ABU DHABI: Doctors at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi raced to provide life-saving critical care to an expatriate woman as it became clear it was the only facility with the multidisciplinary expertise required to save her.

Following a diagnosis of a multi-drug resistant bacterial infection, the young nurse found herself running out of options and faced a multitude of life-threatening complications that required a range of advanced surgeries and support services.

The patient was transferred to Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi after developing respiratory failure. Her trachea had narrowed to barely three millimeters despite the presence of a stent to open the airway.

Upon her arrival at the hospital, physicians at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi determined that she was in urgent need of surgery to re-open her airways and remove one of her lungs that had been ravaged by a drug-resistant bacterial infection, which had caused her complications.

“The patient underwent a number of complex procedures with us at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, including multiple bronchoscopies performed by different members of the Interventional Pulmonary team including Dr. Mateen Uzbeck and Dr. Zaid Zoumot,” said Dr. Ali Wahla, a physician with the Respiratory & Critical Care Institute.

“When she arrived at the hospital, she was fighting for her life and we had to act fast to save her. This case not only required highly skilled physicians, but anesthesiologists specializing in airway cases and intensive care physicians to tend to her before and after treatment. We were fortunate to have experienced anesthesiologists like Dr. Anthony Cartwright, Dr. John Doyle and Dr. Antonio Ramirez working with us.” “The patient initially had a narrowing in her trachea which we opened using rigid bronchoscopy. Following the procedure, she was referred back to us for a pneumonectomy to remove one of her lungs. Before we could do that however, we needed to remove a stent that had been placed in her airway that was causing a worsening of her respiratory symptoms,” explained Dr. Wahla.