Worlds first robotic-assisted implantation of an artificial heart pump performed in Saudi

The world's first robotic-assisted implantation of an Abbott-developed artificial heart pump (HeartMate 3) was accomplished successfully at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC) in Riyadh. This procedure is revolutionary and represents a major breakthrough in patient care and medical technology. The left ventricle, the lower left chamber of the heart, pumps blood to the rest of the body with the aid of the HeartMate 3 LVAD (left ventricular assist device), which is placed in the chest. The LVAD is attached to a controller device and battery pack that are worn externally through a tiny skin incision.

The 35-year-old man who underwent the procedure had been hospitalized for 120 days because of significant heart failure, which had also resulted in deterioration of his renal and lung function. The patient's goal of seeing his family again is now within reach thanks to this ground-breaking surgical technique.

Director of the hospital's Robotics and Minimally Invasive Surgery Program and chief of cardiac surgery, Dr. Feras Khaliel, oversaw the procedure. Compared to identical treatments carried out using traditional surgical methods, which typically take 26 days, the patient spent only four days in the intensive care unit. Additionally, a significant reduction in recovery time is anticipated, with discharge projected within 10 days as opposed to the typical 63 days needed for conventional therapies.