Abu Dhabi - The advanced surgery took almost eight hours.
Published: Tue 30 Jul 2019, 3:49 PM
Surgeons at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi have removed a brain tumour the size of a billiard ball from a 34-year-old man, ending his 10-year search for a cure to his headaches and intermittent seizures.
UAE resident Mohanad Emaara began experiencing episodes of headache, chills, dizziness, blurred vision, weakness in his arms and even the loss of his speech in his mid-twenties. His search for a cure led him to a variety of doctors, but none of the suggested treatments helped his condition. Over the years, the episodes he suffered continued to grow worse, lasting longer and longer.
"For one week a month, I would have headaches five or six times a day. I wouldn't be able to see, speak or hear anything for a few seconds or even minutes," says Mohanad.
"It made my life very difficult. The headaches meant I didn't want to be around my wife or children and I was even afraid to use my car because I was worried my sight or strength in my arms would go while driving."
After almost ten years of searching and frustrated by the lack of a diagnosis, Mohanad decided to book an MRI which finally revealed he was suffering from a brain tumour the size of a billiard ball in the left side of his skull compressing the brain.
Dr. Mohamed Samy Elhammady a neurosurgeon at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi explained: "Mohanad's tumour was one of the largest I've seen in Abu Dhabi. It had been growing for so long that it had developed a better blood supply than the rest of the brain. It had caused significant swelling that had pushed the brain almost a centimeter off center. Left untreated it would have kept growing and Mohanad's symptoms would have become significantly worse."
The location of the tumour, at the base of the skull, severely pushing into healthy brain, made surgery to remove it complex, particularly as it had developed its own blood supply. To ensure that the tumour could be removed without damaging any of his healthy tissue, doctors used a technique called neuro-navigation, which provides detailed 3D scans of the brain that help guide them through surgery.
"Neuro-navigation is like a GPS for surgery. We can overlay a 3D scan of the patient's brain so that we always know exactly where we are during the operation, helping us to avoid any damage to healthy tissue and ensuring that patients don't suffer any adverse effects as a result of the surgery. Coupled with intra-operative nerve monitoring systems to observe brain function in real-time, it makes brain surgery significantly safer for patients," says Dr. Elhammady.
Following his almost eight-hour surgery, Mohanad recovered well and has returned home to his family and career.
"I feel like a new person. I really feel like I can do anything now that I don't need to worry about losing my sight or my strength. Thanks to the staff at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, I can be there for my family and look forward to the future," said Mohanad.
ismail@khaleejtimes.com
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