Sidra Medicine performed the first open-heart surgery in its newly opened Heart Centre this month. The surgery was performed on a three-year old patient who was diagnosed with atrial septal defect, which manifests as a hole in the heart. Dr Olivier Ghez, Sidra Medicine’s Division chief of cardiac surgery, led a multidisciplinary team of 10 medical professionals during the successful 2-hour surgery to correct the defect. The team included Dr Reema Kamal who is a Qatari division chief of cardiology.
“My family and I are so thankful for the care we received at Sidra Medicine. The doctors and allied staff were so supportive and helpful throughout the entire process and our son was discharged in less than one week. I am relieved that we could access the right care so close to home and so efficiently,” said the boy’s mother.
Dr Ghez, a renowned congenital cardiac surgeon who joined Sidra Medicine from the Royal Brompton Hospital in London, UK is known for his expertise in neonatal and paediatric cardiac surgery. He said, “I am very proud to have performed the first open heart surgery at Sidra Medicine. I would like to thank all the doctors, nurses and the incredible allied staff for the role they played in this operation. We can now offer world-class care for the most complex of cardiac patients here at Sidra Medicine and have already been very busy with children in need of the team’s expertise.”
The Sidra Medicine Heart Centre provides a wide range of services including cardiac surgery, interventional therapies, electrophysiological therapies, cardiac anaesthesia, perfusion, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, cardiac intensive care, non-invasive cardiology, outpatient and inpatient cardiac care, as well as foetal cardiology.
“The Heart Centre aims to provide comprehensive care to children and adults with congenital heart disease by harnessing the expertise of an internationally renowned team and a model that represents a fusion of best practices from around the world,” said Dr Ziyad Hijazi, chair of the Department of Paediatrics at Sidra Medicine and the director of Sidra Heart Centre.
The Sidra Medicine Heart Centre is one of the institution’s flagship programmes and is positioned to become a leading centre in the region for patients suffering from congenital heart disease. Patients in Qatar and the region now have access to state-of-the-art equipment and an international team of experts able to perform the most complex cardiological procedures in Qatar, eliminating the need to travel abroad for care.
The Heart Centre is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and facilities designed to enable clinical teams to achieve the highest standard of care and the best possible experience for patients and their caregivers.