The Ministry of Health (MOH) announced that King Abdullah Medical City in Makkah has conducted 50 mitral valve replacement surgeries via arterial catheter, without the need to open the heart. The medical team used advanced anesthesiology techniques that are commensurate with the patient's condition and all surgeries achieved a success rate of 96%, with complication rate of less than 5%, one of the world lowest rates.
It pointed out that such type of surgeries allow replacing the mitral valve via the femoral artery, without the need for general anesthesia which may cause complications as a result of putting the patient on a ventilator and consequently staying for at least three days in the ICU to monitor the functions of his vital organs, without the need to make an incision on his chest and expose him to the surgery and its complications.
It added that a surgery takes less than 2 hours during which the valve is inserted via the arterial catheter from the upper thigh to replace the mitral valve, confirming that such surgeries are performed on patients with narrowed mitral valve and weakened heart muscle, and who cannot withstand open heart procedure, particularly the elderly.