Dubai: Youth battling abdominal pain for years gets relief after diagnosis of a rare condition

The expat rushed to the emergency department complaining of unbearable pain, fever, and vomiting for two days

Dr Sudheer Salavudeen with Ubaise Kuttiyilparamb. Photo: Supplied

After suffering from writhing abdominal pain for over eight years and undergoing health treatments in various hospitals, a 27-year-old Indian expat finally got relief when he was diagnosed with a rare condition.

Ubaise Kuttiyilparamb, a marketing professional, was diagnosed with a congenital condition called paraduodenal hernia, where there is an abnormal space in the mesentery (an organ in which all abdominal digestive organs develop), causing severe gastrointestinal consequences. He then underwent a laparoscopy surgery at Aster Hospital, Qusais, where the abnormal space was closed successfully.

Kuttiyilparamb hurried to the emergency department of Aster Hospital, complaining of severe abdominal pain, fever, and vomiting for two days. He manifested symptoms of pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas). “I had undergone pain for the last eight years.”

To confirm the diagnosis, the doctor at the emergency department ordered a CT scan. Surprisingly, the scan report was normal. But Kuttiyilparamb could not tolerate the pain. He was referred to Dr Sudheer Salavudeen, a specialist in general surgery at Aster Hospital, Qusais, for detailed evaluation.

“It was a challenging case. Kuttiyilparamb’s symptoms were similar to pancreatitis. But the CT proved that our assumption was wrong. This was puzzling. There was no enlargement of the stomach or obstruction of the intestines. The cause of the pain was a mystery in his case,” said Dr Sudheer.

History of eight years

The medical team in Aster had to delve into his medical history. Kuttiyilparamb told the doctor that he had been struggling with this condition for more than eight years.

“I first experienced it when I was 19 or 20, and I still remember it vividly. It started as a minor pain in the evening after dinner. But gradually, the pain aggravated, and I could not tolerate it. My family rushed me to a nearby hospital. The doctors said that it was appendicitis,” said Kuttiyilparamb.

“But again, the scan results showed no signs of the condition. They could not diagnose the condition and referred me to Medical College for specialised care. Even the doctors there could not diagnose my condition. They gave me painkillers and some medicines to subside my pain,” explained Kuttiyilparamb.

Then he started experiencing the pain intermittently. “I went to several hospitals and tried different medicines. But the doctors could not diagnose the cause of the pain. It was very distressing. I even tried Homoeopathy and Ayurveda. Nothing worked out,” added Kuttiyilparamb.

After a few years, Kuttiyilparamb got used to the condition and consumed painkillers whenever the pain started. “It became a routine for me. I had no other issues. The painkillers worked. In four days, I was back to normal. And gradually, I started feeling better,” he said.

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Feeling better, he moved to UAE for work. Everything was going fine until two months ago when he started experiencing the pain again. He went to a nearby clinic, but nothing helped.

“In a few days, my condition became worse. I started vomiting and was feverish. I was staying with my sister, who took me to the hospital. By then, my pain had aggravated,” said Kuttiyilparamb.

Dr Sudheer delved into medical literature for a diagnosis. “It suddenly occurred as to whether it could be an internal hernia. It is rare, and the incidence rate is less than 0.2 per cent. To confirm, we did a CT scan again.”

Dr Aejas Ahmed, radiology specialist, suspected an abnormal spacing in the mesentery. “We quickly moved Kuttiyilparamb to the operation theatre and did a laparoscopy to confirm. Yes, it was a success. Finally, we found the cause. The abnormal space was closed through a minimally-invasive procedure. Kuttiyilparamb got relief from pain,” Dr Sudheer.

Kuttiyilparamb is now happily relieved and thankful to the doctors at Aster Hospital. “I do not know how to express my happiness. Only God knows how I tolerated the pain for so many years. It took a long time for a doctor to make the diagnosis. I am extremely grateful to Dr Sudheer and my caretakers at the hospital,” he said.