HMC successfully performed more than 100 surgical procedures using the new surgical innovation.

Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has achieved a major breakthrough in reconstructive microsurgery and hand surgery thanks to newly produced technology dubbed the ‘Qatar Flap’, authorities confirmed on Saturday.

The medical entity attributed the significant scientific and surgical milestone to its new surgical technique, which allows HMC’s medics to restore the functions of fingertips post injuries.

Specialised hand surgeries are performed to treat impairments that affect the strengths or functions of wrist or fingers, either following trauma or birth abnormalities. 

Such surgeries are typically performed to treat Carpal tunnel syndrome, Rheumatoid arthritis, Dupuytren’s contracture among others.

With the use of ‘Qatar Flap’, surgeons can ensure the restoration of fingers’ natural functions “without any disability or disfigurement”, HMC explained.

Dr. Saleem Al-Lahham, a Specialist in the Department of Plastic Surgery at HMC, produced the ‘Qatar Flap’ following the common occurrence of hand injuries, many of which require “precise surgical intervention”.

With this, surgeons use a single procedure that focuses on one of the small secondary arterial branches that contribute to the restoration of the fingers’ functions.

“Given the different types of finger injuries, the surgical procedures available may vary, but these surgeries often leave painful scars on the fingers and some require sacrificing major blood vessels in the fingers, making them undesirable options for patients,” Dr. Al-Lahham said.

HMC successfully performed more than 100 surgical procedures using the new surgical innovation, a figure shared by Dr. Al-Lahham.

“We perform five surgical procedures of this kind per week. It is expected that this innovation will become the preferred option for fingertip restoration surgeries worldwide, in addition to the medical and scientific value it adds to various surgical specialties,” Dr. Al-Lahham added.

The ‘Qatar Flap’ is widely seen by medics at HMC as a display of the Gulf state’s medical capabilities and was recently covered in the journal “PRS GLOBAL OPEN”, one of the top publications in the field of reconstructive and cosmetic hand microsurgery. 

“The journal described HMC’s innovation as a brilliant breakthrough that will enhance the outcomes of finger restorative and cosmetic surgeries, considering it a reliable option to be performed in a single surgical procedure while preserving the finger’s arteries,” HMC said in a press release.