‘I thought I’d run out of options’: Leeds surgeons deliver UK-first brain treatment
Leeds surgeons perform UK-first treatment on life-threatening brain condition
Pioneering surgeons in Leeds have delivered a UK first breakthrough treatment on a life-threatening abnormal tangle of blood vessels in the brain.
Doctors at Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust performed the ground-breaking new surgery on a man from Bradford to treat a disabling and life-threatening arteriovenous malformation (AVM).
The tangle of vessels was located deep in his brain and Zehair Ayub had developed a large aneurysm.
This was pressing on his visual nerves, which had caused some visual loss and leaving him at high risk of potentially fatal or life-changing brain haemmorrhage.
After exhausting all viable treatment options over 15 years, Mr Ayub was offered hope after meeting Leeds consultant Dr Fathallah Islim, who had completed a fellowship at a centre in Germany involved in the European trial of the innovative treatment.
MrAyub said: “When I was diagnosed, I was fit and healthy. I played football and cricket, went to the gym and was always active.
“Then almost overnight, everything changed. I’d gone from never having heard of an AVM before to being told I had this rare condition and that it could cause a catastrophic bleed. I had a young family and my own business. I just wanted to get back to normal and carry on with my life.
“For 15 years I lived with the AVM, but I was eventually told there were no treatment options left. Everything was getting worse so quickly. My eyesight was failing, my coordination was going, I knew I needed help. Dr Fathallah came along at exactly the right time.
“I knew I was taking a chance on a new treatment, but I had complete confidence in the team. Having experts from Leeds working alongside colleagues from Germany and Spain gave me real reassurance that I was in the best possible hands.”
He added: “I’m incredibly grateful to everyone involved. Dr Fathallah and the whole team gave me hope when I thought I’d run out of options.
“Thanks to this treatment, not only has my own life changed, but I know other patients will benefit from it in the future too.”