The Heart Disease and Surgery Center at King Abdullah Medical City in Makkah has successfully carried out a scalpel-free procedure to fix a patient's ruptured aorta. The procedure was done via cardiac catheterization, without surgery, for the first time. A Saudi medical team headed by Dr. Noura Rashad performed the operation on a man involved in a car accident and was referred here by King Fahd Hospital in Jeddah. Surgery is required in most cases of this nature, Dr. Rashad said. The team that performed the scalpel-free procedure included Dr. Wael Qashri, Dr. Ahmad Samman and Dr. Meshal Al-Ghandour. Dr. Hasan Ba Khamees, executive director of King Abdullah Medical City, said it introduces medical services in accordance with international standards, through a specialist team of consultants and surgeons who have had advanced training in the world's leading heart centers. Since it opened during the 2010 Haj season, the center has carried out 170 open-heart operations, he said. The medical complex is expanding its facilities to treat cardiac patients, he added. “The center now contains 12 beds for cardiac intensive care and there will be 37 by the end of this year,” he said. “The number of catheterization rooms and operating rooms will also be increased to eight – four catheterization rooms and four operating rooms.”
