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King’s College Hospital
London – Jeddah performs
Saudi Arabia’s first
procedure of its kind for a
rare heart condition
(JEDDAH)
- In an unprecedented
medical milestone, adding to
Saudi Arabia's expertise, a
specialized medical team led
by Saudi physician
Dr. Seraj Abdullah
Abualnaja, Consultant
Interventional Cardiologist,
successfully performed one
of the rarest heart
procedures worldwide — the
first of its kind in the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's
history.
This
exceptional medical event
highlights the Kingdom’s
growing reputation as a
destination for highly
specialized and advanced
medical care of a global
standard.
The
procedure, performed at
King’s College Hospital
London – Jeddah,
aimed to treat a complex,
multi-challenging case. The
patient suffered from a
Bicuspid Aortic Valve with
severe stenosis and severe
calcification, in addition
to Dextrocardia (a
right-sided heart position)
— a combination that is
considered extremely rare in
cardiology.
The
patient had been
experiencing severe
shortness of breath and a
marked decline in daily
activity. Advanced
diagnostic tests, including
CT scans and
echocardiography, revealed
complex anatomical
variations, an unusual
vascular course, and severe
calcification of the aortic
valve.
Advanced catheterization
instead of open-heart
surgery
Due
to the high risk associated
with traditional open-heart
surgery, the team decided to
proceed with Transcatheter
Aortic Valve Replacement
(TAVR) — a highly precise
technique requiring advanced
expertise in interventional
cardiology and
state-of-the-art equipment.
During the procedure,
the team encountered
significant tortuosity of
the aorta (severe Aortic
Tortuosity), which made
reaching the valve extremely
challenging.
However,
thanks to advanced
interventional techniques
and the team’s high level of
skill, all obstacles were
successfully overcome,
allowing precise access to
the target site and
implantation of the valve
without complications.
The first
successful Saudi case
The procedure concluded
with complete success and
was officially documented as
the first case of its kind
performed in Saudi Arabia by
Saudi physicians.
The
patient recovered rapidly
and was discharged within
two days without the need
for a pacemaker or
supportive blood-pressure
medications — clear evidence
of the clinical excellence
and precision of the
intervention.
This
achievement reaffirms the
hospital’s capability to
manage the rarest and most
complex cardiac cases,
supported by advanced
infrastructure and
multidisciplinary teams
specializing in
catheterization, cardiac
surgery, anesthesia, and
intensive care.
A national
achievement of global
significance
Dr. Seraj
Abualnaja, the medical team
leader, expressed his pride,
saying: “Performing
a TAVR procedure in a case
that combines Bicuspid
Aortic Valve and
Dextrocardia represents one
of the most challenging
scenarios known in the field
of cardiac catheterization.
Achieving this success for
the first time in Saudi
Arabia, and by a Saudi
medical team, is a national
medical accomplishment that
highlights the tremendous
capabilities of Saudi
healthcare professionals and
reinforces confidence in the
hospital’s ability to
perform the most precise
interventions at a
world-class level.”
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