A multidisciplinary team at Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital – Jeddah successfully treated a 39-year-old woman following a complex medical journey that began with a life-threatening emergency and concluded with advanced surgery to remove a rare metastatic neuroendocrine tumor. The case highlights the hospital’s integrated approach to patient care and close collaboration across multiple specialties.
The patient arrived at the Emergency Department with an acute duodenal perforation accompanied by severe intra-abdominal infection and sepsis, requiring immediate surgical intervention. Dr. Ahmed Fallatah, Consultant of General Surgery, Trauma and Critical Care, performed emergency damage control surgery, followed by intensive care management and close monitoring until the patient’s condition stabilized.
As part of the comprehensive evaluation, Dr. Ammar Al Dabbagh, Consultant of Gastroenterology and Advanced Therapeutic Endoscopy, led advanced endoscopic investigations that revealed a rare neuroendocrine tumor known as gastrinoma, with metastasis to the liver. Gastrinomas are among the rarest neuroendocrine tumors, with an estimated annual incidence of only one to three cases per million people. These tumors cause excessive gastric acid secretion and may lead to serious complications if not diagnosed and treated promptly.
A multidisciplinary team involving General Surgery, Gastroenterology, Radiology, Pathology, Intensive Care, Clinical Nutrition, and Oncology developed a staged treatment plan aimed at stabilizing the patient’s condition and optimizing her fitness before definitive surgery.
Following recovery from the critical phase, Dr. Ahmed Fallatah performed a laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy, while Dr. Saud Almuhmmadi, Consultant Hepatobiliary and General Surgeon, carried out a right hepatectomy during the same operation to remove the liver metastases, achieving excellent surgical and oncological outcomes.
Today, the patient is recovering well and remains in stable condition. This success story reflects the strength of multidisciplinary collaboration at Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital – Jeddah and underscores the importance of accurate diagnosis, staged treatment planning, and advanced surgical techniques in managing rare and complex medical conditions, ultimately delivering the best possible outcomes and improving patients’ quality of life.