In yet another feat for the country in the area of healthcare, a team of surgeons from Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has successfully removed a tumor from the tongue and jaw of a patient with advanced oral cancer.

Ahmed Hammam, a 40-year-old Egyptian man, underwent a 10-hour surgery where doctors removed the tumor and reconstructed the surgical site.

Hammam went through 30 sessions of radiation therapy post surgery. He is now expected to make a full recovery, Dr Moustafa Al Khalil, Senior Consultant and Head of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery at HMC’s Rumailah Hospital is quoted to have said by The Peninsula.  

HMC surgeons successfully perform surgery on patient with advanced oral cancer#Qatar https://t.co/OL6VacYptC

— The Peninsula (@PeninsulaQatar) March 9, 2019

“Shortly after surgery the patient began undergoing rehabilitation and was able to speak and swallow 10 days after the operation. Head and neck cancers and their treatment frequently cause changes in both speech and swallowing. In the case of Hammam, both the surgery and rehabilitation have been very successful and we expect him to make a complete recovery,” Dr. Al Khalil noted.

While sharing details of this case, Dr Al Khalil stressed on the need for the public to be aware of alarming signs. “[These] can include a sore that does not heal within two weeks, a lump, bump, or mass in the head or neck area, a persistent sore throat, and pain or difficulty chewing, swallowing or moving the jaw or tongue,” he said.

For Hammam, it started with an ulcer on his tongue about a year and a half ago. Later when he began to feel pain in his jaw he went to a health center that referred him to Al Wakra Hospital.

“I was later referred to Dr Moustafa and after he conducted a series of tests he diagnosed me with stage 3 oral cancer and explained the recommended treatment plan and the prognosis. He recommended I have surgery within one week and explained surgery was necessary to save my life and I trusted him,” Hammam outlined.

He spoke highly of the medical team at HMC noting that he “was able to speak within ten days and after about a month returned to most of [his] normal activities.” He said he would soon return to his profession as a lawyer.

“In addition to providing great medical care, my family and I received a lot of psychological support from the doctors and nurses who cared for me,” Hammam added.

Regarding the department that offers this treatment at HMC, Dr Al Khalil said it has had great success in its operations, particularly with the management of cases that present aggressive tumors.

The aim in the treatment of oral cancers is to remove the affected tissue while ensuring the least damage to the mouth, Dr Al Khalil said.

HMC’s Oral and Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery Department conducts around 600 surgeries each year on patients with advanced diseases and disorders of the head and neck, with around 30% of these cases involving the removal of tumors, according to Gulf Times.

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Cover Image Credit: Gulf Times