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For 18-year-old Sarah and her family, a simple daily necessity quickly turned into a nightmare. Every time Sarah tried to eat, she was met with excruciating stomach pain and severe nausea. Watching her grow weaker day by day and live in constant agony was a heartbreaking ordeal for her parents.
When her symptoms reached a breaking point, her parents rushed her to the Emergency Room. It was there, after a series of intensive tests, that the family finally got an answer to her mysterious illness: Sarah was diagnosed with MALS.
Sarah and her parents eventually consulted with Dr Saleem Islam, Paediatric Surgeon and Chair, Department of Surgery at the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH). According to her medical team, severe abdominal pain was Sarah's most prominent symptom—a red flag that is frequently confused with other common digestive issues. Dr Islam explained that she was suffering from Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome (MALS). This rare condition occurs when the muscles of the diaphragm pinch a major blood vessel called the celiac artery. This restricted blood flow to her abdomen, as a result of the pinched artery, was the culprit behind the intense pain she felt every time she ate.
Identifying the cause was only half the battle; fixing it required surgery. As Sarah was wheeled into the operating room, her parents faced an excruciatingly difficult wait. They describe sitting outside, their eyes glued to the doors, praying for their daughter to come out safely.
Inside the operating room, Dr Islam, alongside vascular surgeons, worked meticulously to dissect the area, remove the celiac plexus, and completely free up the trapped celiac artery. Remarkably, they achieved all of this using minimally invasive techniques. The largest incision was a mere 10 millimeters hidden inside Sarah's navel, with the remaining incisions measuring just 5 millimeters.
The success of the surgery brought immense relief. Sarah’s parents tearfully expressed their profound gratitude, describing Dr Islam as an "angel" sent to heal their daughter. Most importantly, the surgery allowed Sarah to do what she couldn't before: eat without pain.
Looking back, Sarah acknowledges that while her overall experience was painful, her recovery journey was incredibly smooth. She faced no post-surgery complications, and the accommodating hospital staff made her feel at ease. Today, Sarah is healing, eating, and looking toward a brighter, pain-free future, while her family prays that no other child ever has to endure the same suffering.
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