Dubai: In a complicated spinal surgery, neurosurgeons of Rashid Hospital, Dubai, removed a large spinal tumour that had paralysed an Indian expatriate.
Dr Mohammad Abdul Aziz Sultan Al Olama, consultant neurosurgeon at the Rashid Hospital told Gulf News, that the surgery was conducted on a 61-year-old Indian expatriate Selvaraj in the first week of May and lasted nearly six hours.
“The patient, an engineer from a petroleum company was suffering from a tumour — 5x3 cm — between his T-12 and L-12 vertebrae since 2014. However after an initial MRI then at a private hospital, he was not able to go in for surgery. He came to us a week before the surgery in great pain, paralysed and with urinary incontinence. An MRI revealed a huge tumour compressing his conus medularis (end of the spinal cord). This impacted the nerves reaching his pelvic region and his legs. Surgery was the only way to relieve the patient of suffering,” said Dr Al Olama.
Dr Al Olama pointed out although tumour surgeries are carried out at Rashid Hospital, this was rare because of its size and its position. “We did a laminectomy and faced a challenge excising the tumour which was surrounded by a network of nerves criss crossing it. I had to use a microscope to make sure I did not damage any of the fine nerves,” said Dr Olama who operated with a team of three neurosurgeons for over six hours.
The patient’s pain disappeared soon after the surgery and he was discharged but advised physiotherapy in his left foot to gain full mobility.
Describing his ordeal Selvaraj told Gulf News: “ This surgery has given me a new lease of life as before the surgery if anyone tried to have a small conversation with me I could not focus on it. It was terrible. In the three years, for some time the pain disappeared like a miracle, but it always came back again. Three weeks before the surgery the pain returned with full vengeance, and a week before the surgery, I lost movement and was in severe pain. I am thankful to the surgeons of Rashid Hospital who conducted this rare surgery and delivered me from this excruciating pain.”
