New cardiac facility at Royal Hospital

MUSCAT: A new treatment in the field of heart and artery diseases has been launched recently by the National Centre for Medicine and Heart Surgery at Royal Hospital.

It is considered the first-ofits-kind in the Sultanate, and it involves inserting a cauterizing catheter through the outer wall of the heart. The treatment is specific to patients who suffer irregular heart beat, and sudden heart attacks.

This catheter treatment is conducted by a team of doctors from the national heart diseases centre at the Royal hospital, including Dr Najib Zahran Al Rawahi, Dr Ismail Al Ibri, and Dr Ghalia Al Mouhani, electrocardiography consultants, in collaboration with anaesthesiologists, nurses and technicians, and supervised by the director of the Texas Centre for Cardiac Arrhythmia, in the United States, Professor Andrea Natale. On this treatment technique, electrocardiography consultant Dr. Al Ibri said, “It involves putting the patient under full anaesthesia, then inserting very delicate and flexible sensors through a small incision in the lower rib cage.

“The sensor continues on its course until it reaches the heart muscle. Once it reaches the heart cavity causing the irregular heartbeat, the area is cauterised. This kind of catheter treatment is thoroughly monitored through a 3D heart imaging machine.”

Dr. Al Ibri indicated that this catheter treatment is the latest of its kind at the international level in the treatment of heart disorders, and it contributes heavily to the reduction of sudden cardiac arrest, and results in less complications. This results in a shorter length of hospital stay for patients, as well as a quicker return to normal life activities following the procedure, he added.