IMH gives a new lease of life to 50-year-old patient

Dubai / Emirates Business

A 50 year old female patient was brought to the ER at International Modern Hospital (IMH) with severe pain on her right hip and unable to move after slipping in the bathroom.
An x-ray was done which showed a complex fracture of right hip and upper part of the femur (thigh bone). Further investigations including MRI and CT of hip, pelvis and other parts of the body revealed advanced bilateral (both sides) breast cancer involving the lymph nodes, bilateral lung, and multiple bone metastatic tumors.
Backed by over 27 years of skillful experience in the fields of orthopaedic, trauma, paediatric orthopaedics, sports medicine, and over 4,000 cases of total joint arthroplasty across various countries such as Germany, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, Dr Ehab Shehata, Specialist Orthopedician at IMH made the decision to perform a high risk operative intervention to remove most of the right hip (including the tumor) and replace it with an artificial special prosthesis that allows the patient to be mobile as early as possible.

The patient was diagnosed with Grade IV cancer which meant that the she was at a fatal, terminal stage. Incapable of moving or being mobilised with a high risk of fatal pulmonary embolism or bleeding (which continued from the fracture site), careful consideration was required to ascertain what form of medical intervention could help the patient.
“The surgery carried a high risk of complication including death of up to 30% in the most advanced of centers.”, shared Dr. Anil Grover, Medical Director, IMH.
A special pre-operative planning for each surgical step, special prosthesis and techniques were needed. “Needless to say, the lead surgeon and the supporting medical team had to have the expertise and experience in dealing with advanced high-risk terminal cases,” added Dr. Grover. “The team focused on the 70% rate of success that was possible for such a challenging case and how such an advanced line of treatment, first and foremost, would have a great positive impact on the patient’s quality of life, while also supporting the country’s socio-economic system by avoiding a long, bed ridden stay in hospital (can be several months) with a high burden on the economic and health care system.” says Mr. Riaz Khan, CEO, IMH.
The post-operative period tends to differ from one patient to another, but usually the patient must stay in hospital for at least 7 to 10 days, with daily strict medical monitoring. Fortunately, the patient did well post-operatively and was walking using a walker after 24 hours. Intensive physiotherapy was applied immediately post-operatively and within 4 days the patient was allowed to go to the toilet independently with a walker. A marked reduction in pain was also observed. The procedure enabled a significant improvement in her quality of life while she continues her oncology treatment.
Dr. Shehata says, “The clear message in this case is that even in advanced grade stage IV of cancer, there is still a chance to improve the patient’s quality of life to a great extent in terms of carrying on their daily activities independently.”
A study published in 2018 revealed that every year more than 4500 new cases of breast cancer is discovered, and according to the WHO, 25% of breast cancer cases have a high incidence of fatal widespread metastasis at the terminal stage. Females over 40 years of age or near menopause are at a higher risk of breast cancer. It is estimated as per published studies that the number of newly discovered breast cancer will be double by 2030 in Gulf countries. This indicates that around 1000 such advanced cases are anticipated per year.
“At IMH, we place great emphasis on taking up complex, complicated, high risk cases. Our confidence stems from our team of doctors and allied medical staff who have extensive experience and expertise in handling such cases. This focus is in support of the vision of the nation’s leaders to position the UAE as a global destination for excellence in healthcare.”, says Dr. Hafeez Rahman, Chairman, IMH.