According to a report out of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the first closed chest heart surgery performed by a robot was successfully conducted at the Al Qassimi Hospital cardiac centre in Sharjah.
It was the first surgery of its kind in the Arab world.
The report says that the November 27 operation was performed on a 62-year-old man from Fujairah.
Dr. Arif Al Noryani, the CEO of Al Qassimi Hospital, said that the first-of-its-kind operation will leave no scar and the patient will be able to leave the hospital on only four days.
“It’s a very complex procedure where the operator stays 5 metres away from the patient and using a remote, the operation is conducted from a distance using four robotic arms,” said Noryani, describing the intricate operation.
“The team that conducted the operation was supported by a Belgium team in collaboration with our current team at the cardiac centre and it was headed by Dr Rafiq Abu Samra, head of the cardio centre,” Noryani said.
Hospital administrators say that up to 90 percent of their heart patients might be eligible for the procedure.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter: @warnerthuston. Email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com.
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