The 27-year-old Indian expat struggled with excruciating abdominal pain for more than eight years before he was diagnosed with a rare condition
Dubai: After struggling with writhing abdominal pain for more than eight years and undergoing treatment in various hospitals in his home country, a 27-year-old Indian expat in the UAE has finally got the cure after UAE medics in a private hospital diagnosed him with a rare condition.
A marketing professional, Ubaise Kuttiyilparamb, was diagnosed with a rare congenital condition called paraduodenal hernia, where there is an abnormal space in the mesentery (an organ in which all abdominal digestive organs develop), causing severe gastrointestinal consequences.
He underwent a laparoscopy surgery at Aster Hospital, Qusais, where the abnormal space was closed successfully.
Severe abdominal pain
Ubaise presented at the emergency department of Aster Hospital, Qusais, complaining of severe abdominal pain, fever and vomiting for two days. He manifested symptoms of pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas).
To confirm the diagnosis, the doctor at the emergency department ordered a CT scan. Surprisingly, the scan report was normal.
But Ubaise could not tolerate the pain. He was referred to Dr Sudheer Salavudeen, specialist general surgery at Aster Hospital, Qusais, for detailed evaluation.
“It was a challenging case. Ubaise’s symptoms were similar to pancreatitis. But the CT proved that our assumption was wrong. Then, we were puzzled. There was no enlargement of the stomach or obstruction of the intestines. The cause of the pain was a mystery in his case,” said Dr Sudheer.
History of eight years
The medical team had to delve into his medical history. Ubaise told the doctor that he had been struggling with this condition for more than eight years.
“I first experienced it when I was 19 or 20. I still remember it vividly. It started as a minor pain in the evening after dinner. But gradually, the pain aggravated, and I could not tolerate it. My family rushed me to a nearby hospital. The doctors said that it was appendicitis. But again, the scan results showed no signs of the condition. They could not diagnose the condition and referred me to Medical College for specialized care. Even the doctors there could not diagnose my condition. They gave me painkillers and some medicines. It subsided my pain,” explained Ubaise.
Then he started experiencing the pain intermittently. “I went to several hospitals and tried different medicines. But the doctors could not diagnose the cause of the pain. It was very ditressing. I even tried Homoeopathy and Ayurveda. Nothing worked out,” added Ubaise.
After a few years, Ubaise got used to the condition and ate painkillers whenever the pain started. “It became a routine for me. I had no other issues. The painkillers worked. In four days, I was back to normal. And gradually, I started feeling better,” he said.
Moved to UAE
Feeling better, he moved to UAE for work. Everything was going fine until two months ago when he started experiencing the pain again. He went to a nearby clinic, but nothing helped.
“In a few days, my condition became worse. I started vomiting and was feverish. I was staying with my sister, who took me to Aster Hospital. By then, my pain had aggravated so much. I cannot explain it in words,” said Ubaise.
Delved into medical literature
Dr Sudheer delved into medical literature for a diagnosis. “It then struck me whether it could be an internal hernia. It is rare, and the incidence rate is less than 0.2 per cent. To confirm, we did a CT scan again. Dr. Aejas Ahmed, specialist radiology, suspected an abnormal spacing in the mesentery. We quickly moved Ubaise to the operation theatre and did a laparoscopy to confirm. Yes, it was a success. Finally, we found the cause. The abnormal space was closed through a minimally-invasive procedure. Ubaise got relief from pain,” said the doctor.
Relieved and thankful
Ubaise is now happily relieved and thankful to the doctors at Aster Hospital. “I do not know how to express my happiness. Only God knows how I tolerated the pain for so many years. It took a long time for a doctor to make the diagnosis. I am extremely grateful to Dr Sudheer and Aster Hospital for their care,” he said.
