UAE experts: Medical advances and new technologies improve heart care – News

On the occasion of World Heart Day, doctors say that the success rate of heart transplants reaches up to 96 percent, thanks to advances in this field

Medical advances and the use of cutting-edge technologies, including wearable devices, are transforming cardiac care, experts said on the occasion of World Heart Day.

Doctors at the Heart, Vascular and Thoracic Institute at the Cleveland Clinic in Abu Dhabi told Khaleej Times that thanks to advances in the field of medicine, heart transplants have a high success rate reaching up to 96 percent . The hospital performed the UAE’s first full heart transplant in 2017.

“People live years or even decades after receiving a new heart. However, heart transplants are rare. One of the main reasons for the rarity of heart transplants is the shortage of donors. Donors are often scarce, and the challenge is added to the fact that the recipient of the heart must be a match,” said Dr Mitesh Badiwala, a doctor at the institute.

Dr. Badiwala noted that in case a heart transplant is not an immediate option, left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) can serve as a mechanical solution.

Dr Mitesh Badiwala

“The procedure involves placing the LVAD pump to help pump blood from the left ventricle to the rest of the body, which requires surgery under general anesthesia. This surgical process includes opening the chest, creating a hole in the apex of the heart with an attached ring, directing the inflow of the LVAD pump through the ring, connecting the outflow graft to the aorta, and tunneling through the abdominal wall, connecting it to a battery. and controller. After disconnecting the cardiopulmonary bypass, the LVAD is activated and the chest is closed,” said Dr. Badiwala, highlighting that the LVAD can be a ‘bridge’ to heart transplant or serve as permanent therapy, reducing the immediate need for organ transplantation and reducing mortality rates due to serious cardiac and respiratory conditions.

Innovative wearable technologies

Dr. Fereidoon Shafiei, staff physician at the Heart, Vascular and Thoracic Institute, highlighted that the hospital uses innovative wearable technologies in cardiac electrophysiology, a branch of cardiology that deals with the electrical system of the heart and its treatments.

“The traditional approach to electrophysiology studies and ablations relied heavily on fluoroscopy, which exposed patients and healthcare professionals to ionizing radiation. The latest advances in electrophysiology involve 3D mapping systems, which create detailed 3D cardiac models and track catheter movement for precise arrhythmia localization. Additionally, fluoroscopy-free ablation, enabled by 3D mapping, eliminates radiation exposure.”

Dr. Fereidoon Shafiei

Dr. Shafiei noted that wearable devices do not treat cardiac arrhythmias, but they are diagnostic tools that have reasonably good sensitivity and specificities that can aid prognosis.

“CCAD uses innovative wearable technologies in cardiac electrophysiology, including leadless pacemakers for cardiac pacing, 3D mapping technology to minimize or eliminate the use of x-ray radiation during the treatment of arrhythmias, remote monitoring with devices such as implantable defibrillators, loop recorders implantables for diagnosis of arrhythmias. and smart watches that can perform ECG tracings.”

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