Tawam Hospital, in affiliation with John Hopkins Medicine performed the first Single Laparoscopic Surgery (SILS), a new method of surgery, for the first time in the UAE. SILS was performed successfully under the Faculty of Medicine & Health Services (FMHS), by Dr. Fawaz Torab Chiki, Senior Consultant General Surgery, and Dr. Haytham Nabil El-Salhat, Consultant General Surgery, on a patient suffering from gallstones (cholecystolithiasis).
Dr. Fawaz said: “To our knowledge, this new surgical technique is the first of its kind in the UAE and possibly in the region. With the introduction and the success of this procedure, in due time it will become the standard method for many laparoscopic procedures. Physicians at Tawam, a center of excellence, continue to be at the forefront of cutting edge medicine.”
The innovative procedure performed recently entails a minute single incision (smaller than 0.5-1.5cm) in the navel as the main point of entry. This method has many advantages compared to the conventional multi-port laparoscopic surgery. Post-surgery scarring is quick to heal and is barely visible when the navel is used.
Aside from being a newer and safer method of surgery, SILS also guarantees the patient less pain during surgery, a shorter hospital stay (surgery is performed on an outpatient basis), and a faster return to normal daily activities.
SILS is currently the latest and most advanced form of surgery worldwide. It was initially introduced for the treatment of gallstones but it has recently started gaining momentum in other laparoscopic procedures.
“This new approach using a single port, we were able to perform the laparoscopic gastric banding and sleeve successfully and the patient could leave the hospital free from pain the morning after the surgery.” commented Dr. Salhat.
“Prior to the initial introduction of SILS, a team of surgeons at Tawam Hospital undertook extensive training in preparation and usage of the new instruments used to perform the surgery. Physicians are hopeful that SILS will soon become the primary method of laparoscopic operations in the UAE, and by extension, the entire region.” he added.
Tawam Hospital, which is managed by John Hopkins Medicine is owned and operated by SEHA, the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company [which is responsible for the curative activities of all the public hospitals and clinics in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
About Tawam Hospital
Tawam Hospital in affiliation with John Hopkins Medicine is a premier, 477-bed tertiary care facility located in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, the largest of the United Arab Emirates. Tawam serves as a regional referral center for specialized medical care and a national referral center for oncology services. Though it offers services in all specialties, the hospital is best known for its neonatal care, emergency medicine, intensive care, oncology services and state-of-the-art cardiac care. Tawam Hospital is the first government hospital to receive JCI accreditation in the UAE.
About Johns Hopkins Medicine
A more than $4 billion enterprise, Johns Hopkins Medicine unites physicians and scientists of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine with the organizations, health professionals and facilities of the Johns Hopkins Health System.
The mission of Johns Hopkins Medicine is to improve the health of the community and the world by setting the standard of excellence in medical education, research and clinical care. Diverse and inclusive, Johns Hopkins Medicine has provided international leadership in the education of physicians and medical scientists in biomedical research and in the application of medical knowledge to sustain health since The Johns Hopkins Hospital opened in 1889. The Johns Hopkins Health System includes three acute-care hospitals ―The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center and Howard County General Hospital ―which together provide an integrated health care delivery system.
About Johns Hopkins Medicine International
Johns Hopkins Medicine International (JHI) facilitates the global development of the Johns Hopkins Medicine mission: to improve the health of the community and the world by setting the standard of excellence in medical education, research and clinical care.
As the international access point to thousands of Johns Hopkins experts in medicine, nursing, public health and health care administration, JHI coordinates treatment for out-of-town patients who travel to Baltimore and for local patients with limited English proficiency. It also provides services in hospital management, health care consulting and clinical education through strategic alliances and affiliations in the Middle East, Latin America, North America, Europe and Asia.
About Health Authority Abu Dhabi
The Health Authority Abu Dhabi is responsible for ensuring excellent quality healthcare for the people of the Emirate. It defines the strategy for the health system, monitors and analyses the health status of the population and performance of the system, shapes the regulatory framework for the health system, inspects against regulations and enforces standards, encourages adoption of world-class quality & performance targets by all providers of healthcare services, plans capacities and service levels, drives programmes to improve societal health, defines minimum standards for health service providers and health professionals, and regulates scope of services and premiums & reimbursement rates of providers and payers.
About SEHA
The Abu Dhabi Health Services Company was recently launched on 29th December 2007 under Emiri Decree No. (10) of 2007 and owned by the Government of Abu Dhabi. While the full name of the company is Abu Dhabi Health Services Company, the corporate name is SEHA. SEHA is Health in Arabic.
The establishment of SEHA is part of the Government of Abu Dhabi’s healthcare sector reform initiatives and represents another step in the realization of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE's vision to provide the people of the UAE with the best healthcare facilities in the world, locally.
SEHA is an independent, public joint stock company (PJSC) created to manage and develop the curative activities of the public hospitals and clinics of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. SEHA owns and operates 12 hospital facilities, 2,644 licensed beds, and more than 40 Ambulatory and Primary Healthcare Clinics. SEHA is one of the largest employers in the Middle East with more than 15,500 doctors, nurses and other clinical staff and administration employed. SEHA delivers world class healthcare, locally, by partnering with internationally recognized healthcare leaders. Our partners include Johns Hopkins Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Bumrungrad International, New England Center for Children, Vamed, and Vienna Medical University.
