Tawam Hospital, in affiliation with Johns Hopkins Medicine, today announced the success of a recent addition to its operating theatre – a specially designed operating table that allows for 360 degree surgery. The table can be rotated 180 degrees, which means that the Tawam surgical team can enter from both sides of the body, both front and back - or posterior and anterior in medical terminology.
The operating table, the first of its kind in the Middle East, is proving particularly beneficial for spinal injuries, including complex dislocations of the cervical spine, which are most commonly associated with trauma patients from road traffic accidents. Since its installation in June, the rotating table has been used on more than 12 occasions, significantly contributing to the recovery time of patients.
Dr. Amr El Shawarby, Chief Neurosurgery and Senior Consultant at Tawam Hospital, said: “Spinal injuries including fracture dislocations of the cervical spine are very difficult to treat on a flat, immobile operating table. Being able to rotate a patient 180 degrees, and manipulate from both sides of the spine, means that the Tawam operating team can restore alignment and dislocate locked facets without endangering the delicate neural structure.
“The rotating table means that a patient with an injury who previously would have needed to remain in hospital for up to 21 days to recover can now go home after just two days, and the metal cages which would have been inserted to help fuse the cervical spine back together are no longer necessary.”
Recent successes for Tawam Hospital’s 360 degree surgery include an 18 year old woman with a cervical spinal injury resulting from a car accident in Al Ain, who was able to return home after just four days in hospital and a 25 year old patient who was injured in a car accident which led to a fracture dislocation of the cervical spine, who through a small posterior and then anterior incision, had their cervical spine unlocked and then fused in one operation, rather than two. The patient was sent home after just two days.
Tawam Hospital is part of the SEHA Health System and is owned and operated by Abu Dhabi Health Services Company PJSC (SEHA) which is responsible for the curative activities of all the public hospitals and clinics in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The hospital is managed by Johns Hopkins Medicine International.
