Royal Hospital doctors successfully perform first laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Muscat: A specialised medical team at the Royal Hospital successfully performed the first laparoscopic cholecystectomy (of its kind in Oman) for a patient who was infected with a liver fluke Fasciola hepatica. The diagnosis of such rare cases requires exceptional skills and treatment.

Dr. Al Warith Ahmed Al Hashemi, Consultant Liver and Pancreas Transplants and Surgery at the Royal Hospital, told Oman News Agency (ONA) that diagnosing Fasciola hepatica is a real medical challenge due to the similarity of its symptoms to many other digestive system diseases. Such diagnosis requires extensive experience and the use of advanced techniques, he added.

Dr. Al Warith pointed out that this operation was performed using laparoscopic technology, which, he said, "reduced the usual complications of traditional surgery and shortened the recovery period, allowing the patient to return to his normal life more quickly and with less pain”.

The use of laparoscopy in such delicate operations reflects the extent to which the medical team at the Royal Hospital masters high skills in using this technology, said Dr. Al Warith.