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UAE: Gynaecologist becomes first Emirati physician to be licensed for robotic surgery

Dr Mona Abdulaziz Kashwani trained in France to perform procedures

Dr Mona Abdulaziz Kashwani has become the first Emirati physician licensed to perform robotic surgery in the UAE.

The specialist obstetrician and gynaecologist at the Al Qassimi Women and Children’s Hospital was granted the licence by the IRCAD Training Centre in Strasbourg, France, to perform surgeries using the Da Vinci surgical system, one of the most popular automated surgical systems in the world. IRCAD is a globally accredited body for training and licensing physicians on the Da Vinci system.

Dr Kashwani, a graduate of the Queen Mary University of London in 2005, is one of the most experienced doctors in robotic surgery in the UAE and was nominated by the Director of the Laparoscopic Operations and Robotic Surgery Programme at Al Qasimi hospital, Dr Zaki Al Mazki Al Shamsi, to join the women robotic surgeons programme.

She performs procedures such as total hysterectomy, supracervical hysterectomy, removal of fibroid tumours, ovarian cyst removal, and removal of adhesions to treat abdominal and pelvic pain, in addition to uterine prolapse and uterine retraction surgeries as a result of multiple deliveries.

Dr Essam Mohamed, Executive Director of Medical Services at Emirates Health Services (EHS), applauded Dr Kashwani’s achievement and praised medical staff across various facilities affiliated with the EHS for their efforts and dedication, reiterating the commitment of the EHS to empower medical and nursing staff across all of its facilities. The Al Qassimi Women and Children’s Hospital, where Dr Kashwani serves, is also an EHS affiliate.

Speaking about her certification, Dr Kashwani said: “I have spent countless hours after my shifts using the surgical simulator for training and studying how the robotic system operates. This qualified me to receive the license to perform gynaecological robotic surgery using the advanced Da Vinci surgical robot.

“I sincerely thank the wise leadership, who gave me the opportunity to be one of the few citizens to carry out this type of high-precision operation for patients, using a robot.”

She explained that she had gained extensive experience with the programme since its launch in 2019, carefully studying and learning how to safely operate it, and working on all gynaecological robotic surgeries.