Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi achieves UAE’s first heart and double lung transplant

Photo : Abu Dhabi Media Office

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi recently achieved a groundbreaking medical milestone by successfully performing the UAE’s first combined heart and double-lung transplant. The surgery was carried out on a 56-year-old Emirati woman suffering from pulmonary hypertension, a life-threatening condition caused by high blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries, which severely disrupts the flow of blood from the heart to the lungs.

This complex procedure highlights the hospital's continuous commitment to providing advanced medical care. Since launching its transplant program in 2017, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has performed over 700 transplants, including 47 lung transplants and 23 heart transplants. This latest achievement further reinforces the hospital’s reputation as a leader in life-saving treatments within the region.

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The success of this landmark surgery was made possible through collaboration with the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi. The operation reflects the emirate’s vision of becoming a global leader in healthcare, thanks to its state-of-the-art facilities, advanced medical infrastructure, and highly skilled healthcare professionals. Abu Dhabi’s investment in transplant capabilities is a testament to its ambition to offer world-class healthcare services.

Dr. Fadi Hamed, Consultant Pulmonologist and Medical Director of the Lung Transplant Programme at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, explained that the patient had not responded to conventional treatments. Despite regular monitoring and diverse therapeutic strategies, her condition showed no improvement, prompting the need for a more complex approach. "The patient’s condition continued to deteriorate, so we assembled a multidisciplinary team to assess her suitability for a transplant," Dr. Hamed stated.

Dr. Mitesh V. Badiwala, a Staff Physician in Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Heart, Vascular, and Thoracic Institute, emphasized the challenges of the case. "While pulmonary hypertension is often treated with a lung transplant, this patient’s situation was more complicated due to her severely enlarged heart and small body frame," Dr. Badiwala said. "This combination required us to perform a highly complex, combined heart and double-lung transplant. If her congenital heart defect had been addressed earlier, she may have avoided such a severe outcome."

Dr. Nadya Almatrooshi, a Staff Physician in Cardiothoracic Surgery at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, highlighted the hospital’s unique ability to provide multidisciplinary care for complex cases. "Our teams from various departments collaborated intensively to manage her condition," Dr. Almatrooshi said. "We kept her on high oxygen in the ICU until suitable donor organs were found, which required extraordinary coordination across several departments."

The transplant was performed by a dedicated team of specialists, including cardiothoracic surgeons, cardiothoracic anesthesiologists, nurses, perfusion experts, and other medical professionals. The procedure took more than eight hours due to its complexity. After the operation, the patient received comprehensive post-surgical care in the ICU, where she was closely monitored by specialists.

Dr. Usman Ahmad, Chair of the Department of Thoracic Surgery at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, emphasized the urgency of the operation. "The patient was in the final stages of both heart and lung disease. If we had not found matching organs in time, she would have lost the opportunity for this life-saving surgery," he explained. "Combined heart and double-lung transplants are uncommon, even in major international transplant centers. Our program’s ability to find size-matched organs quickly, combined with short ischemic times—the time donor organs spend outside the body—has allowed us to achieve exceptional outcomes."

Thanks to the streamlined organ donation process supported by Abu Dhabi’s National Program for Donation and Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues (HYATT), Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi was able to minimize ischemic times and improve the patient’s chances of recovery. "Our collaboration with the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi and Hayat allows us to keep ischemic times short for such complex surgeries, resulting in excellent survival rates," Dr. Ahmad added.

The success of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s transplant program is attracting patients from around the world, including Europe, Asia, and South America. This milestone surgery is a reflection of Abu Dhabi’s growing capabilities in organ transplantation, as the emirate continues to enhance its medical infrastructure, ensuring adherence to international best practices.

Dr. Rashed Obaid Alsuwaidi, Executive Director of Healthcare Workforce Planning at the Department of Health, noted Abu Dhabi’s progress in the field of organ transplantation. "Since the launch of the National Program for Donation and Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues in 2017, we have seen a consistent rise in organ transplants. By the end of 2023, we surpassed 800 transplant operations, which have saved and transformed many lives," Dr. Alsuwaidi said.

This historic combined heart and double-lung transplant involved a highly skilled team of four cardiothoracic surgeons, two cardiothoracic anesthesiologists, five specialized nurses, and two perfusion experts, all of whom worked together to ensure the success of the surgery. This achievement underscores Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s ongoing dedication to providing cutting-edge medical care and life-saving procedures for patients both in the UAE and abroad.

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