Today's Edition
A. SREENIVASA REDDY (ABU DHABI)
Abu Dhabi has emerged as the centre of a unique surgical procedure that is transforming the lives of people who have lost their limbs in tragic accidents.
An Abu Dhabi-based hospital group has launched a programme to carry out osseointegration surgeries, a pioneering procedure that anchors prosthetic limbs directly to the skeleton. This approach provides amputees with greater mobility, improved comfort, and a significantly enhanced quality of life.
The hospital has set up the Al Muderis Osseointegration Clinic in Burjeel Medical City (BMC) under the leadership of internationally renowned orthopaedic surgeon Prof. Dr. Munjed Al Muderis, one of the world’s leading pioneers of the technique.
Under an initiative announced by Burjeel Group Chairman Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil, a total of 10 patients from around the world will undergo this transformative surgery free of cost, depending on their medical need and financial circumstances.
The Dh4 million programme has already begun to reshape lives: three young men from Palestine, the United States, and India have been the first to benefit, with seven more surgeries scheduled in the coming months.
Childhood Shattered, Future Rebuilt
For Anas Jebeihi, the road to Abu Dhabi was the culmination of nearly two decades of resilience.
At just 12 years old, his life in the West Bank took a devastating turn when he found what he thought was an “avocado-shaped artefact” while collecting grass for his sheep. Innocently, he tried to drill into it to hang as a decoration on his bookshelf.
The object was, in fact, a live grenade. The explosion took his left leg and right eye in an instant.
Raised in the Tulkarm refugee camp, where clean water is scarce, power cuts are routine, and security remains fragile, Anas grew up amidst deprivation and displacement. Recently his family was forced to move into a makeshift shelter offered by relatives. Through it all, he clung to education, pursuing a master’s degree in electrical engineering, and to bodybuilding, which he embraced as a discipline of strength and control.
Now 30, he says the surgery in Abu Dhabi has given him new hope. “When I got a call from Dr. Munjed’s team, I started dancing in the street. I knew it was going to be a life-changing moment,” he recalled. “From the very first day here, I felt respected and cared for in ways I had never experienced before.”
Anas remembers that his first prosthetic limb was provided in the UAE years ago under an initiative of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation. “And now my first osseointegration is also here. This country has become a place of healing for me,” he said.
His wish is to use his story to encourage other amputees to believe that advanced treatments can transform their lives too.
From US to UAE for a New Beginning
For Joshua Arnold, 29, the journey to Abu Dhabi was the last thread of hope after his life was turned upside down by a motorcycle accident in Louisiana in 2024. The crash left him without his right arm and blinded in his left eye.
Once a fiercely independent young man, Joshua suddenly found himself unable even to feed himself.
He arrived in Abu Dhabi after a grueling 22-hour flight, accompanied by his fiancee, Alyssa Acker, who has been his unwavering source of strength.
“This opportunity is truly life-changing. When I got the call, I couldn’t believe it. I knew I had to make this journey because it meant I would finally have a chance to live again,” he said.
He had tried socket-based prosthetics but found them unbearably painful and restrictive.
“Some days I thought I had lost everything,” he admitted. Alyssa, who stood by him through months of despair, said: “There were many nights I saw him crying. But I always reminded him this wasn’t the end of his story. I knew better days would come.”
Joshua, a former bodybuilder, is already back in the gym as part of his rehabilitation. He hopes to become a motivational influencer, sharing his story to help others see “there is beauty in the struggle”.
He praised the UAE for its medical excellence and humanity.
“From the moment I arrived, I was treated with respect and care. The hospitality here is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Everyone made me feel like I mattered,” he said.
Joshua’s recovery journey will continue at the Paley Orthopedic & Spine Institute in Florida, but he plans to return to the UAE next year — this time for his honeymoon.
“I want to tell the world how this great country helped me. Losing a limb is not the end of life. For me, it was the beginning of a new one,” he said.
A Decade of Struggle
For Sharon Cheriyan, 33, from Kottayam, Kerala, the accident that changed his life happened more than a decade ago.
In December 2013, while riding pillion on a motorbike, a collision crushed his pelvis and leg. His friend died instantly. Sharon spent nine months in hospitals battling multiple complications before doctors had no choice but to amputate his right leg.
“My family went through very tough times, emotionally and financially. We even had to sell our home for my treatment,” Sharon recalled.
For years he relied on a walking stick, carrying not only the weight of his disability but also of social stigma.
Three years ago he learnt about osseointegration and contacted Prof. Munjed. But the costs were far beyond his reach. Then came a message that changed everything.
“One day, I got an email saying Dr. Vayalil had launched an initiative to provide free osseointegration surgeries. When I saw his name, I didn’t have a second thought. I knew this was my chance,” he said.
Accompanied by his mother and cousin, Sharon travelled to Abu Dhabi and underwent the surgery.
“When I got here, I felt a sense of dignity. The care and compassion I experienced from the staff were unlike anything I’ve seen before,” he said.
Now helping manage his family’s catering business, he dreams of finding a job in the UAE.
“I want to do everything a normal person does. For too long, people have only seen my disability. Now I want to be valued for who I am and what I can do.”
Speaking to Aletihad, Prof. Muderis explained that traditional socket prosthetics often cause skin irritation, pain and restricted mobility.
“Osseointegration is different: it involves a titanium implant that fuses with the bone and protrudes through the skin to connect with an external prosthesis,” he said.
Bettor sensory experience is one of the outcomes of this surgery. When asked to explain how this works, the eminent orthopedic surgeon attributed the outcome to “osseoperception”.
“When the prosthetic is directly anchored to the bone, vibrations and pressure are transmitted through the implant into the skeletal system. Patients can sense the ground or surfaces in a way that is not possible with socket prosthetics,” he explained. This provides a more natural experience of walking or using the limb, improving balance, coordination, and confidence.
Having refined the method over the past two decades, Prof. Muderis has performed more than 1,200 such surgeries worldwide. The Osseointegration Clinic at BMC, launched in partnership with the Paley Middle East Clinic in early 2025, is now spearheading the effort to expand access in the region.
“From the first day I met Dr. Shamsheer, I realised he is a true visionary. I am glad to be part of this initiative, supporting these unique cases and giving young patients a chance to look forward to better days,” Prof. Muderis said.
The initiative’s selection committee is now reviewing applications for the next seven surgeries. For the three men already treated, the UAE has become much more than a place of treatment. It is where lives once broken have been rebuilt with courage and dignity.
As Anas, recalling his “avocado-shaped artefact”, put it: “I want others to see that healing is possible, even after unimaginable loss.”
