Saudi Arabia performs world’s first full robotic heart transplant on 16-year-old boy
Hospital conducts 7 virtual rehearsals over three days to refine procedure
Dubai: Saudi Arabia has become the first country in the world to successfully perform a full robotic heart transplant on a child under the age of 16.
The operation, carried out at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, utilised a novel surgical method that involved no opening of the rib cage, setting a new precedent in cardiac surgery.
The patient, a young boy suffering from severe heart failure, underwent the complex procedure, which lasted three hours. The operation was led by Dr Firas Khalil, head of the cardiac surgery department, and involved overcoming significant medical challenges and complications.
The hospital’s preparations involved extensive theoretical planning and simulation, including seven consecutive virtual rehearsals over three days to refine the innovative surgical methodology.
Dr Majid Al Fayyad, CEO of the hospital, hailed the operation as a major advancement since the first heart transplant in the 1960s. This milestone not only enhances the hospital’s stature — already ranked among the top 250 global hospitals by Newsweek — but also positions Saudi Arabia at the forefront of medical innovation in heart transplantation.