A 41 year old Filipina gets lifesaving intervention at AL Zahra Hospital Dubai after a sudden brain aneurysm.
Right before New Year’s 2020, (Ms. Ela) a young Filipino resident, was rushed to the Al Zahra Hospital Dubai Emergency department with what doctors call a thunderclap headache, that quickly turned into unconsciousness. The patient was quickly assessed and sent for a CT scan less that 20 minutes after her arrival at the emergency unit.
“The CT Scan showed subarachnoid hemorrhage (brain bleeding) and we rushed the patient for a CT angiogram” said Dr. Amr Kabakebji, Interventional Radiologist at Al Zahra Hospital Dubai. The Angiogram showed what we call a basilar tip ruptured aneurysm which is a bulge in a blood vessel in the brain, that has burst. We immediately began the coiling procedure” added Dr. Kabakebji.
Endovascular or Aneurysm Coiling is a complex minimally invasive procedure used to block the blood flow to an aneurysm by placing a stent through an artery in the brain. Al Zahra Hospital Dubai is one of only 3 hospitals in the UAE that perform this intricate procedure.
In Ms. Ela’s case, the time taken from the initial investigations to completing the lifesaving procedure, was under 1.5 hours. Internationally, this is considered exceptionally swift timing with most worldwide healthcare providers exceeding this limit significantly.
“Ruptured brain aneurysms are fatal in about 50% of cases, with 15% of people dyeing before
reaching the hospital. Of those who survive, approximately 66% suffer permanent neurological
deficits. The key to a patient making a full recovery in such cases is timeliness and teamwork.
This is one of the many cases at the Al Zahra Hospital that we are extremely proud of.” Dr.
Hussain AlRahma Director of Emergency Services at AL Zahra Hospital Dubai
After a few days of progressive recovery, the patient had a major setback by developing a left sigmoid sinus thrombosis (a blood clot), a rare complication derived from the stent placed in the artery to stop the aneurysm’s blood flow. “We have treated the complication with blood thinners which worked beautifully since the aneurism was completely blocked. This treatment made the blood clot melt away and disappear” says Dr. Mona Thakre, Consultant Neurologist at Al Zahra Hospital Dubai.
“I remember being rushed to the emergency room and being very scared. After that everything went
dark. I woke up in the Intensive Care Unit at Al Zahra Hospital Dubai not knowing where I was. It is a
miracle I made a full recovery. These doctors, they saved my life. The only reason why I am here today
speaking to you. They made my miracle happen “
Ms. Ela made a full recovery following this sudden brain aneurism and was cleared to go home less than 2 weeks days after the incident.
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