A specialised Omani medical team from the country’s National Heart Centre, Royal Hospital, has successfully performed an artificial heart transplant for a patient (a woman) who was suffering from serious failure in the cardiac muscle.
The operation sets a milestone in the development of heart failure treatments in the Sultanate of Oman.
The surgical team was co-led by Dr. Walid bin Amer Al Badi and Dr. Qasim bin Saleh Al Abri. The operation took four hours, followed by intensive medical care that continued until the patient’s condition stabilised and she left the hospital.
Dr. Waleed bin Amer Al Badi, a consultant cardiac surgeon at the Royal Hospital, said, “The medical team performed a left-side artificial heart implantation procedure that involved the use of a device that assisted the natural heart to continue to pump blood efficiently and helped the patient to regain vitality and normal activity.”
Dr. Qasim bin Saleh Al Abri, Consultant Cardiac Surgeon at the National Heart Centre, expressed delight at the addition of this advanced type of operations to the surgical services offered by the centre. He pointed out that such operations are performed as a prelude to full heart transplants or as a permanent treatment option in some cases.
The patient expressed her deep gratitude to the medical team at the National Heart Centre. She added that, prior to the operation, she had been suffering from severe fatigue and difficulty in carrying out normal daily tasks before the operation. She observed that her health condition improved significantly after the surgery.
The "artificial heart" in use represents an advanced treatment option for patients who suffer from severe heart failure. It bridges human heart transplants or serves as a permanent option in some cases.
The introduction of the artificial heart technology adds momentum to the services of the National Heart Centre, following the centre’s success in performing minimally invasive cardiac surgeries and human heart transplants. It reflects the ability of the centre’s professionals to keep pace with the latest global practices.