PESHAWAR: Local doctors, in collaboration with a US-based Pakistani neurosurgeon, have successfully performed brain aneurysm coiling, a modern neuro-endovascular procedure, at the Lady Reading Hospital here.

Dr Nawaz, head of the Department of Neurosurgery at LRH, told Dawn that it was the first such surgical operation performed in the province.

He said a total of 13 complex endovascular surgeries were carried out during the last two days under the supervision of Dr Aqueel Pabaney, an assistant professor of neurosurgery, neurology and radiology at the Emory University School of Medicine, Grady‘s Health System, Marcus Stroke and Neuroscience Center, USA.

The department’s head said Dr Aqueel came to Pakistan from the US at his invitation.

All patients recovering fast, says head of neurosurgery dept

He said Dr Aqueel, originally from Karachi, was currently serving as a consultant neurosurgeon in the USand had extensive experience in neuro-endovascular techniques.

“For the first time, such advanced brain aneurysm coiling has been performed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in such a large number, marking a new era in endovascular neurosurgery in the province, “ he said.

Dr Nawaz said patients used to travel to Lahore and Karachi for such procedures, costing over Rs2-3 million per patient, but all 13 operations were performed at the LRH free of charge.

He said the combined cost of those procedures exceeded Rs30 million but the entire activity was carried out without any financial burden on patients.

“Dr Aqueel personally brought the required materials and devices from the USand expressed his willingness to return to LRH on an annual basis to continue treating patients in need,” he said.

Explaining the procedure, the department’s head said aneurysm coiling involved repairing ruptured brain vessels without open surgery, using a minimally invasive technique similar to cardiac angiography or angioplasty.

“The results are comparable to open surgery but with significantly fewer complications,” he said.

“While traditional surgery may take up to 5-6 hours, endovascular coiling is completed in about 40 minutes and requires no surgical cut.”

Dr Nawaz said that all patients selected for the procedure were poor inpatients at LRH, aged between 17 and 70 years, and were recovering well after the intervention.

Drawing an analogy, he said that advancement in neurosurgery was similar to how angioplasty has largely replaced open-heart bypass surgery in cardiology.

“This technique has now replaced open brain surgery for aneurysm repair globally, and we are proud to introduce it for the first time in KP,” he said.

Dr Nawaz, a gold medalist from the Khyber Medical University, with over a decade of experience in neurosurgery and currently serving as head of the Department of Neurosurgery at LRH, said new advancements in medical sciences had greatly improved patient outcomes by reducing hospital stays and complications.

“We plan to continue these procedures on a regular basis at LRH, and Dr Aqueel has agreed to collaborate with us.Our neurosurgery department, with seven consultants and 40 residents in a 100-bed unit, the largest in the province, is eager to adopt such cutting-edge techniques for the benefit of our patients,” he said.

The department’s head said the team utilised the Cardiology Cath Lab for the procedures and thanked Dr Jabar Ali, head of the LRH’s Cardiology Department, and Dr Shehryar for providing critical care support.

He also appreciated Dean Prof Sahibzada Mahmood Noor and hospital director Dr Abrar Khattak for facilitating the initiative and ensuring that patients receive the latest treatment completely free of charge.

Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2025