Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC), one of the UAE’s largest hospitals and a joint-venture partnership between Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA) and Mayo Clinic, has recently launched its state-of-the-art, Anatomical Pathology Laboratory, which will support SSMC’s expert-led pathology team in diagnosing disease and complex conditions with the utmost accuracy using AI-powered tools and applications.
Anatomical pathology is the branch of medicine that studies the effect of disease on the structure of body organs. The main aim of anatomic pathology is to identify abnormalities that can help to diagnose disease and manage treatment.
At SSMC, the brand-new lab will provide surgical pathology services, which involve the dissection and evaluation of specimens, and cytopathology services, which is the examination of single cells or small groups of cells from scrapings or aspiration of fluid or tissue under the microscope.
Dr. Rawia Mubarak Mohamed, consultant anatomical pathologist at SSMC, explained: “Pathologists play a critical role in interpreting and communicating diagnostic results to clinicians and patients. The journey of a specimen in an anatomical pathology lab involves a series of critical steps that require specialized knowledge, skills, and equipment. It is our task to provide an accurate, specific, and sufficiently comprehensive diagnosis to enable the clinician to develop an optimal plan of treatment.”
“One of the advantages of our lab is the digital pathology system, which allows us to generate high-resolution, whole-slide images of samples to view and analyze digitally, bringing value to our integrated care and treatment approach. We are also utilizing artificial intelligence to provide more accurate diagnoses, improve and support the decision-making process, as well as contribute to better outcomes,” said Dr. Mohamed.
Dr. Matthew Gettman, chief medical officer of SSMC, said: “At SSMC, we are always looking to bring and utilize the latest innovations and technologies to deliver better care that meets the needs of our patients. We are extremely excited to have launched the new anatomical pathology lab, which will allow the pathology team to collaborate closely with our physicians, reach accurate diagnoses and customize effective treatment plans to enhance patient outcomes.”
