Saudi Arabia’s King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre made history by performing the world’s first fully robotic heart transplant on a 16-year-old patient with end-stage heart failure. The two and a half hour procedure was successfully performed by a medical team led by Dr. Feras Khaliel, head of Cardiac Surgery and director of the Robotics and Minimally Invasive Surgery Program after weeks of preparation.
The ground breaking achievement has not only been hailed as a significant development in heart transplant surgery, but it also showcased the hospital’s expertise and innovative capabilities. The KFSH&RC has a rich history in heart transplantation.
Robotic technology allows for minimally invasive surgery, reducing pain, shortening recovery time, and minimising the risk of complications. This significantly improves patients’ quality of life and accelerates recovery.
Hospital CEO Dr. Majid Al-Fayyad said that the successful operation marked another major advance in heart transplant surgery, first performed in the 1960s by Dr Chris Barnard of South Africa.
Al Fayyad said this remarkable achievement would not have been possible without the unwavering support of the Saudi leadership, who have prioritised the development of the healthcare sector, paving the way for a transformative leap in health care services, unlocking new possibilities to elevate the quality of life for patients both locally and globally.
The procedure
Pre-Surgery
-The team leader provided a thorough briefing on the operation plan, clearly defining each member’s role to ensure the patient’s safety and the procedure’s success.
-After receiving approval from the hospital’s medical committee and the patient’s family, Dr. Khaliel assembled a medical team prioritising consonance and coordination among its members.
-The team prepared meticulously, with detailed theoretical planning and virtual practice of the procedure seven consecutive times over three days to ensure precision and minimise potential risks.
-They devised a surgical approach to access the heart and perform the transplant without opening the chest of the patient.
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