News & Updates

The anaesthesia team at Al Zahra Hospital Sharjah utilized a Total Intravenous Anaesthesia Technique to aid monitoring of the Spinal Cord

Dr Sherief Elsayed, Co n su l tan t S pi n al Surgeon, the team were the first in the UAE to use a patient specific 3D printed model of the Spine in order to aid accuracy. Al Zahra Hospital Sharjah also utilized Medtronic’s O-Arm, delivered to the hospital for the first time and amongst only a few centers in the whole of the GCC.

The patient was a 16 year old female with a 60 degree Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (Lenke Type 5). When a curve reaches such a magnitude, the likelihood of progression (curve increasing in size) is over 70% – hence the need for an instrumented correction and fusion using pedicle screws and Titanium rods.

The anesthesia team was led by Dr Hazem Daaji, Chief Medical Officer, who utilized a Total Intravenous Anesthesia technique to aid monitoring of the spinal cord throughout the surgical procedure.

The patient was discharged on Day 7 after the procedure, which proceeded without any complication. She will remain under follow-up in Dr Sherief’s clinic, to ensure that her spine fuses as intended.

Dr Sherief states: “We are grateful to the whole Al Zahra team who helped provide exemplary care to our patient. She left hospital smiling and confident about her future. Much planning went into the case and we are grateful to all of the teams involved – the theatre team led by Ms Va l e r i e T y t g a t , the anesthesia team, the neurophysiology team, the ICU team, the nursing staff in theatre and on the wards, the pharmacy team, the physiotherapy team, the blood bank (which was thankfully not required) and of course our industry partners Medtronic and Edge Medical. There are of course countless others who ensured that the surgery proceeded safely and successfully – a demonstration that at Al Zahra Sharjah is a champion of Teamwork and Innovation in the region.”