Irbid: A medical team of the King Abdullah University Hospital on Monday performed a successful seven-hour surgical procedure on an eight-year-old child, an unprecedented medical achievement in Jordan. During the rare procedure, a venous shunt was placed between the superior mesenteric vein and the left portal vein, using the internal jugular vein extracted from the neck, the hospital said in a statement.
According to Jordan News Agency, Dr. Khaled Obeidat, a consultant in liver, pancreas, and organ transplantation surgery, stated that the operation was successfully performed in cooperation with a group of specialized doctors and medical staff in a complex and delicate procedure due to the sensitivity of the case and the young age of the patient. The procedure followed more than three years of suffering for the child, who experienced recurrent bleeding episodes from the stomach and esophagus. Tests had revealed the presence of esophageal varices resulting from an obstruction in the portal vein, caused by blood clots forming outside it.
An evaluation by a specialized medical team, comprising Dr. Hana Gharaibeh, a pediatric gastroenterologist and hepatologist, Dr. Mamoun Al-Omari, a consultant interventional radiologist, and Dr. Khaled Obeidat, a consultant liver surgeon and organ transplantation specialist, revealed that the obstruction was limited to the external portion of the portal vein. After confirming that the obstruction was located outside the liver with no cirrhosis or fibrosis, it was decided that the operation was necessary, making the child ideal for this rare procedure.
Obeidat explained that the operation was successful using the technique of connecting the superior mesenteric vein to the left portal vein via the internal jugular vein. Post-operative ultrasound images demonstrated the effectiveness of the venous connection. Clinical indicators began to improve, most notably increased platelet counts, decreased bleeding, and the disappearance of esophageal varices. Significant improvement was observed in the child's condition, and the child was discharged from the hospital in good health without any complications.
This operation is particularly important because it helped prevent recurrent gastric bleeding, eliminate esophageal varices, restore the enlarged spleen to its normal size, and improve platelet counts. This significantly enhances the patient's quality of life while simultaneously preventing the development of hepatic encephalopathy and preventing the liver from deteriorating into cirrhosis in the future, thus helping to spare the patient from a liver transplant.
King Abdullah University Hospital Director General Hassan Al-Bals expressed pride in the medical and administrative staff and the remarkable efforts made to provide the best healthcare service to patients and visitors. He emphasized that investment in human resources is the cornerstone of any successful healthcare system.