6kg uterine tumour extracted from womb of 28-year-old Sharjah woman

Dubai: In a high-risk but minimally invasive surgery, surgeons at the University Hospital of Sharjah (UHS) extracted a 6kg tumour and saved the life of a 28-year old resident woman. The benign uterine tumour was excised by a team of doctors led by Dr Prof Mohamed Zayed, consultant, Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Laparoscopic Surgery. The team performed the complex surgery on the female patient after she was admitted to UHS.

The young woman had a huge abdominal swelling and complained of continuous pain when she was first admitted to the hospital, explained Dr Zayed. He added: “The patient also had other issues such as difficulty in digestion and movement for years. She had undergone several medical tests in different hospitals in the UAE before contacting the doctors at UHS. Her condition was initially thought to be abdominal distension, but following a series of radiological investigations, she was found to have a huge uterine tumour of unknown nature and with a complex adnexal mass. Some of the tumour markers were high as well.”

Some hospitals were reluctant to perform the surgery because of the risks involved. They were looking at the possibility of her having a malignant tumour, which could lead to the removal of her uterus and ovaries. At UHS, the Gynaecology and Radiology Department conducted further evaluation of her case. Based on the clinical evaluation and the results of her radiological tests, she was diagnosed with a huge uterine mass, which was more likely to be benign.

The patient was then briefed about the complexity of the needed procedure. Later, Dr Zayed and his team decided to go ahead with the surgery.

The doctors successfully pulled off a complex exploratory laparotomy, during which a 6kg degenerated uterine fibroid was removed. Additionally, it was found to be a benign tumour according to the results of the frozen-section procedure conducted during the surgery.

Dr Ali Obaid Al Ali, chief executive officer, UHS, and a member of Board of Trustees, said: “Over the last two years, the hospital has been investing in recruiting the best talents in surgical subspecialities, especially professor doctors from top-ranked university hospitals in the region, to cover any gap in our tertiary health-care market and perform rare medical procedures with outstanding results.”

Dr Ali added: “The patient recovered completely after the surgery. Another good news is that her doctor was able to completely preserve her uterus and ovaries and, consequently, her fertility. It was a high-risk surgery, but we had the right team of specialists led by Dr Zayed and top-notch resources to successfully operate.”

Dr Zayed is an international expert and consultant in minimally invasive surgery, with more than 30 years of experience in various gynaecological procedures. Throughout his career, he has already performed more than 10,000 complex gynaecological surgeries.