How Emirati Indian woman finally recovered from mysterious illness for 8 years

“Every time I go through this episode, my parents send me to the hospital. I can’t remember how many doctors I’ve consulted in the past eight years. Everyone has a battery of tests. But when the reports come, everything It’s all normal. No one can explain the real cause of my condition,” Sumi said.

But her days of suffering were finally over.

A multidisciplinary team of doctors at a private hospital in Dubai diagnosed a rare disease as the cause of her condition and cured her.

In October 2022, a team of doctors at Qusais Aster Hospital diagnosed Sumi with celiac artery compression syndrome, a rare condition that affects two in 100,000 people.

People with this rare condition have little to no blood supply to the upper abdominal organs because the muscle fiber bands of the diaphragm compress the celiac artery. It can cause severe abdominal pain, vomiting, and weight loss.

Despite failing health, Sumi completed her MBA and moved to Dubai in 2022 to pursue a career in business administration. “I got a job and I’m doing fine. My health has improved and I’ve gained weight during COVID [movement restrictions] I am not sick. This gave me huge confidence. Finally, I feel like life has become normal and good for me. Early on, I used to eat only a small portion, worrying that I would start throwing up or have a stomachache. I am frail and thin. But here, I started to enjoy the food, the variety of food,” recalls Sumi.

But Sumi’s comfort was short-lived. In October 2022, she started having severe abdominal pain and vomiting again. Her brother, who lived with her, rushed her to Aster Hospital in Quses.

At the hospital, internal medicine specialist Dr. Johny Pappachan cared for her in the emergency room. Sumi was weak and dehydrated from constant vomiting. Her brother had to tell doctors about her medical history.

Dr Pappachan said Sumi’s case was puzzling.

“Initially, we decided to treat her symptomatically. After a few days she was much better. But we were unable to zero in on the root cause. All her general examinations were normal. But her weight dropped dramatically. From 65kg, she was Lost about 23 kg in a month. It was then that it dawned on me that this could be celiac artery compression syndrome. I discussed the case with our general surgeon and gastroenterologist. We decided to do a CT angiogram [CTA]fortunately, we can zero in on the cause,” he explained.

For Sumi and her family, it was a relief to diagnose the root cause of her poor health. “Finally, I have an answer to what is affecting my health. It took eight years to diagnose my condition,” Sumi said.

Dr. Reji Chandran, a general surgery specialist at the hospital, said other doctors who treated Sumi couldn’t figure out the case because they didn’t opt ​​for CTA.

“Normally, doctors would recommend a CT scan to find any abnormalities in the abdomen. But to zero in on that, we had to do a CT Angio. Fortunately, our instincts were correct. We could diagnose Cases that have troubled her for a long time,” Dr Chandran said.

Surgery is the only remedy. The doctor informed Sumi and her brother of the incident. Working with his colleague, gastroenterologist Dr. Prajob Prasad, Dr. Reji performed a minimally invasive procedure that will relax the muscles compressing the celiac artery and restore blood flow to the upper abdominal organs.

“The operation was successful and Sumi tolerated the operation very well. But we had to wait a few more months to check for any recurrence. In some patients, there was a chance of recurrence. In this case, we had to Perform the procedure again to relax the muscles,” explains Dr. Prasad.

However, in Sumi’s case, the operation was successful as there was no recurrence three months after the operation.

After the operation, Sumi recovered very well. “I now eat healthy food and go to the gym regularly. I am gaining weight, getting fitter and stronger than before. Currently I weigh 48.5kg and I am trying to reach my ideal weight which is 52kg.

“I am very grateful to the doctors at Qusais Aster Hospital. Even after the treatment, they guided me well. They came into my life like angels. After a long time, I am enjoying life. My family is also very happy,” said Sumi .