Khoula Hospital performs first laparoscopic aneurysm surgery in Middle East

MUSCAT: A specialized medical team at Khoula Hospital successfully performed a delicate laparoscopic surgery to remove a splenic artery aneurysm, marking the first documented procedure of its kind in the Middle East.

Dr Ahmed bin Salem al Aufi, Consultant Vascular and Trauma Surgeon at Khoula Hospital, said that the patient was feeling pain in the upper left side of her abdomen. The ultrasound and the CT scan showed a 2.8-centimetre aneurysm in the splenic artery. The size is considered dangerous and necessitates surgical intervention due to the risk of rupture, a condition that is considered fatal in more than 80 per cent of cases.

He noted that the decision to remove the aneurysm was a life-saving procedure, and that laparoscopic surgery was chosen instead of the conventional open surgery due to its numerous advantages including faster recovery, reduced incision size, fewer respiratory and musculoskeletal complications as well as a shorter hospital stay which was particularly suitable for the patient who was caring for an infant.

He stressed that this medical breakthrough reflects the advanced level of vascular surgery at Khoula Hospital and that documenting the procedure as the first of its kind in the Middle East highlights the high level of expertise of the surgical team, along with the advanced preparedness of the anesthesia and surgical nursing teams.