Saturday 18 / May / 2024
Muscat : A medical team from the National Heart Center in the Royal Hospital has been qualified to perform minimally invasive techniques for heart surgeries for the first time in the Sultanate of Oman avoiding cutting breastbone (sternum) to reach the heart.
The team of minimally invasive cardiac surgeries is headed by Dr. Qasim Al Abri, consultant adult cardiac surgeon at the Royal Hospital, and the supervisor of the 12nd Forum of Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery Reassessment Program of Methodist Hospital, Texas-USA.
The team involves multidisciplinary professions including anesthesia, headed by Dr. Ishaq Al Amri, theatre nursing led by Hamida Al Khatri, perfusion technicians headed by Saleh Al Kiyumi, in addition to the sterilization technicians led by Ali Al Jabri.
The Minimally invasive heart surgery is procedures performed through one or more small chest incisions. This approach avoids open-heart surgeries and offers less pain, complications, and hospital stays.
As performing this type of cardiovascular surgery requires significant surgical training, the preparation and training of the staff took a full one-year. The preparation was supported and supervised by His Excellency Minister of Health. It involved the provision of the required devices, preparation and formation of the MICS team.
Moreover, the team was introduced and trained on the techniques used in regular heart surgeries and through simulation. Periodic meetings to discuss procedures’ details regarding techniques and methods were also held.
Candidate Patients were fully informed about this type of procedure.
The first nine procedures were successful. Patients left the intensive care room in a record 13 hours’ time. Most patients were discharged on the third day after the operation.
Dr. Alaa Al Lawati, Head of the Cardiac Surgery Department, added that this campaign represents a qualitative leap and the beginning of a new era in the medical services provided by the department, which contributes to providing optimal treatment for cardiac surgery patients with their various needs and fasters their post-operative recovery.
