Sidra Medicine has transmitted via broadband WiFi, live interventional cardiac procedures from its cardiac catheterisation laboratories in Qatar to a delegation of over 800 healthcare professionals at the 22nd Annual Paediatric and Adult Interventional Cardiac Symposium (PICS-AICS) in San Diego, US.
PICS-AICS is one of the largest cardiac symposiums dedicated to the latest breakthroughs in the treatment of patients with congenital and structural heart diseases. PICS-AICS was founded by Professor Ziyad M Hijazi in 1997 and attracts hundreds of delegates from all over the world. Prof Hijazi is the chairman of PICS-AICS and also executive chair of medicine and the medical director of Heart Centre at Sidra Medicine.
This year’s PICS-AICS symposium, focused on ‘Quality and Outcomes’. In addition to presentations and abstracts, the symposium aired taped and live cases evaluating congenital and structural heart diseases as well as interventions such as minimally invasive hybrid ventricular septal defect closure, lymphatic interventions and ductal stenting.
Prof Hijazi said, “It gives me great pride that for the second year running, our team at Sidra Medicine transmitted two live cases from Qatar, to the delegates in the US. We were among only 11 centres chosen worldwide to feature live case demonstrations. It was a fantastic opportunity to highlight our cutting-edge techniques and highly skilled teams. For a main hospital that has only been operational for a year and a half, it also showcases our advances in the field of interventional cardiology.”
A team led by Dr Younes Boudjemline, director of the Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratories at Sidra Medicine’s Heart Centre conducted the live interventional cardiac procedures in Qatar. The two patients -a child and an adult- were born with congenital heart defects.
Both patients, had a narrow aorta (coarctation) leading to high blood pressure. Dr Boudjemline’s and his team used a minimally invasive technique on the patients, to successfully address the narrowing with the use of balloon angioplasty and stent technique.
“Sidra Medicine is committed to staying on top of the leading technologies that will transform the treatment and care of our patients and establish our Heart Centre as a centre of excellence. As a hospital that is also dedicated to medical education, PICS-AICS is a great platform to showcase our expertise on the global stage. Both the live cases were successful and the patients have been discharged. The cases also put the spotlight on Qatar’s investment in the teams and technologies that are transforming healthcare for the people of Qatar as well as our international patients,” added, Dr Boudjemline.
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