A life-changing vertebral and internal carotid artery stenting procedure has been performed at Zulekha Hospital in Dubai on an Emirati patient.

Muhammed Najeeb, 53, had been suffering from a long-term dizziness and pain in his legs for a year caused by the abnormal narrowing of his dominant right vertebral artery at its origin, as well as in the left internal carotid artery, said a statement from Zulekha Healthcare Group, one of the oldest private healthcare providers in the UAE.

The debilitating condition meant that Najeeb was unable to walk even a distance of over 100 m and relied on his family for round-the-clock care. The risk factors that predominantly caused this were smoking, high cholesterol and diabetes as well as having a family history of the condition, it added.

Dr Anil Bansal, the consultant interventional cardiologist at Zulekha Hospital in Dubai, first did an angiogram on Najeeb to identify the problem.

On receiving the results, Dr Bansal first administered a stent in the left common iliac artery which was a procedure lasting over an hour, which ensured immediate relief and respite from the pain Najeeb had been experiencing all this while.

Another stent was then administered to the right vertebral artery. The following day, the doctor administered a stent into the left internal carotid artery.

Following the successful stenting, Najeeb said: "Till now I was unable to walk even a 100 m distance as my leg would experience terrible pain which greatly impacted my social life for a year. Following this surgery, I am grateful for the expert advice I received from Dr Bansal who saved my life and made a huge difference to my family."

Prior to his life enhancing procedure, Najeeb had visited multiple doctors complaining of the condition and was treated with common stenting procedures. He had been living with the pain without medication for relief and resulted in a diminished quality of life.

Dr Bansal pointed out that Najeeb’s condition required him to undergo a rare stenting procedure which could not be treated by more common alternatives.

"We are delighted to have been able to drastically improve his quality of life through this unique treatment, and are encouraged by Najeeb’s decision to quit smoking that could prevent further complications and health implications," he said.

Dr Bansal said: "We aim to continue treating UAE residents – who may have given up hope of viable solutions for debilitating conditions – with rare, life changing treatments that enhance the quality of life for the country’s residents."

As post-operative care, the patient will continue to take blood thinning medicines to avoid any pre-existing symptoms and prevent future strokes, he added.-TradeArabia News Service