Saudi Arabia’s Hospital Uses Robot to Perform World’s First Full Heart Transplant Surgery
King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre has performed the world’s first full robotic heart transplant on a patient under sixteen with stage four heart failure. This milestone demonstrates Saudi Arabia’s leadership in healthcare and showcases the hospital’s innovation in improving treatment outcomes and patient experience.
Procedure Overview
The procedure lasted three hours and was performed by an outstanding team led by Dr. Firas Khalil, a Saudi cardiac surgeon and head of the Cardiac Surgery Department. Weeks of preparation included detailed planning to ensure accuracy, minimize risks, and develop a method to access the heart and complete the transplant without chest opening. Moreover, this method was tested virtually seven times over three days to verify its effectiveness.
After getting approval from the hospital’s medical committee and the patient’s family, Dr. Firas Khalil began assembling a medical team for the task. Additionally, he emphasized harmony and coordination among the members. Before entering the operating room, the team leader explained the surgical plan in detail, outlining each member’s role to ensure the patient’s safety and the operation’s success.
Heart Transplant
The achievement marks a major shift in heart transplant practices. Traditionally, sternotomy required weeks or months of recovery and limited daily activities. Now, robotic techniques enable the procedure with minimal intervention, reducing pain, shortening recovery time, and lowering complication risks. This advancement significantly improves patients’ quality of life and speeds up recovery.
Major Advance
Dr. Majid Al-Fayyadh, CEO of King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, called this achievement a major advance in heart transplantation since the first heart transplant in the 1960s. He also emphasized that the successful robotic heart transplant marks a transformative moment for both the hospital and Saudi Arabia’s progress. This is in line with Vision 2030’s focus on innovation to improve the quality of life.
He added: “The qualitative achievement realized today would not have been possible without the continuous support of our wise leadership. It has placed the development of the health sector at the forefront of its priorities. This has paved the way for a qualitative leap in the level of health services and opened new horizons for improving the quality of life for patients both locally and internationally.”
This achievement reflects King Faisal Specialist Hospital’s commitment to innovation in medical practices. The hospital uses available resources to enhance treatment outcomes, patient experience, and operational efficiency. It remains the top choice for specialized healthcare and expands its services to more beneficiaries.
Ranked 1st in Middle East, Africa
King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre was ranked first in the Middle East and Africa and 20th globally among the top 250 academic healthcare institutions for the second consecutive year. It was also named the highest-valued healthcare brand in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East by Brand Finance for 2024. It also listed among the top 250 hospitals in the world by Newsweek.
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