Press Release April, 21 2008
Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Repair
On the 16th of April for the first time in Abu Dhabi and UAE, Dr. Norbert Augustin, Chairman of the Department of Cardiac Sciences at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City managed by Cleveland Clinic, successfully performed a Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Repair via a small thoracotomy instead of a traditional open procedure which requires the surgeon to saw open the breastbone and spread the edges apart to gain direct access to the heart. The patient was extubated a few hours after the operation and he is doing fine and is already well mobilized. SKMC will be the only hospital in UAE to offer this service on a continuous basis.
Most cardiac operations today are performed through a sternotomy, which involves splitting the entire breastbone. Minimally invasive cardiac surgery encompasses a variety of operations performed through incisions that are substantially smaller and less traumatic than the standard sternotomy. Minimally invasive incisions measure about 6 to 8 cm compared to 18 to 25 sternotomy incisions. Specialized handheld instruments are used to project the dexterity of the surgeon’s hands through these small incisions in performing the operations.
Minimally Invasive approach for Mitral Valve Surgery provides several important benefits to patients.
Reduced pain
Reduced blood loss
Reduced risk of infection
Shorter hospital stay
Faster recovery
Faster return to work
excellent cosmetic results
The operation was necessary because the patient’s mitral valve (between the left atrium and the main left heart chamber) was incompetent. This mitral regurgitation or insufficiency is a condition whereby the mitral valve permits blood from the left ventricle to leak back towards the lungs.
About SKMC
Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC), located in Abu Dhabi, UAE, operates under the management of Cleveland Clinic, named one of the top three hospitals in the USA by U.S. News and World Report . SKMC is owned and operated by SEHA, the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company, recently established to oversee operations of all public hospitals in the Emirate. It is the flagship institution for the public health system in Abu Dhabi and has several 'Centers of Excellence,' and aspires to practice contemporary medicine comparable to the best hospitals and medical centers in the world. SKMC provides comprehensive health care services in all of the disciplines relevant to the needs and priorities of the community to attain the highest levels of patient satisfaction.
SKMC consists of a 550-bed Acute Care Hospital, a 120-bed Behavior Sciences Pavilion and the 90-bed Abu Dhabi Rehabilitation Center, in addition to more than 12 specialized outpatient clinics and ten primary healthcare centers around the city of Abu Dhabi.