Daijiworld Media Network - Abu Dhabi (SR)
Abu Dhabi, Jul 9: In a first-of-its-kind procedure in the UAE, surgeons at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi have performed a fully robotic bariatric revisional surgery on a young Emirati patient. The patient lost 10 kgs within days of her surgery.
As per Khaleej times, the lady had a surgery years ago for a Sleeve Gastrectomy procedure at another facility but she regained weight, reaching a body mass index (BMI) of 63kg/m2 associated with obesity-related disabilities.
After going through the patient's case history the surgeons at Cleveland Clinic decided to perform biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch surgery. This procedure reroutes a lengthy portion of the small intestine, so that food travels more quickly through the body, reducing the amount of fat and calories absorbed.
By using robotic surgery, the surgeons benefited from more precision, easier angles for movement, and easier suturing to reconnect the tissues. The patient also benefitted with faster recovery time and improved pain management.
Staff physician in the Digestive Disease Institute at Cleveland Clinic, Dr Ricard Corcelles said, "by performing robotic surgery, we are able to reduce the amount of pain the patient experiences. She is very comfortable and was so happy to be well enough to travel home to Fujairah after only four days in hospital."
The procedure requires four small incisions of about one centimetre each in the stomach area, one for the camera and three for the robotic arms. The surgeon views the 3D image on the screen while controlling the robotic arms.
Dr Corcelles said, "3D imaging makes a big difference, providing a clear view of the entire area we are working on, and the increased angle provided by the robotic arm makes manual suturing much easier. This eliminates the risk of leaks and complications. You see everything on the console and the three robotic arms are controlled by the console surgeon."
As per Khaleej Times, one patient said "I know I must stick to my daily routine and diet and I feel like my life has started again; like I have a second chance to become the person I want to be. I was walking very soon after surgery and I am making progress with this. Since the fifth day after my surgery, I have been walking 20 to 30 minutes every day."