UAE: Top French institute to open specialised women's clinic at Abu Dhabi hospital

Franco-European Multidisciplinary Institute of Endometriosis (IFEM Endo) will establish a specialised clinic for women at Abu Dhabi’s Burjeel Medical City.

The French institute will establish a centre of excellence for highly advanced minimally invasive surgeries for endometriosis – a disease where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus, causing pain and/or infertility.

According to the World Health Organisation, endometriosis affects roughly 10 per cent of reproductive age women and girls globally. It is a chronic disease associated with severe, life-impacting pain during periods, sexual intercourse, bowel movements and/or urination, chronic pelvic pain, abdominal bloating, nausea, fatigue, and sometimes depression, anxiety, and infertility.

Thus, the new clinic will not only provide world-class care for women but boost medical tourism in the UAE.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the Bordeaux-based French institute and Abu Dhabi-headquartered Burjeel Holdings, whereby the IFEM Endo Middle East Clinic will be established at Burjeel Medical City in April. The clinic will serve as a central referral receiving station for the UAE and the GCC, and will enable endometriosis research and publications, as well as the establishment of the Emirates Endometriosis Support Club.

The clinic will have a multidisciplinary team comprising general surgeons, urologists, pain management specialists, physiotherapists, and gynaecologists.

Prof. Horace Roman, consultant, obstetrics and gynaecology and founding member of IFEM Endo, will lead a team of doctors to organise the diagnosis and the multidisciplinary management of the disease as well as the management of pain using the model they apply at the clinic in France.

The team consists of Dr Benjamin Merlot, consultant, obstetrics and gynaecology and founding member of IFEM Endo, Prof. Quentin Denost, colorectal and pelvic surgery at the Bordeaux Colorectal Institute, Dr Sandesh Kade, specialist, obstetrics and gynaecology, and Dr Monica Chauhan, specialist, obstetrics and gynaecology.

“At Burjeel Holdings, we are committed to providing quality healthcare services to our patients and believe that the launch of IFEM Endo Middle East Clinic is a major step forward in achieving this goal. The new clinic will help patients access advanced medical care and enable them to receive the treatment they need in the most convenient and cost-effective way. The clinic will strengthen our capabilities in endometriosis research and pave the path for more publications, increasing the potential for a significant future impact on local and global outcomes," Sunil said and added that the comprehensive obstetrics and gynaecology department at the hospital will provide the necessary services to support the clinic.