RIYADH: The world’s first fully robotic heart transplant was carried out at Saudi Arabia’s King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, according to a report by Saudi Press Agency. A 16-year-old patient with end-stage heart failure underwent the two and a half-hour procedure. Following weeks of preparation, the procedure was carried out by a medical team under the direction of Dr. Feras Khaliel, head of Cardiac Surgery and director of the Robotics and Minimally Invasive Surgery Program at KFSHRC.
According to SPA, the groundbreaking accomplishment—which involved overcoming major medical obstacles related to such procedures—confirms Saudi Arabia’s position as a leader in the healthcare industry and emphasises KFSHRC’s capacity to develop novel medical procedures. The process began with detailed theoretical planning to ensure precision and minimize potential risks.
The team came up with a surgical method to reach the heart and carry out the transplant without having to open the patient’s chest. The team practically rehearsed the procedure seven times over the course of three days prior to performing the operation to ensure the efficacy of this approach. The successful procedure has been heralded as a major advancement in heart transplant surgery, replacing the more invasive, often months-long traditional chest-opening procedures.
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