A heart team at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (KFSHRC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, has made history by completing the world’s first fully robotic heart transplant.
The groundbreaking procedure, lasting about two and a half hours, was performed on a 16-year-old patient with end-stage heart failure.
The patient was chosen partly due to his request that his chest not be opened for the surgery.
Led by cardiac surgeon Dr. Feras Khaliel, the team practiced the complex procedure seven times over three days to prepare.
KFSHRC emphasised that robotic heart transplants, while less invasive than traditional methods, offer significant benefits. These include faster recovery times, reduced risks of complications, and improved overall quality of life for patients.
Majid Al Fayyad, CEO of KFSHRC, compared this achievement to the first heart transplants of the 1960s, crediting the hospital’s success to the support of visionary leadership focused on advancing healthcare.
He highlighted the importance of this breakthrough in enhancing healthcare services both locally and globally.
The young patient is currently recovering well, with no major complications reported, marking a new era in heart transplant procedures.
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