Medical achievement in Mecca: Aortic valve replacement for a 90-year-old woman via catheterization
In a remarkable medical achievement highlighting the rapid advancements in specialized healthcare in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a leading medical team at King Abdullah Medical City in Makkah, a member of the Makkah Health Cluster, successfully saved the life of a 96-year-old Saudi woman. The team performed a delicate aortic valve replacement using cardiac catheterization, thus avoiding the high risks associated with traditional open surgery.
Details of the precise medical intervention
The patient arrived at the medical center suffering from critical symptoms resulting from severe aortic stenosis, a condition that poses a direct threat to her life, especially at her advanced age. Given the patient's delicate health condition and her inability to withstand open-heart surgery, which requires general anesthesia and a large incision, the medical team decided to opt for a minimally invasive catheter-based intervention.
This achievement was made possible by a comprehensive medical team comprised of leading consultants: Dr. Saad Al-Hassani, Dr. Abdullah Ghabashi, and Dr. Abdul Latif Ajimi. The team successfully performed the procedure within the emergency care pathway, which significantly contributed to stabilizing the patient's condition and accelerating her recovery compared to traditional surgical methods.
Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVI): A Medical Revolution
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVI) is one of the most significant advancements in interventional cardiology worldwide. Historically, elderly patients or those with chronic conditions were often excluded from surgical treatment due to the high risk and mortality associated with open surgery. However, this modern technique offers a new lease on life for this group, as the new valve is inserted through the femoral artery and directly into the heart without the need to stop the heart muscle or use a heart-lung machine.
The importance of this procedure lies in reducing side effects, shortening the time spent in intensive care, and allowing the patient to return to his normal life in record time, which was achieved thanks to God with the ninety-year-old case in Mecca.
Medical leadership and keeping pace with the Kingdom's Vision 2030
This medical success reflects the high level of expertise at King Abdullah Medical City, a leading specialized medical center in the region. The provision of these advanced technologies and qualified personnel aligns with the objectives of the healthcare transformation program within the Kingdom's Vision 2030, which aims to facilitate access to and improve the quality of healthcare services, and reduce the need for patients to travel abroad for treatment.
The medical city continues to enhance its capabilities in the field of treating cardiovascular diseases and genetic heart diseases, affirming its commitment to providing superior quality humanitarian health care to citizens, residents and pilgrims in the Holy City.
