Hackensack University Medical Center Surgeon Successfully Preserves a Womans Uterus
What you need to know
Abdulla Al-Khan, M.D., director of the Center for Abnormal Placentation (CAP) and vice chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Donna A. Sanzari Women’s Hospital at Hackensack University Medical Center, successfully preserved Marleen Tawadrous' uterus despite possible life-threatening complications from placenta accreta.
Marleen Tawadrous and her husband of Weymouth, Mass., were ecstatic to learn they were pregnant with their second child. During an ultrasound in her 17th week of pregnancy, she learned that her unborn child had severe fetal anomalies. Soon after that she also learned that she had a condition called placenta accreta.
Marleen’s case
Placenta Accreta occurs when blood vessels and other parts of the placenta grow too deeply into the uterine wall and can lead to life-threatening complications, including severe blood loss. In Marleen’s case, the placenta was completely covering her cervix and invading her uterus and most likely her bladder. She was told by numerous physicians that her only option was to have a hysterectomy.
Marleen and her husband were referred to Dr. Al-Khan and decided to travel to New Jersey to save her uterus.
On Monday, July 15, Dr. Abdulla Al-Khan successfully completed a nearly eight-hour surgery to reconstruct and save Marleen’s uterus, which included delivering her fetus.
"We were able temporarily to cut off blood supply to the pelvis and with innovative techniques, we were able to remove all of the placenta accreta, which had invaded the uterus and cervix. We reconstructed her uterus completely and saved it. We are proud to be successful. This is only possible because of the extraordinary physician and nursing staff who seek out innovative solutions for patients.”
Abdulla Al-Khan, M.D
For more information
To learn more about Marleen ’s story and how Dr. Abdulla Al-Khan successfully preserved her uterus, click here.
