operation's success and the patient’s parents on the safety of their child. “We are committed to attracting doctors with advanced experience and qualifications in various medical specialities, in addition to constantly providing the hospital with the latest technologies necessary to deal with complex medical cases,” Dr Al Klhaja said.

ayaz@khaleejtimes.com

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