Speaker – Gulf & MENA Hepatopancreatobiliary

Speakers

Dr Balamurugan Rathinavelu

MBBS, MRCP, FRCR, CCT UK

Dr Balamurugan Rathinavelu

MBBS, MRCP, FRCR, CCT UK

Qualified with FRCR, CCTUK as a Radiologist from Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS, UK in year 2006 and Worked as Consultant Radiologist at Chesterfield Royal NHS Hospital, UK between 2006 and 2014.

Currently working as a Consultant Radiologist a with a sub speciality interest in Body Imaging and Non-vascular Interventional Radiology at Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City, Abu Dhabi.

Previously worked at Mafraq Hospital, SEHA, between 2014 and 2019 Dec

Lead Radiologist for every day surgical and trauma clinical conference at SSMMC Hospital and once a week Tumour board conference.I also support and provide non vascular interventional services locally.

Core Faculty member of Radiology Residency program, ACGME-I, Sheik Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi,UAE

Prof. Hatem Khalaf

MD, MSc, PhD, FRCS, FEBS, FACS

Prof. Hatem Khalaf

MD, MSc, PhD, FRCS, FEBS, FACS

Professor of Surgery at Qatar University and Senior Consultant Surgeon, specialized in liver transplantation and Hepatobiliary-Pancreatic surgery (HPB). Director of liver transplant and HPB surgery service at Hamad Medical Corporation and has led the surgical team that performed the first liver transplant in Qatar in 2011. Co-founder and former president of the Pan Arab Liver Transplant Society (PALTS), as well as the director of the HPB fellowship program at Hamad Medical corporation. Contributed to the success of many liver transplant and HPB surgery programs in different countries, including the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Egypt. Has over 60 published articles in peer reviewed international journals and over 200 published abstracts and presentations in international conferences. Peer reviewer of many international and regional journals and is an active member of many societies mainly related to the field of liver transplantation and HPB surgery.

Prof. Marcelo Rebiero

MD, MSc, PhD, FACS, FISS, MAMSE, ACC(Hon)

Prof. Marcelo Rebiero

MD, MSc, PhD, FACS, FISS, MAMSE, ACC(Hon)

Professor of Surgery at Khalifa University, at Gulf Medical University in UAE and at Pontifical Catholic University – Sorocaba – Brazil
Professor of the Post-Graduation Program in Surgery – IAMSPE São Paulo – mentor of students to obtain their master’s or PhD degrees
Received 24 awards in Brazil and 10 internationally
Published 4 medical books, 110 book chapters
Published 218 papers in medical journals
Provided more than 800 conferences (in Brazil and international)
Chairman of the Education Committee of the Panamerican Trauma Society
Associate Member of the Academy of Master Surgeon Educators

Dr. Shiva Kumar

Chair, Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, UAE

Dr. Shiva Kumar

Dr. Kumar is the Chair of Gastroenterology & Hepatology at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine. He completed his fellowship training in Gastroenterology & Hepatology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester and a Clinical & Research fellowship in Hepatology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. He also completed a master’s degree in healthcare management from the University of Texas at Dallas Jindal school of management.

Prof. Mohammad Abu Hilal

MD PhD DocEur FRCS FACS ESBQ (HPB)

Chair of the Department of Surgery and the Head of Hepatobilary - Pancreatic and Minimally invasive Surgery
Poliambulanza Hospital
Brescia, Italy

Prof. Mohammad Abu Hilal

MD PhD DocEur FRCS FACS ESBQ (HPB)

Professor Mohammad Abu Hilal is the Director of the Surgical Department at the Fondazione Poliambulanza Hospital Institute in Brescia. He is also a Professor of Hepato-biliary-pancreatic Surgery and Minimally Invasive Surgery at the University of Southampton. He has a particular interest in minimally invasive or laparoscopic surgery and is considered one of the world’s experts in Minimally Invasive Surgery.

Prof Abu Hilal has conducted numerous studies in this field and in the last 17 years has accumulated a vast experience at the international level. He has played an active role in the publication of many scientific articles and in the elaboration and description of many innovative surgical techniques. In addition, Prof has participated in the specialized training of more than 450 surgeons worldwide.

Prof. Mohammed Sebayel

MD, FRCS, MPH.

Professor of Surgery & Consultant transplant and hepatobiliary Surgery
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Prof. Mohammed Sebayel

MD, FRCS, MPH.

Mohammed Al Sebayel is Professor of Surgery and senior consultant Liver Transplantation and Hepatobiliary-Pancreatic Surgery from Saudi Arabia.

◙ Established the Liver Transplant Program at the King Fahad National Guard Hospital, Riyadh in 1993 (first program in Middle East and developing countries), following his fellowship at University of Pittsburgh USA.
◙ Established the Hepatobiliary Unit at King Saud University.
◙ established the Liver Transplant Program at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, 2001.
◙ Founder of National Donor Promotion Program in Saudi Arabia
◙ 109 publications
◙ Founded and c- president of The Pan Arab Liver Transplant Society.

Dr. Sameer Smadi

MD, FACS, MRCS

Consultant Hepatobiliary Surgery
King Hussien medical center.
Jordan

Dr. Sameer Smadi

MD, FACS, MRCS

Dr. Sameer Smadi is a highly accomplished and board-certified surgeon with extensive expertise in Hepato-Biliary and Pancreatic (HPB) surgery, as well as liver transplantation. With a distinguished career spanning several leadership roles, Dr. Smadi has served as Chief of General Surgery at King Hussein Medical Center and Chief of the HPB and Liver Transplantation Unit. He is a valued member of numerous prestigious medical associations, including the American College of Surgeons (FACS) and the International Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Association (IHBPA). Dr. Smadi's dedication to advancing surgical practices is reflected in his role as a board examiner in surgical oncology and his involvement in founding various medical associations. With a clinical fellowship from Florence Nightingale Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey, Dr. Sameer Smadi continues to make significant contributions to the field of surgery, particularly in HPB and transplantation.

Dr Jamal Alkoteesh

MD MSc FRCR CCST EBIR EDSI FPAIRS

Professor of Interventional Radiology UAE University
Chairman of clinical imaging and chief of Interventional Radiology at Tawam and STMC hospitals

Dr Jamal Alkoteesh

MD MSc FRCR CCST EBIR EDSI FPAIRS

Dr Alkoteesh is a pioneer interventional radiologist with expertise in providing unique IR services that made Tawam hospital /SEHA the hub and referral center in the UAE and GCC. He is one of the founders of the interventional Radiology services in UAE since 2007, and the first DOH licensed Interventional Radiologist in Abu Dhabi ;and for that they call him the God Father of Interventional Radiology in Abu Dhabi Emirates. His wealth of knowledge and unique skills in applying advanced IR techniques by performing over 65,000 procedures in the span of his 16 years of SEHA journey are exemplary of dedication and commitment.  To mention few of IR clinical sophisticated procedures are TIPS, acute stroke interventions; penile venous leak embolization; prostate artery embolization, Complex Arterial and venous interventions, Uterine arteries embolization procedures to treat Fibroids and post-Partum Bleeding; liver cancer Radioembolization SIRT and Chemoembolization TACE. He has recently introduced new state-of-the-art IR procedures to treat benign and malignant thyroid Tumours by thermal ablation in addition haemorrhoids new treatment by arterial embolization.

SEHA Career Journey over 16 years
Dr. Alkoteesh joined the SKMC Abu Dhabi as the Chief of Interventional Radiology in 2007 where he served the capital of UAE solo for nearly two years , then moved to Al Ain City in 2010 in order to establish the first Interventional Radiology service at Al Ain Hospital in support of the clinical needs of Al Ain Community. He also was able to build one of the busiest Interventional Radiology unit in the region in support of acute and elective medical care.

He establishing the first radiology residency-training program in Abu Dhabi in 2009 to train junior Emiratis doctors to become the future radiologists then when he moved to Alain he also became the Radiology residency program director at Tawam in 2012 during the intergartion. After the regional integration between Tawam and Al Ain Hospitals, he became the official Chairman of Radiology for both hospitals to manage the largest Radiology Department in the UAE with more than 30 Radiologists to cover both hospitals in the region at a difficult time during the COVIDE19 Pandemic.

His Academic Contributions
Dr Alkoteesh was promoted to the ranke of professor in Interventional Radiology at the UAE University college of medicine and health science, for his fruitful efforts in introducing the Interventional Radiology modules for the medical students in order to promote and attract undergraduates for future career as a rare subspecialty on demand. 

Dr Alkoteesh is the Professor of Interventional Radiology to reach this ranke in the UAE and this is no surprise giving his academic background and involvement heavily in teaching of undergradute and post graduate Medical and surgical residents in SEHA/Abu Dhabi since 2007.

In 2023 he was granted the Pan Arab Interventional Radiology society PAIRS the PAIRS fellowship FPAIRS for his contribution in establishing and promotion Interventional Radiology supspeciality in the UAE and Arab World.

Dr Alkoteesh has more than 75 scintific publications under his belt and he has speaker at more than 150 National and international conferences over the last 10 years.

Fierce fight against COVID19 
– Dr Alkoteesh and the Radiology Team Since the start of COVID 19 pandemic in January 2020, Dr Alkoteesh has led an army of radiologists and radiographers in Abu Dhabi Eastern region to compact this hidden enemy. The Radiology team has performed and reported more than 20000 HR-CT Chest and 300 000 CXR on COVID 19 patients in addition to many Interventional Radiology procedures on those patients.

Home country Journey and International work experience
Dr. Alkoteesh was born in Damascus/Syria, the eldest son of a family of 10 children, he took the challenge to study medicine in Arabic where he also attained his Master degree in Radiology and completed his basic radiology training in Damascus University hospitals.

In 1997 He pursued his higher education to undertake his subspeciality training in Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology at University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, UK at All Wales higher training scheme, at which hospitals he then became working as consultant radiologist in West Wales, UK.

His employment journey went through many well-recognized international hospitals: Prince Philip hospital in Wales; West Wales General Hospital, Cork University Hospital in Ireland and King Fahad National Guard Hospital (KAMC) in Riyadh; KSA, Sheikh Khalifa Medical city SKMC-Cleveland , Al Ain Hospital and Tawam Hospital in the UAE.

Dr. Hani Al Saati

MD,MRCSI, AFRCSI, CABS

Consultant General Surgeon, MIS, Surgical Oncology and HPB Surgeon at King Hamad University Hospital, Bahrain Oncology Centre Royal Medical Services.

Dr. Hani Al Saati

MD,MRCSI, AFRCSI, CABS

Is currently the Head of Surgical Oncology Unit at The King Hamad University Hospital, and Royal Medical Services and he is a Clinical Lead and Head of HPB and Surgical oncology at Bahrain Oncology Centre (Kingdim of Bahrain).

He is a senior lecturer at The Royal College of Surgeons- Medical University Of Bahrain (RCSI-MUB).

Dr. Alsaati underwent fellowships of MIS, General Surgical Oncology training at University of Toronto (Canada) and Laparoscopic HPB surgery at Southampton University Hospital NHS Trust (UK) where he obtained a vast experience in Medical and Surgical managment of Oncology patients and Minimal invasive Upper GIT and Hepatobiliary Surgery.

He was working at Salmanyia Medical Complex, MOH, kingdom of Bahrain where he was the former Director of the Theater, Day case surgical unit and endoscopy unit till November 2022 before being appointed as a member of Parliament in The Shura council (Kingdom Of Bahrain 🇧🇭).

He is also a well trained and expert in Upper GIT and Bariatric surgery Where Run Bariatric and General Surgery services at Bahrain Specialist hospitals and Alsalam Specialist hispital in the private sector in Bahrain.

Since 2016 he was Cross appointed to King Hamad Univesoty Hospital - Bahrain Oncology Center (KHUH - BOC) to run the Surgical oncology program as a part of collaborations between MOH and KHUH.

Dr. Alsaati has several publications and special interests in MIS HPB Surgery. He is one of the expert panel member at EGUMIPS 2022 and The coming IEGUMILS in Apiril 2024.

Dr. Faisal AbaAlkhail

Consultant Transplant Hepatologist and Gastroenterologist King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center in Riyadh
President, Saudi Society for the Study of Liver Disease and Transplantation (SASLT)
Governor, American College of Physician – Saudi Arabia Chapter

Dr. Faisal AbaAlkhail

Dr. AbaAlkhail is currently working as a consultant Transplant Hepatologist & Gastroenterologist at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center and Adjunct Professor in the College of Medicine at Al Faisal University in Riyadh.

He is the president of the Saudi Society for the Study of Liver Disease and Transplantation (SASLT) and the Governor of American College of Physician (ACP) Saudi Arabia chapter. He is also an active board member of the Pan Arab Society of Liver Transplantation.

He was also the former Liver Transplant Chairman at King Fahad Specialist Hospital - Dammam.

Dr. AbaAlkhail is the leading author of the SASLT guidelines for liver transplantation and update in the management of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV).

Dr. Maha Aleid

Director, Knowledge Translation Department
Acting Director, Strategic Partnerships
Saudi National Institute of Health (Saudi NIH)

Dr. Maha Aleid

Dr. Maha Aleid, the Director of Knowledge Translation and Director of Strategic Partnership at the Saudi National Institute for Health (Saudi NIH), boasts two decades of research expertise. She holds a PhD in Translational Medicine from Cranfield University, United Kingdom, and a Post-Diploma in Pharmaceuticals Regulatory Affairs from Toronto Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology, Canada. Dr Aleid earned a bachelor’s in pharmacy from King Saud University, with over seven years as the Head of Registries Core Facility at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre, Riyadh. Maha has significantly contributed to healthcare. Dr Aleid has been a Councilor-at-Large and a member of the board for the Pan Arab Liver Transplantation Society and has led numerous hospital-based, national, and international registries.

Dr. Hammad Alqahtani

MD, FRCS

Professor of Surgery
Consultant Hepatopancreatbiliary Surgeon
College of Medicine
King Saud University
Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Dr. Hammad Alqahtani

MD, FRCS

Hamad Hadi AlQahtani, Professor of surgery, consultant general and hepatopancreatbiliary surgeon, college of medicine, king saud university, Riyadh , Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Head of the examination committee for saudi board ofgeneral surgery, saudi commission for health specialties.

Professor Dr. Basil Ammori

Consultant Laparoscopic Bariatric, Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary & Gastrointestinal Surgeon at Burjeel Hospital, Abu Dhabi,

Professor Dr. Basil Ammori

Professor Dr. Basil Ammori is a graduate of Baghdad University, completed his surgical training in the UK and obtained the CCST in 2000, was granted a Hunterian Professorship by the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 2000 and appointed an Honorary Professor at the University of Manchester in 2011. He practiced as a Consultant Laparoscopic Bariatric & HPB Surgeon in Manchester, U.K. between 2000 and 2017, and was the first to introduce laparoscopic Whippleâ€™s procedure in the U.K. He is currently a Consultant Laparoscopic Gastrointestinal and Bariatric Surgeon at Burjeel Hospital, Abu Dhabi. He has over 240 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters.

Dr. Yasir Akmal

Consultant Surgical Oncologist
Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery
General Surgery Residency Program Director
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Dr. Yasir Akmal

Dr. Yasir Akmal is a consultant surgical oncologist at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi since 2014. He is a Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery and is currently the General Surgery Residency Program Director at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. He was involved in the first robotic pelvic, surgical oncology and hepatobiliary surgeries at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and in the United Arab Emirates.

His areas of expertise include MIS and robotic surgery, complex upper and lower gastrointestinal, hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery, colorectal cancer, soft tissue tumors, breast, thyroid and parathyroid surgery, and surgery for peritoneal malignancies HIPEC.