MBRU Faculty Pioneering Surgery to Treat Rare Swallowing Disorder

Dubai: Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU), Professor of Surgery and Associate Dean of Innovation and The Future, Dr. Homero Rivas, has pioneered a medical first at Mediclinic City Hospital in Dubai, performing a complex Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy (POEM) surgery to treat a patient with an uncommon swallowing disorder.

The patient, a man in his 30s, was suffering from Achalasia, an atypical condition that affects only three in every 100,000 people where the Aesophagus is unable to move food into the stomach. The man was unable to swallow food, surviving only on a few liquids.

Dr. Rivas, one of a paucity doctors to have performed the surgery around the world, was lead surgeon for the ground-breaking POEM procedure at Mediclinic City Hospital, which utilizes the latest in endoscopic technology. This latest innovation in endoscopic surgery is a non-invasive procedure whereby there are no incisions in the chest or abdomen and involves an endoscope inserted through the mouth.

“This type of disorder is extremely rare and there’s no known reason as to why it happens. The myotomy is a non-invasive procedure. We divide the circular muscle fibres around the oesophagus, which are the ones that cannot relaxed, preventing food to reach the stomach. By cutting those fibres, we release the pressure and patients usually feel immediate relief when swallowing,” explained Dr .Rivas.

“It was an honor to be part of yet more healthcare innovation in the UAE and to improve the quality of life for the patients. Only a small number of medical professionals have performed this procedure which makes it extra special and cements Dubai’s ambition to be a world-leading city in healthcare.”

Matthew Dronsfield, Hospital Director at Mediclinic City Hospital Dubai, added: “we are proud to support our clinicians in providing an environment which encourages innovation for the benefit of our patients and enables us to provide world-class healthcare in collaboration with our partners at MBRU. ’’

The ground-breaking surgery serves as the latest milestone for MBRU in its mission to improve health in the UAE and beyond through an integrated academic health system through partnerships with private and public healthcare institutions on a local, regional and international level.