Saudi Arabia has achieved a groundbreaking milestone in the field of Medical Science. A Saudi Hospital has announced that its surgeons successfully performed the first fully robotic heart transplant on a 16-year-old patient.
The procedure took place at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (KFSHRC) and has successfully completed the world’s first fully robotic heart transplant, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
A video released by the hospital shows its surgeons performing the heart surgery on the patient. Dr. Feras Khaliel, head of cardiac surgery and director of the robotics and minimally invasive surgery program conducted the surgery after weeks of intense preparation stated that the 2.5-hour surgery was a success.
The hospital’s team practiced the procedure virtually seven times over three days before performing it on the patient.
KFSHRC CEO Dr. Majid Al-Fayyad hailed the surgery as a transformative leap in heart transplant surgery, first pioneered in the 1960s.
He emphasised that the success aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which prioritises innovation in healthcare to enhance the quality of life both locally and globally.
Doctors and experts are hopeful that this procedure will pave the way for future heart transplants without the need for open chest surgery. The hospital believes that robotic technology will allow for minimally invasive surgery, reducing pain, shortening recovery time, and minimizing the risk of complications.
Saudi doctors claim that this procedure will significantly improve the patient’s quality of life and recovery time.