Al Zahra Hospital Dubai raises the bar in paediatric orthopaedic surgical care in the Middle East
Surgeon, Al Zahra Hospital Dubai
“Children are not just small adults”. This phrase is commonly used by paediatricians to explain that children are not capable of expressing the distress or dis- comfort they are going through. They are incapable of understanding the medical concerns and conditions that could occur or those which they are experiencing. Furthermore, children below the age of 18 require specialised medical care as their bodies and medical needs differ drastically from those of adult patients. One common specialty area that is vital to the growing needs of children is Paediatric Orthopaedics, also known as Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgery. Because children’s bodies are still growing, they have a very different joint, muscle, and bone makeup than adults and require specialized care. However, despite the abundant need for specialized orthopaedic care, this specialty is scarce amongst medical providers in the Middle East region.
With over 20 years of experience under his belt, Dr. Zaid Al Aubaidi is a rare occurrence. He is the only licensed Paediatric Spine Surgeon in the UAE and one of very few in the region. Dr. Al Aubaidi has built a prominent reputation for himself, with his practice spanning the world, from Canada to Switzerland, and China to Iraq. He holds a double Board Certification from Sweden and Denmark in Paediatric Orthopaedics and Spine Surgery. Dr. Al Aubaidi also has a North American Fellowship from Sick Kids Hospital in Canada.
It is not just Dr. Al Aubaidi’s qualifications that are remarkable but also the type and difficulty of surgeries he performs, prompting him to become an international referral point for Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgery revisions, receiving patients from all over the world including countries like Germany and the UK. Throughout his career, he has completed over 1,000 scoliosis surgeries and over 300 revision surgeries, while successfully completing some of the most complex paediatric scoliosis surgical procedures worldwide. In 2013, Dr. Al Aubaidi moved to the UAE, and is currently practicing at the Al Zahra Hospital Dubai leading the Pediatric Orthopedic Department. From preventive screenings and diagnostics to surgical care and rehabilitation, Dr. Al Aubaidi’s services cover all the essential components to guarantee positive outcomes to some of the most complex orthopaedic surgical cases.
“It is heartbreaking for me, when people believe that surgeries abroad have better outcomes, and the children later come to us for revision surgeries. There is no guarantee in treatments, but I can guarantee that the patients will find the same international level of care with us in Dubai, if not in some cases even higher.”
In addition, Dr. Al Aubaidi does not only focus on spine injuries or deformities, but also on several other conditions and procedures including neuromuscular disease, tendon transfers for rebalancing, trauma, musculoskeletal tumours, and correcting musculoskeletal issues derived from Cerebral Palsy or other such diseases. He also performs complex surgical procedures for infected joints in children.
IT IS HEARTBREAKING FOR ME, WHEN PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT SURGERIES ABROAD HAVE BETTER OUTCOMES, AND THE CHILDREN LATER COME TO US FOR REVISION SURGERIES
“It is important to be able to give these children who are either in pain or have restricted range of motion or functionality a renewed chance at life. I’ve had parents come with their children, not believing that anything can be done for them. For all our patients, we have given them a better quality of life, if not reversed their conditions completely,” Dr. Al Aubaidi explained.
Preventive care & non-invasive treatments
At Al Zahra Hospital Dubai, his practice is the first in the region to start hip screenings for all newborns delivered at the hospital. The hip screening is important as it leads to early detection and prevents the need for late treatments. It also prevents surgeries and leads to higher success rates. In addition, Dr. Al Aubaidi provides non-invasive treatments such as the Providence Night-Time Brace. It is a modern technology that is essentially used at night and does not interfere with the child’s mobility, daily activities, or mental health. On top of that, there is evidence that shows that the Province Night-Time brace is an efficient treatment with satisfactory results for all curve types. Dr. Al Aubaidi also detects and treats scoliosis at an earlier stage as compared to the com- mon practice. Doctors all over the world tend to wait for the curve of the spine in scoliosis to reach 24 degrees and then start treatment. Dr. Al Aubaidi, on the other hand treats the curve of scoliosis when it reaches more than 10 degrees. This allows the patient to receive early treatment and to have a higher probability of avoiding surgery.
