Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (KFSHRC) of Riyadh has successfully performed the world's first fully robotic heart transplant on a 16-year-old patient suffering from end-stage heart failure.

This globally groundbreaking achievement was made after overcoming the significant medical challenges associated with such procedures, and it reinforces Saudi Arabia's leadership in healthcare and highlights KFSHRC's ability to innovate medical practices that enhance treatment outcomes and patient experiences, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The transplant procedure, which took two and a half hours, was performed by an exceptional medical team led by renowned Saudi cardiac surgeon Dr. Feras Khaliel, who is head of Cardiac Surgery and director of the Robotics and Minimally Invasive Surgery Program at KFSHRC, following weeks of meticulous preparation. The process began with detailed theoretical planning to ensure precision and minimize potential risks. The team then devised a surgical approach to access the heart and perform the transplant without opening the chest of the patient.

To ensure the effectiveness of the innovative approach, the team practiced the procedure virtually seven times over three days before performing it on the patient. After receiving approval from the hospital's medical committee and the patient's family, Dr. Khaliel assembled a medical team prioritizing consonance and coordination among its members.

Before the surgery, the team leader provided a thorough briefing on the operation plan, clearly defining each member's role to ensure the patient's safety and the procedure's success. This achievement marks a significant shift in heart transplant surgery, moving away from traditional chest-opening procedures that require long recovery periods, often lasting weeks or months, and limiting the patient's ability to perform basic daily activities post-op.

Robotic technology allows for minimally invasive surgery, reducing pain, shortening recovery time, and minimizing the risk of complications. This significantly improves patients' quality of life and accelerates their recovery.

KFSHRC CEO Dr. Majid Al-Fayyad hailed this achievement as a significant advancement in heart transplantation since the historic first heart transplant performed in the 1960s. He emphasized that the success of the world's first robotic heart transplant marks a transformative leap, not only for our institution but also for Saudi Arabia's journey toward global leadership in specialized medicine, in line with Saudi Vision 2030, which places innovation at the core of its efforts to improve quality of life".

"This remarkable achievement would not have been possible without the unwavering support of the Kingdom's visionary leadership, who have prioritized the development of the healthcare sector, paving the way for a transformative leap in healthcare services, unlocking new possibilities to elevate the quality of life for patients both locally and globally."

This breakthrough aligns with KFSHRC's ongoing commitment to medical innovation. The hospital leverages all available resources to improve treatment outcomes, patient experiences, and operational efficiency. It strives to be the top choice for specialized healthcare, extending its services to a broader range of patients.

As a leading training center in robotic organ transplant surgeries, KFSHRC contributes to advancing the global understanding of minimally invasive organ transplants by collaborating with medical institutions worldwide to train their medical teams and achieve better outcomes, further elevating global medical practices.