Thursday 28 / November / 2024
Muscat: A specialised medical team at the National Heart Centre at the Royal Hospital has succeeded in performing a first-of-its-kind operation in the Middle East by implanting the "Aveir" wireless pacemaker by catheterisation.
Dr. Najeeb bin Zahran Al Rawahi, Director of the National Heart Centre and Head of the Medical Team, explained that the operation was performed on a patient who suffers from frequent cases of fainting and cardiac arrest for periods of up to 5 seconds that could lead to death.
Al Rawahi said that the operation was a success, and the patient underwent hypnosis for one day after the operation to monitor her health. The patient will also be followed up periodically at intervals of 4 to 6 months.
"The implantation of the wireless pacemaker "Aveir" in the body was done through a catheter, and this operation was non-surgical, but rather required a small incision through the venous thigh no more than two centimeters without the need for general anesthesia and took only half an hour. This achievement comes less than a month after the American Medicines Agency approved the use of the device to regulate both the atrium and the ventricle," Al Rawahi added.
Dr. Najeeb Al Rawahi explained that catheterisation is a less invasive medical procedure than surgery, and does not require a long recovery period, and the recovery period is shorter compared to surgeries that require a longer intensive care period for the patient in the hospital.
"The Aveir wireless pacemaker works by sending electrical signals to regulate heartbeats, indicating that this technology is a breakthrough in the treatment of heart problems, as the device can regulate heartbeats in the ventricles and atria and improve heart function in general, " Director of the National Heart Centre said.
Director of the National Heart Centre mentioned that the "Aveir" device has a long battery life of up to 20 years, which means that the patient will not need to replace the battery frequently, and when the battery life runs out, the device can be easily removed through a catheter and replaced with a new one.
Al Rawahi emphasised that the Abbott "Aveir" wireless pacemaker is an innovative and effective technology for treating electrical problems in the heart, providing longer battery life and being easily removable when needed.
Dr. Al Rawahi stated that this new technology was added for the first time in the Sultanate of Oman, and the National Centre for Cardiac Medicine and Surgery at the Royal Hospital is one of the first centres in the region to provide this technology to patients. This is what makes the center a house of expertise for training to conduct this type of operation in the region.
This medical achievement of the National Heart Centre is added to the many and continuous successes achieved by it in conducting qualitative and rare operations in the region.
