In recognition of World Heart Day, Sidra Medicine is highlighting a recent milestone in complex congenital heart surgery following the successful treatment of three-year-old Dana, who was born with an exceptionally complex heart condition.
World Heart Day, observed annually on 29 September, raises awareness of cardiovascular health and the importance of improving access to appropriate prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
Dana was referred to Sidra Medicine with a congenital heart condition that required the cardiac team to consider two possible surgical approaches: a univentricular repair or a biventricular repair.
While a univentricular approach would have been technically less demanding, the multidisciplinary cardiology team determined that a biventricular repair could offer Dana the potential for a better long-term outcome and quality of life. The procedure, however, was considerably more complex and required careful planning to protect her heart’s electrical conduction system.
The conduction system is the network of specialised tissue that controls the heartbeat. Injury to this delicate system during surgery can cause complete heart block. In such cases, a patient may require a pacemaker and potentially further procedures to replace the device and its leads over their lifetime.
To reduce this risk, Sidra Medicine’s cardiac team used intraoperative conduction system mapping during Dana’s surgery.
Dr Husnu Firat Altin, senior attending physician from the Cardiovascular Surgery Division at Sidra Medicine, said: “Dana’s condition required us to balance the complexity of the surgery with what could give her the best possible outcome in the long term. Protecting the heart’s conduction system was one of the most critical aspects of the procedure. By mapping the conduction tissue during surgery, we were able to identify the areas that needed to be protected and plan the repair accordingly.”
During the operation, the team mapped the conduction system from inside Dana’s heart. Cardiovascular surgeons then used the information to guide the placement of patches and closure of intracardiac defects while avoiding critical conduction tissue.
Dr Olivier Ghez, division chief of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery at Sidra Medicine said: “For children with complex congenital heart conditions, success is not only about completing the operation. We also consider how the decisions we make today may affect the child years into the future. Dana’s surgery represents an important advancement in the use of intraoperative conduction system mapping for this type of complex congenital heart procedure in the region.”
Dana recovered faster than initially anticipated. She completed the intensive care phase sooner than expected and was discharged from the hospital ahead of the projected timeline. Follow-up assessments showed an excellent surgical result, with a normal and stable heart rhythm and no evidence of injury to the conduction system.
