Surgery, Therapy and Strength Pulled 34 Year Old, Muhannad Saud Hamed from Oman Out of a Complicated case of Pseudomeningocele

Vaidam team sat down with Muhannad Saud Hamed to discuss his recent trip to India and what he takes back with him to his home country. After a successful surgery and therapy, this 34-year-old is grateful for the timely intervention and care given.

 

Tell me a little about yourself?
My name is Muhannad Saud Hamed, I am 34 years old, and I live in Oman with my family. Professionally I am a software developer. One of my passions is fitness; I enjoy spending time at the gym working up my biceps.

 

Tell me a little about your medical history?
I developed a rare surgical complication called Pseudomeningocele, after undergoing surgery to correct the Chiari Malformation (CM) at the base of my skull. A cavity formed in the soft tissue around my cerebellum and the top of my spinal cord, which allowed spinal fluid to build up and put excessive pressure on both my brain and spine.

 

How did you first diagnose this problem?
On the first MRI scan, there was a pocket of fluid that measured 2.4 cm. My doctor said normally the body would absorb the fluid and not to worry. One month later the lump was much larger and began to bother me when I lay down. I again had an MRI that revealed the lump had doubled in size to almost 5cm. The doctor advised to keep a close watch on it and if it was still present in six months we would talk about draining it.

 

What happened after six months of waiting?
I didn’t wait for six months. I realized that there could be further complications and God forbid a possible rupture. Immediate neurosurgery would be needed to prevent future fluid build up.

 

What was your next course of action?
We decided to go ahead and contact Vaidam. We were given multiple doctors to choose from and in the end, we decided to go with Dr Prashant Kesari from Global Hospital, Bangalore.

 

How did you hear about Vaidam?
We simply Googled the treatment name and were given multiple search results. However, after reading about the patient stories we were halfway committed to travel to India.

 

Tell me about your experience?
To be honest, it is quiet nerve-wracking, especially when you don’t know anyone and you realize that the language will be a huge barrier. Nonetheless, we were pleasantly surprised to know that our case manager spoke fluently Arabic and was ready to help us.

 

How did you find the Hospital?
The hospital was very nice. Our doctor, Dr Prashant Kesari was extremely helpful in explaining the entire procedure and reassuring us that everything was going to be fine. We have some great hospitals in my country, but I must say that Global Hospital was just as good as the best hospitals in Oman.

 

How do you feel now?
It’s been just after four weeks of the surgery and I am feeling completely rehabilitated. I think I am ready to get back to work and restart my life from where I left off. Although initially, I had to undergo physical therapy to strengthen my neck muscles to hold my head up and decrease pain from my surgeries, with strenuous exercise and time in the gym, I feel like I will regain my earlier level of fitness.

 

Would you recommend Vaidam to your friends and family?
Yes of course! You have a friend for life. I will tell people about how Vaidam helped me and was a constant source of support every step of the way. Take it from me; traveling to a foreign land to receive medical treatment is not easy at-all. But with Vaidam that experience becomes that much easier.