The American Hospital Dubai in 2nd, March 2021 performs a rare Whipple procedure which saved the life of Paul Morris, 73, an American who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. As the world faces the pandemic crisis, travelling for any country treatment is becoming a challenging task. Mr. Paul Morris, a retired army professional from Baghdad, picked Dubai for his treatment, considering it the safest place for cancer care and disease management. He had concerns about travelling to his home country due to the high numbers of corona cases in the United States. Mr. Morriss surgeon Dr Ali AL Dameh, professor of surgery, said that the Whipple procedure is a complex and risky operation to remove the pancreas' head, the first part of the small intestine (duodenum), the gallbladder and the bile duct. It is a highly-risky surgery procedure known to be performed only at a few centers globally. The surgery is a lifesaving one as it usually takes between 4-6 hours for a pancreatic operation. It is a major surgery that requires expert surgical practice, advanced ICU capabilities, post-operative care units, and high-level anesthesia than other procedures. This makes it a complex cancer procedure that only hospitals with a good history for managing complex surgical cases can offer. Dr Ali, a Harvard Medical School Boston trained surgeon said "The procedure was successfully conducted recently at American Hospital Dubai. Mr.Paul Morris was discharged on day seven of his operation and is recovering well with no complications,".

Partner and Dr Imran Al Haq carried out the Whipple procedure for Mr. Paul Morris. Both Dr Ali and Dr Imran have an experience working in some of the most recognized centers in the United States, doing complex Liver and Pancreatic cases, including transplantation, and this gives the surgical team the distinctive skill set and confidence to perform these highly complex oncologic cases successfully with safety and quality being the main outcome objective.

The doctor explained that the patients age [older people], the tumour's position the pancreas at the center of the abdomen intersecting the liver, GI tract, intestine, and major blood vessels surrounding it, all together makes it a challenging and risky surgery. Moreover, diagnosing the cancer condition at a later stage makes it more dangerous for the patients recovery. "The Whipple operation is a lifesaving procedure, and patients that do well in the first seven days post-surgery often see most successful recovery rates. Moreover, early-stage detection of cancers often provides the best chance of treatment and cure."

"Around 3-5 years back, patients diagnosed with cancer would not have much help. However, now the possibility of performing such complex surgical procedures like Whipple operation allows people to battle the tumors with a high level of success rate and fewer chances of complications." The advancement in treatment in American Hospital gives patients a chance to live, helping them fight cancers of esophageal, lungs, pancreas, neck, liver, abdominal, and other forensics tumors. "It gives me great satisfaction to be able to provide a new hope of recovery to the cancer patients, who are usually traumatized emotionally, psychologically, socially and professionally, when they learn about their disease, said Dr Ali.