Royal Hospital conducts surgery for child suffering from Prader-Willi Syndrome

Muscat: A specialised medical team at the Royal Hospital succeeded in performing a weight-loss surgery, the first of its kind in the Sultanate of Oman, for an 8-year-old child who was suffering from Prader-Willi Syndrome.

Dr. Mohammed Said Al Abri, Consultant, Obesity and Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery at the Royal Hospital, told Oman News Agency (ONA) that the decision to conduct the operation was taken after several meetings by a multidisciplinary team to reach an optimal path for tackling the child’s condition.

The team comprised representatives from the departments of units of surgery in anaesthesia, endocrinology, endocrinology, respiratory system and child mental health, nutrition and intensive care.

Dr. Hussein Murtada Al Lawati (Consultant in Pediatric Respiratory Diseases at the Royal Hospital), said that Prader-Willi Syndrome is a complex genetic condition that affects many parts of the body at an early stage, causing craving for food, obesity and obstructive central sleep apnea.

Al Lawati told ONA that the first step in treating these complications is to use a breathing aid device during a patient's sleep, which often helps reduce the severity of apnea attacks. This is in addition to other weight loss therapies that go hand in hand with the treatment of apnea.

Al Lawati added that, due the child’s recurrent and severe symptoms, which led to his admission to many intensive care sessions, the team in charge of his condition decided to resort to the surgical option to help the patient lose weight.