ALBAWABA - Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, a private hospital located in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, announced the successful completion of its first heart and lung transplant, performed during an eight-hour operation.
First heart and lung transplant in Abu Dhabi
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi announced significant milestone by performing the first heart and lung transplant in the United Arab Emirates.
It is worth mentioning that the operation lasted for more than eight hours due to the health condition of the patient and the complexity of the case.
The patient, a 56-year-old Emirati woman, suffered from pulmonary hypertension, a condition of increased blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs.
This operation adds to Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s impressive record of achievements, which includes over 700 organ transplants, among them 47 lung transplants and 23 heart transplants. (Shutterstock)
The successful transplant operation was led by Dr. Usman Ahmad and Dr. Mitesh Badiwala. The patient was connected to a heart-lung bypass machine, allowing the removal of her diseased heart and lungs before the implantation of the new organs.
Dr. Usman Ahmad, department chair for thoracic surgery at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, said: “the patient has made brilliant recovery and is now at home with her family.”
Dr. Mitesh Badiwala, staff physician in the Heart, Vascular and Thoracic Institute, commented: “We have been able to bring multiple teams together at a very high level of experience and competence to do a very complex operation successfully.”
Achievement record for Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
This operation adds to Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s impressive record of achievements, which includes over 700 organ transplants, among them 47 lung transplants and 23 heart transplants.
Dr Rashed Obaid Alsuwaidi, executive director for the healthcare workforce planning sector at the Department of Health said: "Abu Dhabi has experienced a consistent increase in organ transplant procedures, exceeding 800 operations by the end of 2023, contributing to saving and improving the lives of many patients.”
