UAE: Expat undergoes 11-hour surgery after simple mouth ulcer turns into cancer

UAE resident Ali Khan Mahaboob thought nothing of the mouth ulcer he had on the left side of his cheek — 10 months later, it turned out to be cancer.

Ali, 57, saw a doctor when the ulcer grew so big that his cheek was left swollen for six months. He went to Burjeel Specialty Hospital, Sharjah, where he was diagnosed with oral cancer.

“I was scared initially and could not digest the fact that I had oral cancer,” said the expat, who used to chew tobacco. “But the doctor reassured me and made me comfortable.”

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Dr Mohammed Basheeruddin Inamdar, surgical oncologist and robotic surgeon, said Ali's condition had become so severe that the cancer had spread to his left jawbone, inner cheek lining, and the region behind his last molar.

It had also affected the skin surrounding the mouth, adding to the complexity of the situation, according to the CT scan results.

“Upon evaluation, we discovered he had a form of oral cancer commonly associated with factors like tobacco use and oral trauma,” said Dr Inamdar.

Treatment

Ali had to undergo a marathon 11-hour surgery under a multidisciplinary team led by Dr Inamdar and involved an ENT specialist, Dr V Satish, and a plastic surgeon, Dr Rajkumar.

The intricate procedure involved the meticulous removal of the affected portions of the jawbone, inner and outer cheek tissues, and impacted lymph nodes. This was followed by the reconstruction of the affected area using tissue from his leg bone and skin.

“Complex cases like these require proper planning and teamwork. The surgery was simultaneously started by the surgical oncologist on the face and neck area while the plastic surgeon started the flap harvest from the right leg," Dr Satish said.

"It was like two surgeries simultaneously taking place on the patient."

Lesson learnt

After the complex surgery, Ali navigated a challenging recovery period in the ICU.

Within two days the pain he was feeling became much more tolerable decreased, allowing him to eat from mouth again.

With all he had been through, Ali shared an advice from a lesson he learnt the hard way: "My request to everyone is to stop using tobacco in chewable or smoke form."

His biopsy reports are now clear, which means there are no more cancer cells in his neck nodes.

Ali is now undergoing radiation therapy, the next phase of his treatment.

“Ali’s experience highlights the importance of early detection and intervention in combating oral cancer," said Dr Inamdar.

"Oral cavity cancers are most often caused by oral tobacco consumption, followed by repeated trauma by sharp teeth, dentures, etc," he added.

"Avoiding tobacco consumption orally and smoking is the best step. Any ulcer or wound in the mouth, which has not healed automatically in a couple of weeks, has to be evaluated by an oncosurgeon or dental surgeon."

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