How Abu Dhabi doctors solved a 40kg weight-loss mystery with robotic surgery
For months, a 32-year-old patient had no answers, only worsening symptoms: Severe pain in the upper abdomen, reflux, nausea and an inability to tolerate food. And a weight loss that had climbed past 40 kilograms, despite multiple consultations and rounds of tests elsewhere that turned up nothing definitive. By the time the patient arrived at Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC) — a flagship…
A 32-year-old patient experienced severe abdominal pain, reflux, nausea, vomiting, reflux, and lost 40 kilograms over several months, baffling doctors at Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City in Abu Dhabi. The patient's symptoms mirrored several gastrointestinal disorders, making diagnosis challenging. The ultimate culprit was Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome (MALS), a rare vascular condition where a fibrous band near the diaphragm compresses the celiac artery and surrounding nerves, leading to the patient's symptoms.
Diagnosing MALS proved challenging due to its resemblance to more common gastrointestinal disorders. It required a multidisciplinary team from gastroenterology, vascular surgery, radiology, and robotic surgery to confirm the diagnosis through imaging, dynamic vascular assessments, and excluding other possible explanations. Once the diagnosis was established, the patient underwent a robotic-assisted surgery to relieve the median arcuate ligament.
The precision of robotic surgery allowed surgeons to operate with minimal blood loss and avoid complications. Post-surgery, the patient reported being pain-free and able to tolerate a normal diet, with significant improvements in reflux, nausea, and excessive salivation – symptoms that had plagued the patient for months.
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