Saudi GazetteThe Kingdom has emerged as one of the leaders in cutting edge medical technology. The cardiology department at King Abdullah Medical City has performed 470 diagnostic and treatment procedures for heart disease within a span of only nine months. The specific procedure used is termed as cardiac catheterization, according to medical terminology. It goes a long way in helping heart specialists detect any blockage in the arteries around the heart and is also a non-invasive method of treating several heart problems. Heart surgeons at King Abdullah Medical City have successfully performed 170 cases of open heart surgery in less than a year. “We conform to the best international medical standards and we have on board a team of highly qualified cardiology consultants,” said Dr. Hasan Bakhamis, Executive General Manager of King Abdullah Medical City. “Our cardiology department is fully equipped with the most recent technological advancements in treatment of heart disease. We currently have 12 beds in the intensive care unit reserved for heart patients only to closely monitor their condition,” he said. He added that the city provides a complete range of treatment for heart including tests, services, and operations, said Dr. Bakhamis . He added that available procedures also include by-pass surgery, balloon valve surgery, open heart surgery, pacemaker surgery, and correction of congenital defects in the heart. Bakhamis proudly announced that their team of heart surgeons saved the life of a victim who had met a catastrophic car accident last week. They successfully repaired his punctured and bleeding aorta using only cardiac catheterization and without even opening his chest, which may have caused the victim further physical trauma. The team of surgeons who operated on the patient included Dr. Nura Rashad, Dr. Wael Qashqari, Dr. Ahmad Samman, and Dr. Meshal Al-Ghandour. Cardiac catheterization procedure includes insertion of a long, thin, flexible tube called a catheter into a blood vessel in the patient's arm, upper thigh, or neck and is threaded to his heart. Through the catheter, doctors can carry out diagnostic tests and treatments in the heart. The patient stays in a state of consciousness during the entire procedure since it causes little or no pain. To detect blockage in the patient's heart, the doctor may put a special dye in the catheter. This dye will flow through the bloodstream to the heart. Once the dye reaches the heart, it will make the inner part of coronary arteries visible on the X-ray. The dye shows if any coronary arteries are narrowed or blocked. Plaque may narrow arteries from inside and after a period of time it may restrict blood flow one's heart which may result in heart attack. Doctors may also take samples of blood and heart muscle during cardiac catheterization in order to carry out minor heart surgery. __
