Muscat – Acting in cooperation with the University Medical City, a specialised medical team at the Royal Hospital succeeded in performing the first laparoscopic operation of its kind in Oman to remove the sentinel lymph node.

The two-hour surgery was conducted on a female patient with high-risk of developing malignant tumour in the uterus.

Dr Thuraya Rashid al Rawahi, Senior Consultant, Gynaecological Oncology Surgery, the Royal Hospital, and head of the medical team said that the operation constituted a step forward in uterine tumour surgery in Oman.

Such an operation, Dr. Thuraya said, reduces the risks of complete removal of the lymph nodes and saves time without compromising the accuracy of the uterine cancer treatment plan.

Dr Thuraya pointed out that the lymph node removal technique involves the injection of a radioactive substance into the cervix prior to the operation. Once this is done, only the cancerous node is removed, instead of removing all the lymph nodes in the pelvic area, as was the case in the past.

Dr Thuraya added that this technique contributes to reducing side effects of surgery, like the swelling of legs, thereby accelerating healing and improving the patient’s quality of life.