Sidra Medicine’s ENT Service Delivers Breakthrough in Airway Surgery

Qatar’s Only National Pediatric Tracheostomy Program Provides Expert and Innovative Care for Airway Conditions

4 March 2025, Doha, Qatar – Sidra Medicine, a member of Qatar Foundation, is setting a new benchmark in pediatric healthcare with Qatar’s only national pediatric tracheostomy program. Supporting over 150 patients annually, the program has become a vital resource for families in Qatar, offering cutting-edge care and life-changing outcomes.

In a recent success story, the Otolaryngology (ENT) team at Sidra Medicine successfully removed the tracheostomy tube of a 16-year-old patient. The patient experienced airway obstruction just above her vocal cords, which required the placement of a tracheostomy tube below the vocal cords to bypass the obstruction. Living with a breathing tube inserted through her neck was a life-altering condition, significantly limiting her as a high-functioning teenager. Despite undergoing multiple surgeries over the years to address the obstruction, previous attempts to resolve the issue and remove her tracheostomy had been unsuccessful.

The team performed a unique combination of an epiglottoplasty and supraglottoplasty tailored specifically to her needs. The individualized approach, a first in Qatar, resolved the obstruction and allowed the patient to breathe normally through her nose for the first time in years.

Dr. Taseer Feroze Din, an Attending Pediatric ENT Physician, who led the procedure on the young patient said: “This case highlights the strength of our airway surgical services and innovative approach to complex conditions. Our multidisciplinary team manages multiple new tracheostomies annually, cares for over 50 patients in long-term care, and supports over 100 patients in the community. Our team’s collaborative approach, which is harmonized by our nurse practitioner, Larkin Accinelli, has been pivotal in successes such as this. The aim of our program is to create a system that provides proactive management to prevent complications and optimize safe care for all our tracheostomized patients”.

The patient’s mother shared her heartfelt gratitude: “Our daughter was born with a tightening in her throat, unable to breathe normally, and relied on a device to help her for the past 15 years. After five unsuccessful surgeries in the UK, Sidra Medicine here in Qatar, was the only place that could help her. We are deeply grateful to the doctors who provided exceptional care and checked on her tirelessly, even late into the night. It has been a long and painful journey since birth, but now after so many years, she can finally breathe on her own.”

Dr. Faisal Abdelkader, Division Chief of Otolaryngology and Audiology at Sidra Medicine said: “Sidra Medicine’s tracheostomy program has doubled the number of successful tracheostomy removals in the past year, enabling children to lead more normal lives. The program has provided comprehensive care to local and international patients, including patients from Kuwait, Jordan, India, and Sri Lanka. We have become a trusted care partner for these families. I am equally proud of our efforts in presenting the development of the national tracheostomy program at international conferences in the USA, UAE and Tanzania, reinforcing our leadership in pediatric airway and tracheostomy care”.

In addition to complex airway surgeries, the ENT service at Sidra Medicine provides a wide range of services, including complex sinus surgery, endoscopic ear surgery, pediatric sleep apnea treatment including the latest advances in adenoid and tonsil surgery, anterior skull base leak repair, endoscopic tear duct opening (DCR) and thyroid surgery. Using state-of-the-art equipment and a patient-centered approach, the team ensures exceptional care with optimal outcomes.

For international inquiries about Sidra Medicine’s ENT services, please contact International.services@sidra.org. If you are based in Qatar, please call 40033333 for more information.