Afghan expat feels ‘born again’ after near-fatal traffic accident
DELICATE AND TIMELY SURGERY SAVES MAN AT RISK OF SEVERE BRAIN DAMAGE
An Afghan expat recently survived a near-fatal traffic accident, thanks to a four-hour surgery that contained the haemorrhage in one of the most important blood vessels in his brain.
Dr Khaldoun Osman, consultant neurosurgeon (spinal microsurgery) at Saudi German Hospital in Dubai, said the patient, Nasser Ahmad Ghani Zada, who is in his mid-40s, had a large epidural hematoma following the road accident.
Zada recovered immediately after the surgery and is now stable without any complications. He said: “I am grateful for the great efforts made by the doctors at the Saudi German Hospital, especially Dr Osman. I felt like I was born again.”
The patient was photographed, diagnosed and operated within four hours, which avoided complications that could have killed him.”
What is epidural hematoma?
An epidural hematoma is a collection of blood between the skull and the outermost protective membrane covering the brain. Zada’s blood artery was torn after his skull was fractured during the accident.
“The large epidural hematoma was pressing on the forebrain and there was a complex injury to the skull with various fractures. The patient had a prominent frontal wound of 5cm,” Dr Osman told Gulf News.
After initial stabilisation, a craniotomy (surgery to cut an opening in the skull) was performed
Dr Khaldoun Osman | Consultant neurosurgeon
to relieve the hematoma. “The frontal sinuses were cleaned and filled with live peritoneum [thin plastic tube] to prevent leak of cerebrospinal fluid [it cushions the brain and spinal cord],” Dr Osman said. “The multiple bony parts were connected and repaired after lifting the dura [brain connective tissue] to prevent any
possible accumulation of fluids over the brain.”
The operation was performed in record time. “The patient was photographed, diagnosed and operated within four hours, which helped avoided complications that could have killed him,” Dr Osman said.
Dr Osman explained that Zada’s injuries are associated with a high risk of meningitis and cerebrospinal fluid leak from the nose. “This was avoided by rapid and precise surgical intervention,” he said.
“During the operation, it was found that the superior sagittal sinus was damaged, which is one of the largest blood vessels in the brain. If it had ruptured, it would have been fatal.”