Innovative Implant Frees Abdulla From Perfect Storm Of Pain That Controlled His Life

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s Pain Management Clinic Significantly Reduced Reliance on Medication and Reduced Chronic Pain by 80%

Physicians at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, an integral part of Mubadala Health, have brought a patient’s more than a decade of debilitating chronic pain to an end, thanks to an innovative surgical implant.

Abdulla El Hashdy, a 29-year-old Emirati working as a financial analyst in the capital, endured chronic pain caused by a combination of three different medical conditions. Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2010, Abdulla also lives with metabolic myopathy and myalgia paresthetica. These conditions combined to cause nerve pain in his upper and lower limbs alongside muscle ache and a burning sensation. Despite visiting numerous doctors in the UAE and United States and being prescribed a range of medications, Abdulla continued to experience severe pain as well as a range of side effects from his medications.

“My life was being eaten up by medications, diabetes, and pain. I started to feel that my illness was in total control of my life. I couldn’t plan any activities because of the pain and my medications didn’t ease it for free - I had to pay a very heavy price. They clouded my mind and made me feel disconnected from the world,” says Abdulla.

Desperate to find a solution and take back control of his life, Abdulla turned to Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. He had heard the hospital had a dedicated pain clinic, something he had not previously encountered, and scheduled an appointment in the hope they might offer him relief.

“Pain can overshadow every other aspect of a person’s life. When Abdulla first came to us, it was clear he was really suffering. He was facing a ‘perfect storm’ of conditions that combined to cause unbearable pain. His medications weren’t working effectively and the side effects were taking a real toll. We tried a variety of approaches before settling on an innovative new form of spinal cord stimulation,” says Dr. Reda Tolba, Department Chair of Pain Management at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

After a comprehensive evaluation, Abdulla’s care team determined that he would benefit from Differential Target Multiplexed Spinal Cord Stimulation, an advanced form of spinal cord stimulation that can block persistent pain signals. The device, implanted under the patient’s skin near the spine, uses electrodes to activate both neurons in the spinal cord and glial cells to retrain the body to block persistent pain signals. Since undergoing the procedure and having the device adjusted to his individual needs, Abdulla has experienced an 80% reduction in his pain.

“When I visited Cleveland clinic Abu Dhabi the team understood my pain and suffering immediately. After trying a few approaches, they advised me that my best option would be this implant. Since having it installed, my life has changed completely, the pain is disappearing from my life. I’m an adventurous person and now I can go back to doing the things I love including skydiving,” continues Abdulla.

As a result of his surgery, Abdulla has been able to dramatically reduce the amount of medication he takes, enabling him to refocus on his life and work with a clear mind.

“Pain is a very hard thing to live with because very few people can understand what it’s like. They see you taking medication and think you are weak or enjoy the effects. I still take medication but only when the pain beats both me and the device, which is a rare case,” concludes Abdulla.

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s Interventional Pain Department, part of the hospital’s Anesthesiology Institute offers a wide variety of minimally invasive procedures to help patients suffering from chronic pain and reduce their need for pain killers.

“Reducing people’s reliance on pain killers is an important part of the relief we aim to provide our patients. Side effects like mental fogginess or sedation can have a dramatic impact on a person’s quality of life. In addition, as can be seen in the United States, long term use of certain pain medications can lead to addiction, which is a serious threat to public health,” concludes Dr. Reda.

For more information or to book an appointment at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, call 800 8 CCAD (2223), visit www.clevelandclinicabudhabi.ae or download the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi Patient Portal app.