Years of pain, one breakthrough: Emirati man spared lifetime of incontinence after UAE’s first endoscopic rectal tumour removal
Dubai: Medcare Royal Specialty Hospital has achieved a global medical milestone, successfully performing the first-ever full-thickness endoscopic rectal tumor removal followed by advanced endoscopic hand suturing. This ultra-complex procedure, carried out by Dr. Mohamed Abdelhafez, Head of the Gastroenterology and Endoscopy, Advanced Endoscopy Department at Medcare Royal Specialty Hospital and Associate Professor of Gastroenterology at the Technical University of Munich, Germany, showcases a level of expertise and technology only available in highly specialized centers worldwide.
The 38-year-old Emirati patient had endured years of pain, rectal bleeding, and chronic constipation caused by Solitary Rectal Ulcer Syndrome (SRUS). Traditionally, such a condition would have required invasive open surgery with a high risk of permanent incontinence. Instead, Dr. Abdelhafez performed a full-thickness Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection (ESD) to completely remove the ulcerated tumor located dangerously close to the anal sphincter. He then closed the large post-resection defect using the cutting-edge SutuArt endoscopic hand suturing system, ensuring optimal healing while preserving full muscle control.
“This was an exceptionally challenging and delicate case, requiring microscopic precision and advanced technology that only a handful of highly specialized centers worldwide can offer,” said Dr. Abdelhafez. “Thanks to Medcare Royal’s world-class infrastructure and a highly skilled multidisciplinary team, we were able to avoid major surgery and deliver a solution that fully restored the patient’s dignity and quality of life.”
The patient was discharged the following day, pain-free, with no post-procedural bleeding and full continence. Three weeks later, histopathology confirmed complete and clean removal of the lesion, with no signs of cancer or dysplasia.
This world-first achievement positions Medcare Royal Specialty Hospital among the most advanced centers globally for complex minimally invasive gastrointestinal interventions, proving that patients in the UAE can now access expertise and technologies previously available only in select international institutions.