UAE: Expat undergoes 11-hour surgery after simple mouth ulcer turned into cancer – News

Ali Khan Mahaboob, a resident of the United Arab Emirates, did not think about the mouth ulcer on the left side of his cheek; 10 months later, it turned out to be cancer.

Ali, 57, saw a doctor when the ulcer grew so big his cheek was swollen for six months. He went to Burjeel Specialty Hospital, Sharjah, where he was diagnosed with oral cancer.

“At first I was scared and couldn’t digest the fact that I had oral cancer,” said the expatriate, who used to chew tobacco. “But the doctor calmed me down and made me feel comfortable.”

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp channels.

Dr Mohammed Basheeruddin Inamdar, a surgical oncologist and robotic surgeon, said Ali’s condition had become so serious that the cancer had spread to his left jaw, the inner lining of his cheek and the region behind his last molar.

It had also affected the skin surrounding the mouth, which increased the complexity of the situation, according to the results of the CT scan.

“Upon evaluation, we discovered that he had a form of oral cancer commonly associated with factors such as tobacco use and oral trauma,” Dr. Inamdar said.

Treatment

Ali had to undergo an 11-hour marathon surgery under the guidance of a multidisciplinary team led by Dr Inamdar and involving an ENT doctor, Dr V Satish, and a plastic surgeon, Dr Rajkumar.

The complex procedure involved meticulous removal of the affected parts of the jaw, inner and outer cheek tissues, and impacted lymph nodes. This was followed by reconstruction of the affected area using bone and skin tissue from his leg.

“Complex cases like these require proper planning and teamwork. The surgery was initiated simultaneously by the surgical oncologist in the face and neck area while the plastic surgeon initiated the flap removal from the right leg,” said Dr Satish.

“It was as if two surgeries were performed simultaneously on the patient.”

Lesson learned

After the complex surgery, Ali endured a challenging recovery period in the ICU.

Within two days, the pain he felt became much more tolerable and decreased, allowing him to eat by mouth again.

With everything he had been through, Ali shared some advice from a lesson he learned the hard way: “My request to everyone is to stop using chewable or smoked tobacco.”

Your biopsy results are now clear, meaning there are no more cancer cells in the nodes in your neck.

Ali is now receiving radiotherapy, the next phase of his treatment.

“Ali’s experience highlights the importance of early detection and intervention in the fight against oral cancer,” said Dr. Inamdar.

“Oral cavity cancers are most often caused by oral tobacco use, followed by repeated trauma from sharp teeth, dentures, etc.,” he added.

“Avoiding oral tobacco consumption and smoking is the best measure. Any ulcer or wound in the mouth, which has not healed automatically in a couple of weeks, has to be evaluated by an oncosurgeon or dental surgeon.”

[ad_2]