A 19-year-old Tanzanian woman, from Zanzibar, underwent surgery in the city for a rare congenital defect that left her with a bloated stomach.
Sauda Suleiman Amour was diagnosed as suffering from hepatomphalocele, a condition where the abdomen wall that protects organs such as intestines and liver is thin. She had to drop out of school four years ago as she was teased for her bloated stomach and people thought she was pregnant. During one consultation, the doctors referred her case to SIMS Hospital.
Radhakrishna Patta, director of surgical gastroenterology in the hospital, who performed a four-hour surgery on her, said she was a beneficiary of a recent agreement between the hospital and the Tanzanian government. The medical board in Tanzania gave the clearance, and she was admitted to the hospital three weeks ago.
Since the abdominal wall had thinned out, doctors had to reconstruct it. Doctors created space in the abdomen to accommodate the liver and intestines and used a method called transversus abdominis release (TAR). “We use a mesh to give strength to the muscles and prevent hernia,” Dr. Patta said.
K. Raghavendran, director of anaesthesia and pain management, said, “Creating a large space in the abdomen was a challenge. We used Botox injections to relax the abdominal muscles.”
Ms. Amour will be discharged on Friday. Chairman of SRM group Ravi Patchamuthoo said the hospital’s team of skilled and experienced surgeons performed latest gastrosurgical techinques.
