RIYADH, 25 September 2007 — The incidence of brain tumors in the Kingdom is fairly high as one in every 100,000 is afflicted by the disease. This was disclosed at a press conference by Dr. Mahmoud Al-Yamany, consultant neurosurgeon at King Fahd Medical City (KFMC), who said the hospital had achieved a breakthrough by successfully removing a brain tumor from a Saudi patient last week.
Dr. Abdullah Al-Amro, CEO of the hospital, was also present at the briefing.
It was also announced that KFMC is the only hospital in Asia and the Middle East and the fifth in the world to possess a state-of-the-art MRI (magnetic resonance and imaging) machine that produces an integrated picture of the brain tumor facilitating minimally invasive surgery with pinpoint precision. The machine, which weighs eight tons, has been installed in a specially constructed room measuring 64 square meters, while the service area around it is 200 square meters.
Dr. Yamany said the preliminary scan following the operation showed that a part of the tumor was still remaining. A subsequent resection surgery eliminated the vestige, after which the patient was discharged from the hospital.
He said the MRI machine imported from Germany helps in integrating the imagery, the microscope, and the tools used in dislodging the tumor and integrate it with what is known as the navigation system.
“It takes the pictures and matches them with the reality, thereby producing the most accurate image as well as its precise location in the brain. It also lets us know whether the tumor is normal or abnormal.”
Dr. Yamany said the advantage of using the system is that “in addition to showing us where we are, it also helps in integrating updated images. In other words, the MRI machine takes the pictures and integrates them with the software and the navigation system, which then provides an update on the connection between the images and the reality. This helps in removing brain tumors through minimally invasive surgery.
He pointed out that with the installation of the MRI machine, it is no longer necessary for the brain tumor patient to travel abroad and go through that surgery. “It is available right here in the hospital.” Priced at SR31 million, the hospital hopes to recover the amount within a year or so. “The demand is already high. We have five patients on the waiting list, of whom two will undergo surgery this week.”
About the incidence of brain tumors in the Kingdom, he said the ratio is 1:100,000. “The percentage will be quite high, if you calculate on the basis of the Saudi population of 20 million. This works out to 200 cases per year. However, in the absence of accurate statistics, the next step for the hospital would be to set up a brain tumor registry to gauge the true dimensions of the problem.”
As for the cause, he said it is still not known. “Maybe, it has something to do with genetics and also exposure to radiation.”
