Abu Dhabi hospital performs life-saving surgery for new-born Emirati girl

Surgeons at Danat Al Emarat Hospital for Women and Children in Abu Dhabi have saved the life of a 48-hour-old Emirati girl who was born with twisted ovaries and bleeding due to a large twisted ovarian cyst, the third case of its kind in the world.

The newborn underwent a successful 3-hour laparoscopic surgical operation during which both ovaries were restored to normal, bleeding was managed, two cysts were removed, and severe adhesions in the intestines were treated by laparoscopy.

Mohammed Hamad Al Hameli, Acting Under-Secretary at Department of Health – Abu Dhabi said, "The successful treatment of this rare case and saving the life of this baby girl confirms the level of advancement in Abu Dhabi’s healthcare facilities, that can successfully deal with difficult medical conditions through highly qualified medical experts using modern medical technologies. Consequently, these facilities are responsible for maintaining the levels they have reached and to constantly strive for improvements in line with the strategy of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi."

Dr. Raja Cingapagu, Paediatric Surgeon at Danat Al Emarat Hospital, who performed the baby’s successful surgery along with a surgical team of various specialties said, "the new-born girl was born in week 35 of pregnancy, and the tests revealed that the baby suffered from ovarian torsion and bleeding due to large ovarian cysts in both ovaries sized over five centimetres although the ovary is usually not more than one centimetre at this age.

"48 hours after her birth, an urgent surgical operation was decided based on the results of the tests. We had to perform laparoscopic surgery, during which the cyst was removed from each ovary, and both ovaries were untwisted to their normal position. The bleeding was stopped, and the accumulated blood was removed. Performing the surgery at the right time was essential in saving the life of the little girl while keeping the ovaries intact without any complications and without affecting the organs."

"Such cases are very rare worldwide where both ovaries were twisted simultaneously, and at the same time it is considered life-threatening if not treated in the right time eliminating the possibility of disrupting the functions of the ovaries in future," Dr. Raja said.

He explained that most similar cases which are still not that common occur in one ovary, but it is very rare to happen in the two ovaries at the same time, noting that this case is the third of its kind in the world. The first published case was in 1982 in the United States, and the girl passed away, while the second incident was reported last year in a European country, but complete details were not published.

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