Stomach-Saving Medical Second Opinion Keeps Biryani on The Menu for UAE Resident

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi Physicians Find and Remove ‘Needle in a Haystack’ Cancer

What began as indigestion led to doctors telling a young Abu Dhabi man he needed his stomach removed until a second opinion medical consultation at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, an integral part of Mubadala Health, found a stomach-saving cure for his cancer.

The young logistics worker in his 30s from India and father of two, had been searching for relief from what he thought was bad indigestion. After visiting multiple doctors, he was told he had stomach cancer and would need to have his entire stomach removed. Concerned at the radical treatment he was being offered, the patient decided to visit Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi for a second opinion.

“I had been having indigestion for a while and at first I thought it was because I had changed my diet after rotating onto night shifts. After seeing a doctor and getting some medication that didn’t help, I visited another hospital where they did an endoscopy and told me I had stomach cancer. They told me my best hope was to have my whole stomach removed. I was in shock, I couldn’t accept such a life-changing treatment so I decided to get a second opinion,” says the patient.

After visiting another hospital, doctors performed further endoscopies that failed to find any cancer in his stomach. Concerned that doctors were not doing enough and to explore all his options, George visited Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s Digestive Disease Institute in the hopes of finding an alternative treatment.

“When the patient came to us, he had been diagnosed with a very early stage but very aggressive form of stomach cancer that traditionally needs surgery to remove his entire stomach to save his life. We decided to perform an image-enhanced endoscopy to make sure we got as complete a picture of his condition as possible. What we found was a single, tiny tumor in the lining of his stomach, about one millimeter wide. It was like finding a needle in a haystack,” says Dr. Ammar Kheir, a Staff Physician in the Digestive Disease Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi,

Having found the cancer, doctors began work on an individualized treatment plan. Although his initial doctors had suggested surgery to remove his entire stomach, the size and location of the tumor and the fact it had not yet spread meant his care team at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi recommended an advanced endoscopic resection technique called Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection that would enable them to remove the tumor from the stomach lining in one piece, with precise staging to avoid surgery.

“So much of our social lives and overall quality of life are centered around food that we really wanted to avoid removing the patient’s stomach. Happily, the small size of the tumor meant he qualified for Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection, a specialized procedure only offered at limited centers internationally. This meant that rather than having to remove his stomach, inviting all the complications and long term effects that treatment brings, we would be able to completely remove the tumor from the lining of his stomach as a single piece, preserving his quality of life,” says Dr. Kheir, who was trained in Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection in Japan and Australia.

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi is the only hospital in the region that offers Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection and has successfully cured 13 patients since last year. During the procedure, doctors use specialized electrosurgical knives to remove the tumor and surrounding deep tissue without the need for surgical incisions. This approach means the entire tumor can be removed at once, preventing any cancer cells being left in the body.

Following his successful procedure and after spending just two days in the hospital, the patient returned to India to visit his family and take a break after his frightening ordeal. Thanks to the advanced endoscopic technique used to remove his cancer, he does not have any dietary restrictions upon discharge and is able to eat normally. It was Christmas Eve 2020 when Dr. Kheir phoned him to let him know that all his test results had come back saying he was officially cancer-free.

“That was the greatest gift I’ve received in my life. After spending so many sleepless nights worrying about my health and what might happen, to be told it was all over was amazing. I got my wife and kids together and we had biryani to celebrate. I am so glad I visited Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi for a second opinion. I want to tell everyone, never ignore symptoms and make sure you double check what your doctor is telling you if you have any concerns at all – it might save your life!” he concludes.

Regular follow-up has continued at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has confirmed that the patient remains cancer free.

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi recently launched an online second opinion service, enabling UAE residents to access expert advice on their condition and treatment options remotely. After booking the service online, patients can provide details of their case before having the opportunity to discuss their care with a specialized physician during a one-on-one virtual visit.

For more information or to request a second opinion from a Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi physician, call 800 8 CCAD (2223), visit www.clevelandclinicabudhabi.ae or download the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi Patient Portal app.