Professor Mohamed Zayed, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist of University Hospital Sharjah (UHS) recently conducted a laparoscopic surgery on a 30-year- old woman who developed Vesicouterine Fistula (VUF) after delivering her fourth child. The woman had been suffering from this condition since past three months and as her condition detoriated day by day, the only option left was a surgical procedure. World wide correcting Vesicouterine Fistula is considered a complex surgical procedure that requires advanced surgical skill and experience. To the best of our knowledge however this is the first case where such a minimally invasive technical procedure has been employed to correct the condition in the UAE.

It was noted that the 30-year-old woman developed Vesicouterine Fistula (VUF) after delivering her fourth child, through caesarean section at another hospital in Dubai, where an undiagnosed injury led her to develop the fistula. Following her caesarean section, the patient noticed that she was passing urine from her vagina and not through the normal passage. As such, she did a couple of tests and was diagnosed with Vesicouterine Fistula (VUF). After a thorough medical examination, she was advised for a conventional surgery to treat her condition.

While a conventional surgery technique to conduct this surgery would work the same as a minimal invasive procedure, a laparoscopic surgery offers lesser pain, invisible scars, shorter hospital stay, less blood loss, fewer complications, including less risk of infection and faster return to normal activities. In addition, laparoscopic surgery is the most modern, technologically superior and safe surgical procedure performed by highly trained and experienced surgeons. This system enhances the capabilities of surgeons to perform major surgeries by offering greater surgical precision, range of motion, visualization and access. As such, the patient opted for a laparoscopic surgery with UHS.

Over the years, UHS has performed several laparoscopic surgeries for advanced tumours, uterus and ovary problems, which has positioned the hospital as a leading player of laparoscopic surgeries. In addition, the hospital has a special unit for laparoscopic surgeries and 95 percent of the surgeries are performed using the new technique.

“Correcting Vesicouterine Fistulas (VUF) through laparoscopic surgery is one of the most advanced procedures and requires special skills, surgical details, specific equipment and special suture material which allow for quick healing. As such, we employed the best team and techniques to perform the hour and a half procedure. The recovery was smooth and uneventful with minimum hospital stay for the patient,” said Professor Mohamed Zayed of University Hospital Sharjah who performed the laparoscopic surgery.

Professor Mohamed Zayed has been working with UHS for past eight years and has performed over 500 laparoscopic surgeries. He’s been working in this field since 1992 and has more than 25 years of experience to his credit in addition to 37 years of experience into gynaecological surgery.

“When the patient first visited us, she was in a miserable condition. She suffered from inflammation, itching, discharge, infection and irritation which made it difficult for her to move and perform routine activities. She had approached several hospitals in the UAE to help her treat the condition, but they all advised her to follow the conventional surgery method. However, knowing the side effects an open surgery offers, the patient wanted to opt for a minimum invasive surgery that would leave no scars and offer quick recovery. As such, she opted for a laparoscopic surgery with UHS. While the minimal invasive procedure has several benefits, it also ensures an excellent cosmetic and psycho – social outcome. As such, we employed a novel technique to help deliver the best results, which was in line with the hospitals policies of innovation and patient centricity. Such surgeries are not just a testimony for the hospital, but also for the technological developments in the healthcare space,” added Professor Mohamed Zayed.

It’s for the first time that such a surgery has been performed in the UAE, though most western countries are already doing such surgeries with good outcomes.

Vesicouterine Fistula (VUF) is a pathological and uncommon connection between the uterus and the bladder that allows the continuous involuntary discharge of urine into the vaginal vault. Although rare, it is usually related to caesarean section, and the incidence increases because of the increase in Caesarean sections. The Fistula Foundation estimates that more than two million young women live with untreated fistula in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, with between 50 000 to 100 000 women worldwide affected each year. Despite being both preventable and treatable, only 60,280 women received fistula repair surgery between 2010 and 2013, according to the Global Fistula Map.