First female Emirati doctor performs robotic surgery at government-run hospital in Sharjah

Muna Kishwai is trained in using popular minimally invasive da Vinci Surgical System

Emirati doctor performs first robotic surgery at government-run Sharjah hospital

Gynaecologist Dr Muna Kishwai, first female Emirati doctor performed the robotic surgery at the Al Qassimi hospital in Sharjah. She is showing the Robotic surgical system in the OT. Pawan Singh / The National
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Gynaecologist Muna Kishwai has become the first female Emirati doctor to perform robotic surgery at a government-run hospital in the UAE.

Dr Kishwai works at Al Qassimi Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Sharjah where she performs minimally invasive surgeries to carry out total and supra-cervical hysterectomies and to treat uterine prolapse and fibroids, news agency Wam reported.

She graduated from the Queen Mary University of London in 2005 and in 2019, she took part in a course to receive training to use the da Vinci surgical system, which allows surgeons to perform complex minimally invasive surgical procedures with precision and accuracy.

Last month, she received her licence to carry out robotic surgery.

“I spent long hours after my work to train on the surgical simulator and learn about the operating system before obtaining my licence in May this year,” Dr Kishwani said.

Robotic surgery is used extensively at private and government hospitals across the country.

The first procedure was carried out in 2014 at Al Qasimi Hospital, where robots were used for catheterisation and cardiac surgeries, Wam reported.

In 2018, the Ministry of Health and Prevention provided the hospital with a new robotic device to conduct more such complicated surgeries.

And in April 2019, the ministry launched the Robotic Surgeries Programme in Gynaecology and Obstetrics.

Recovery times for robotic surgeries are shorter than those following traditional procedures due to the small incisions made.

The technique provides extremely fine control and greater flexibility to the surgeon, but also significantly less pain for the patient.

Several diseases and disorders such as appendicitis, many types of cancer, kidney disease and uterine fibroids can be treated using robotic surgery.

Updated: June 29, 2022, 2:24 PM