Okaz/Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — A 26-year-old woman has developed serious complications following thyroid surgery at a private hospital in Jeddah, her husband has claimed. The mother of two was not suffering from any visible symptoms when she went to consult the surgeon on the insistence of her husband that she should have a checkup. After examining her for 15 minutes, the doctor referred her to an ENT consultant saying she was suffering from hyperthyroidism and should surgically remove her thyroid gland, the husband said. They decided to undergo surgery after the ENT consultant strongly recommended it even though she was not suffering from any pain. The surgeon told them the procedure was simple and did not involve any risks. The woman was taken to the operation theater at 2:00 P.M. The husband said he had been told that the operation would not take long, but after eight hours she still remained in the theater and this roused his suspicion. “At this point I thought there was something seriously wrong and I forced my way into the operation room. I found my wife surrounded by a team of doctors exchanging their views,” said the man. When she tried to speak with him, her words did not come out and her voice turned into a wheezing sound, the husband said.? The man panicked when he saw his wife had difficulty breathing and he screamed at the doctors to tell him the truth. The doctors pacified him saying this was only post-operation symptoms and there was nothing to worry. The next day the surgeon who operated on his wife came to their room carrying the Holy Qur'an in one hand and a small container of Zamzam water in the other. The doctor allegedly gave the man the Qur'an and Zamzam and asked him to pray for his wife. He said he was going on a month's leave and the ENT consultant would follow up her case.? When the woman's condition deteriorated and she could hardly speak after days, he decided to discharge her from the hospital. Then the ENT consultant surprised him by revealing that the surgeon had cut her vocal chords by mistake. The doctor advised him to be patient because such mistakes were normal during surgical procedures and time would heal her. ???The man immediately took his wife to King Abdulaziz University Hospital where a team of consultants after examining her concluded that the woman's vocal chords had been damaged during the surgery. The team created an incision in the woman's trachea to help her breathe. ? Dr. Sami Badowood, Director of the Health Affairs in Jeddah, said an investigation team had been formed to look into the case and submit a report to the medical ethics committee. He said members of the surgical team would be prevented from leaving the country before a decision was taken in the case.
