Dr Abdulaziz Al Kulaifi
DOHA: Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Heart Hospital handled 390 cases in 2012, according to its first annual Cardiothoracic Surgical Department Report.
There were 263 cardiac surgical cases and 127 thoracic surgical procedures performed.
The report also reveals that 84 percent of the cases treated by the unit included male patients and 16 percent female patients, while their average age was 55.
Heart Hospital has for the first time published a complete report on its activities in the past year, in line with its commitment to openness and transparency.
“The Cardiothoracic Surgery Department of Hamad Medical Corporation is based at Heart Hospital, which opened in September 2011,” said the Chair of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Heart Hospital, Dr Abdulaziz Al Kulaifi.
“This is where adult cardiac and thoracic surgical cases are performed. The annual report is an important step towards informing the public and the wider medical community about our work and achievements.”
The Cardiothoracic Surgery Department has four consultant cardiac surgeons and two consultant thoracic surgeons. Heart Hospital’s inpatient section includes a 12-bed ward and seven Intensive Care Unit beds for cardiothoracic surgery.
According to the report, Video Assisted Thorascopic Surgery (VATS) was used in around 40 percent of operations by the team.
VATS is a type of thoracic surgery performed using a small video camera introduced into the patient’s chest via a scope.
The surgeon is able to view instruments being used along with the anatomy on which they are operating. It reduces infection rates and helps with a faster recovery time. Use of this form of surgery is on par with international standards, with the method being used in around 35 percent of cases in the UK.
The report says that robot- assisted coronary artery bypass surgery started at Hamad General Hospital in 2009 and to date 36 cases have been performed.
The Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) programme started at Heart Hospital in October 2012. So far two cases have been successfully performed and the programme is recruiting more patients. The report summarises important post-operative outcomes of patients who have undergone open heart surgery.
The Peninsula
