Dubai hospitals debut life-saving heart procedure

Dubai: A new heart procedure introduced in Dubai gave nine elderly heart patients whose survival chances were extremely low without the intervention a new lease of life.

The patients whose age ranges between 60 to 87 all had a damaged valve in the heart which could earlier only be replaced by an open-heart surgery. "But many doctors advise against open-heart operation for such patients because of their advanced age," said Dr Fahd Omar Baslaib, head of cardiology at Rashid Hospital.

Minimal incision

The minimally invasive procedure saw the patients' faulty valves being replaced through a 1-centimetre hole. "It was a mechanical problem and no amount of medication would have helped," said the top surgeon.

Each procedure costs Dh200,000 because the technology is new, but a similar procedure abroad would cost Dh1 million, Dr Baslaib said.

The new procedure has been introduced in Dubai and a ‘heart team' of surgeons and doctors from Rashid and Dubai Hospitals has been formed to put it to optimal use.

Dr Baslaib said most of the cases of valve damage were a result of old age but there are many people in the UAE and the region suffering from cardiovascular diseases because of a poor lifestyle. Stressing the need for prevention, he urged residents to regularly check their blood pressure and cholesterol levels and to exercise and quit smoking.

Last year 3,100 angioplasty and angiogram procedures were done at the Rashid and Dubai hospitals alone. "This is a significant number considering the size of the population," the surgeon pointed out.