The surgery was carried out by a volunteer medical team from Türkiye, comprising doctors, nurses, anaesthesia technicians, and civil society members, who offered free medical care to hundreds of Ugandans over 11 days. The 18-member team, which included specialists in general surgery, urology, ENT, gynaecology, and plastic surgery, examined around 1,500 individuals and performed nearly 100 surgeries. Among these patients was 39-year-old Muhammed Ramazan, who had lived with the massive keloid growth for almost eight years before doctors successfully removed it.
A patient from the eastern city of Jinja underwent a landmark surgery to remove a 5-kilogram keloid, marking one of the most significant medical operations of its kind in the country. The procedure was part of a health event coordinated by the Friends of All Africa Association (TADD), in collaboration with the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) and Uganda’s Ministry of Health.
The surgery was carried out by a volunteer medical team from Türkiye,
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Professor Dr Mehmet Dadaci, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Necmettin Erbakan University and an expert in plastic and reconstructive surgery, led the team and described Ramazan's case as the largest keloid he had ever encountered.
“We encountered a keloid of a size I have never encountered in my career,” Dr Dadaci noted. The mass, measuring about 20 centimetres in length, extended from Ramazan’s neck and affected the area behind his ears. The surgical removal of the keloid significantly improved his quality of life, especially after years of living with the burdensome mass.
Keloids are prevalent among individuals of African descent
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Keloids are a type of raised scar that occurs when the body produces excess tissue during the healing process of a wound. They are more prevalent among individuals of African descent and can result in discomfort, pain, and limited mobility. While non-surgical methods are often preferred for treating keloids, the severity of Ramazan’s case necessitated surgical intervention.
TADD’s Ankara representative, Cuneyd Tiryaki, emphasised the broader implications of the surgery, stating that the operation significantly improved not only the patient’s health but also his family, work, and social life.
“Without intervention, the patient would have faced lifelong struggles due to financial constraints and the shortage of medical staff in Uganda,” Tiryaki added.
