Years of pain, one breakthrough: Emirati man spared lifetime of incontinence after UAE's first endoscopic rectal tumour removal
The 38-year-old Emirati patient had endured years of pain, rectal bleeding, and chronic constipation caused by Solitary Rectal Ulcer Syndrome (SRUS). Traditionally, such a condition would have required invasive open surgery with a high risk of permanent incontinence. Instead, Dr. Abdelhafez performed a full-thickness Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection (ESD) to completely remove the ulcerated tumor located dangerously close to the anal sphincter. He then closed the large post-resection defect using the cutting-edge SutuArt endoscopic hand suturing system, ensuring optimal healing while preserving full muscle control.
'This was an exceptionally challenging and delicate case, requiring microscopic precision and advanced technology that only a handful of highly specialized centers worldwide can offer,' said Dr. Abdelhafez. 'Thanks to Medcare Royal's world-class infrastructure and a highly skilled multidisciplinary team, we were able to avoid major surgery and deliver a solution that fully restored the patient's dignity and quality of life.'
The patient was discharged the following day, pain-free, with no post-procedural bleeding and full continence. Three weeks later, histopathology confirmed complete and clean removal of the lesion, with no signs of cancer or dysplasia.
This world-first achievement positions Medcare Royal Specialty Hospital among the most advanced centers globally for complex minimally invasive gastrointestinal interventions, proving that patients in the UAE can now access expertise and technologies previously available only in select international institutions.
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Web Release
a day ago
- Web Release
Years of pain, one breakthrough: Emirati man spared lifetime of incontinence after UAE's first endoscopic rectal tumour removal
Medcare Royal Specialty Hospital has achieved a global medical milestone, successfully performing the first-ever full-thickness endoscopic rectal tumor removal followed by advanced endoscopic hand suturing. This ultra-complex procedure, carried out by Dr. Mohamed Abdelhafez, Head of the Gastroenterology and Endoscopy, Advanced Endoscopy Department at Medcare Royal Specialty Hospital and Associate Professor of Gastroenterology at the Technical University of Munich, Germany, showcases a level of expertise and technology only available in highly specialized centers worldwide. The 38-year-old Emirati patient had endured years of pain, rectal bleeding, and chronic constipation caused by Solitary Rectal Ulcer Syndrome (SRUS). Traditionally, such a condition would have required invasive open surgery with a high risk of permanent incontinence. Instead, Dr. Abdelhafez performed a full-thickness Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection (ESD) to completely remove the ulcerated tumor located dangerously close to the anal sphincter. He then closed the large post-resection defect using the cutting-edge SutuArt endoscopic hand suturing system, ensuring optimal healing while preserving full muscle control. 'This was an exceptionally challenging and delicate case, requiring microscopic precision and advanced technology that only a handful of highly specialized centers worldwide can offer,' said Dr. Abdelhafez. 'Thanks to Medcare Royal's world-class infrastructure and a highly skilled multidisciplinary team, we were able to avoid major surgery and deliver a solution that fully restored the patient's dignity and quality of life.' The patient was discharged the following day, pain-free, with no post-procedural bleeding and full continence. Three weeks later, histopathology confirmed complete and clean removal of the lesion, with no signs of cancer or dysplasia. This world-first achievement positions Medcare Royal Specialty Hospital among the most advanced centers globally for complex minimally invasive gastrointestinal interventions, proving that patients in the UAE can now access expertise and technologies previously available only in select international institutions.
The National
2 days ago
- The National
Fertility treatments help the most when they're affordable
According to the World Health Organisation, one in six people, or 17.5 per cent of adults worldwide, will experience the challenges of infertility, or are already experiencing it. The Middle East is not excluded from this reality, with couples undergoing treatment for infertility in the hope of starting or expanding their families. In what might make many of them optimistic, a new, personalised treatment in Abu Dhabi has enabled a 42-year-old Emirati woman to give birth to a healthy baby boy, five years after the couple began their in-vitro fertilisation, or IVF, treatment. If this type of customised treatment becomes more popular, it could be one way to help address the declining birth rates seen around the world, including in the region. But fertility treatments – whether IVF or Intrauterine Insemination, or IUI –come with challenges, emotional, physical and financial. On the financial, treatments often mean a hefty price tag because of which, unfortunately, not all who desire to become parents are able to, leading to larger societal implications. The fertility rate in the UAE declined 0.59 per cent this year from 2024, according to the research platform Macrotrends. Most IVF specialists concur on fertility treatments being an ordeal for prospective parents, with no guaranteed success. In The National 's previous reports on the issue, Cassie Destino, the founder of a patient support organisation called IVF Support UAE, said: 'I have watched people go at it over and over and over, and spend hundreds of thousands of dirhams and not end up with child. That's the hardest part.' With rising problems of infertility, the market for fertility services in the UAE is a sizable one. In 2023, it generated a revenue of $443.1 million. That figure in five years' time is expected to reach $710 million, growing at a rate of 7 per cent from 2024 to 2030, according to the research and consulting firm Grand View Research. Clearly, as much as there is a demand for these treatments, there is a need for them to also become more affordable so that couples across income brackets can access specialised medical expertise. The need for insurance companies to include fertility treatments in many more compensation packages cannot be stressed enough as it could significantly lessen the financial strain on a household. Given that fertility challenges are often attributed to a variety of individual circumstances – including career prioritisation, getting married at an older age, medical challenges, and also in many cases, simply the way in which lives pan out – more women might be inclined to opt for procedures such as freezing their eggs, if only the financial costs were not prohibitive – and consequentially, an option ruled out, leading to other complications in time. A consultant in obstetrics, gynaecology and reproductive health, Dr Human Fatemi, who treated the 42-year-old patient, told The National: 'We have reached the era of individualised medicine, it's not a one-size-fits-all approach any more. Every month, the endocrine profile of a woman differs, so the way you approach stimulating a woman for IVF is different.' If new fertility treatments see the kind of success this one family has experienced, thousands of other couples in the country could similarly benefit, especially if the need for more fertility clinics was addressed. More clinics opening, equipped with the medical technology and personalised treatment plans, could – even if it does not guarantee a baby – ensure the most likely chances of healthy births. As a result, given the laws of demand and supply, the costs of IVF treatments that can take years and drain a couple's finances, would decrease and lessen the burden that sometimes treatments can carry, especially on an emotional level. Some of these measures are essential to ensuring a family's wish-fulfilment. From a wider socio-economic point of view, they are crucial measures that, in the long term, can help a society sustain a healthy and growing population.
Al Etihad
04-08-2025
- Al Etihad
Yas Clinic - Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Centre celebrate successful bone marrow transplant
ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD) As part of its ongoing Year of Community 2025 campaign, Yas Clinic Khalifa City and Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Center hosted a celebration in honour of Matar, a young bone marrow transplant (BMT) patient who recently completed a long and challenging medical journey. Building on the success of previous community-driven initiatives, including Al Harith's High School Graduation Celebration and the Colours of Hope wall art project, this event marks a new chapter in Yas Clinic's mission to humanise the healing journey and celebrate the resilience of its patients. The initiative was led by the hospital's social worker, Rahma Almehairi, and brought together Matar's family, his medical team, and special guests in a joyful gathering that honored his strength and determination. To make the day unforgettable, a popular content creator surprised Matar with gaming-themed gifts, followed by a live video call with his favourite gaming influencers, allowing him to connect with the digital world he loves most. "In moments like these, we see the true spirit of healthcare - resilient, compassionate and uplifting.' said Robert Ball, CEO of Yas Clinic hospital. "Matar's story reminds us why we do what we do.' "Supporting Matar emotionally during his recovery was just as important as his medical treatment.' said Rahma Almehairi, Social Worker at Yas Clinic, Khalifa City. "This small celebration gave him a big memory - and this is at the heart of our work during the Year of Community.' "Despite the health challenges I went through, I was able to achieve this accomplishment thanks to God, the support of my family and my country," the Emirati teen said. He underwent a successful transplant in Abu Dhabi with bone marrow donated by his sister. "She donated her bone marrow to me, gave me a new life, may God reward her," Matar said.
