UAE: No pain, scars with new hysterectomy technique

UAE: No pain, scars with new hysterectomy technique

Patient who underwent novel procedure discharged after 24 hours of surgery

Published: Wed 20 Jul 2022, 1:54 PM

In a first for the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), doctors at Tawam Hospital have successfully performed a total hysterectomy on a 66-year-old breast cancer patient, using a novel technique: vaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (V-NOTES).

Hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes. V-NOTES, a combination of two existing techniques - the vaginal hysterectomy and laparoscopic hysterectomy, is a minimally invasive surgical technique that uses the body's natural orifices, such as the vagina.

The prime benefits of V-NOTES include no visible scarring, less post-operative pain, requiring fewer painkillers, fewer post-operative infections, and a shorter hospital stay compared to traditional laparoscopic hysterectomy.

Dr Saad Aswad, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, gynaecological oncologist, at Tawam Hospital, SEHA, said: "The patient is a known case of breast cancer and has been on tamoxifen (a drug) for seven years; she presented with bleeding and pain. Our investigations indicated the need for a hysterectomy with the removal of the ovary and fallopian tube. We decided to use the V-NOTES surgical technique to ensure patient comfort in terms of scarring, pain, and recovery time."

Dr Aswad said the