Yas Clinic Group (YCG), a leading research-driven healthcare network based in Abu Dhabi, successfully conducted the first-ever robot-assisted spine surgery in the UAE on March 12. 

 

YCG’s vision is to pioneer medical research locally to ensure that the people of the UAE – and beyond – get the best care possible. The surgery was conducted by renowned Emirati neurosurgeon Dr Abdul Salam Abu Baker Al Belushi, MD, FAANS, in partnership with Globus Medical, a US-based company that develops spinal and orthopedic implants and surgical instruments for patients with spine disorders, as part of the group’s mandate to expand the global knowledge base in medical sciences through affiliations with internationally recognised institutes.  

 

Dr Al Belushi’s vision is to establish a spine centre of excellence in Abu Dhabi. The aim of the centre would be to offer Middle East patients cutting edge surgical and non-surgical treatment of spinal pathologies in Abu Dhabi. 

 

“We seek to mirror and reflect the global standards of treatments that patients would be getting in the US,” said Dr Al Belushi. “The centre would not only grant patients access to high-quality care locally but would also be tremendously cost-effective, not only for the patients but for the government as well. Only a fraction of neurosurgeons in the US are trained in robot-assisted spinal surgery, and now, UAE joins the handful of countries globally that conduct such procedures. We will continue to explore all possible options to make Abu Dhabi a medical tourism hub by establishing centres of excellence in various fields at Yas Clinic.”

 

As part of the collaboration, YCG utilised Globus Medical’s ExcelsiusGPS technology, which is designed to improve accuracy and optimise patient care by using robotics and navigation. 

 

Medical images are taken and imported into ExcelsiusGPS that will be used to determine the size and placement of implants to help guide the robotic arm to a specific region of the spine.

 

Yas Clinic Group continuously invests in medical innovation for the future. The group facilities offer centres of excellence in heart and vascular, critical care, including organ transplantation, neuroscience, orthopedics, digestive diseases, emergency medicine, surgical specialties, family medicine and women and children’s health, alongside a wide range of diagnostics and imaging services.-- TradeArabia News Service