Cardiac Surgery in UAE

According to WHO, cardiac and vascular problems are the major causes of death across the world. 

Globally around, 17.5 million people die due to cardiac problems in a year. With the adversely changing lifestyles and ever-increasing diabetes, obesity and hypertension, this number is expected to face a rise of nearly 23.6 million by 2030. 

Thanks to the advancements in science and technology, many life-saving cardiac procedures are available for patients seeking medical support.

Robotic and minimally invasive procedures in the cardiology speciality have benefitted thousands of diabetic and hypertensive cardiac patients. 

What Is Cardiac Surgery?

Cardiac surgeries are surgical or operative procedures done where other medications on the blood, blood vessels and heart have not shown adequate results. Cardiac surgeons perform surgeries related to the heart and blood vessels. 

What Are Cardiac Problems?

Heart problems are not confined to the heart alone but are concerned with the blood vessels that begin at the heart. 

Heart problems are either congenital or acquired defects. 

• Congenital heart problems: Structural heart diseases are mostly congenital heart problems or birth defects associated with the heart.

• Acquired heart problems: They occur in adults during their lifetime. Bad lifestyle, age, and male gender allow an individual to acquire these heart problems. 

Below is a list of some severe cardiac problems:

• Coronary artery disease: It is the condition where a plaque develops in the artery supplying blood to the heart muscle. This either partially or completely narrows the blood passage and stops the blood supply to the heart.

• Heart valve disease: It is also called valvular heart disease. There are defects in the valves, and they do not close or open efficiently. In turn, the blood is not pumped properly throughout the body. 

• Arrhythmia: Heart muscles contract and pump blood to the lungs and other parts of the body that reflects out as a heartbeat. Arrhythmia is the abnormality in the heartbeat that is either too fast beating (tachycardia) or too slow beating heart (bradycardia).

• Heart failure: The heart cannot pump blood efficiently to all parts of the body. This causes backflow of blood into lungs and limbs and finally poor oxygen supply to body parts. 

• Heart attack: It is also called a myocardial infarction. The blood flow to the heart is blocked by a clot in blood vessels. This results in the death of the heart tissues leaving a scar on the heart muscle. 

• Angina: The restricted blood flow to the heart muscle most commonly by coronary artery disease leads to discomfort, tightness and squeezing sensation associated with chest pain. This discomfort is called angina.

• Heart aneurysm: It is a bulge or enlargement in the weak area of the wall of the aorta that carries oxygen-rich blood from the heart to various other body parts. 

They are life-threatening and can either burst (causing internal bleeding) or split up (causing blood to leak between blood vessel wall layers).

• Structural heart diseases: Abnormalities in the heart structures like the valves, chambers, heart walls and muscles are categorised as structural heart diseases. In the human body, the heart pumps blood and it is the duty of all the structures to maintain the blood flow in the right direction while maintaining an appropriate pace. 

Any abnormal structure compromises the healthy functioning of the heart. Leaky valves, stenosis, articular septal defects, ventricular septal defects, and coarctation in the aorta are some commonly occurring structural heart diseases. 

What Kind Of Surgeries Are Cardiac Surgeries?

Cardiac surgeries are of different types and the cardiac surgeon decides the types of cardiac surgery a person requires based on the type of cardiac ailment, age and other factors.   

• Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG): This is done for blocked arteries in coronary artery diseases. The blocked part of the artery is bypassed by a healthy blood vessel graft obtained from other parts of the body. Thus the blood takes a new path avoiding blocked arteries and continues its flow at a normal pace. 

• Heart valve surgery: The damaged or defective valves are either repaired or replaced by mechanical valves or biological valves (of cow, pig or human origin). 

The type of surgery, whether a repair or replacement depends on the type of defective valve (tricuspid, mitral, aortic or pulmonary).

• Aneurysm surgery: The weak or bulging part of the artery is replaced by the synthetic fabric graft. 

• Septal myectomy: It is an open-heart surgical procedure done to treat hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. A part of the septum (heart tissue) separating the left and right parts of the heart gets thickened. The cardiac surgeon removes a part of the thickened septum so that the normal flow of the blood is maintained.

• Maze procedure: Conditions like atrial fibrillation are treated by the Maze procedure. In this procedure, a cardiac surgeon uses a device delivering heat or cold energy to create a simple scar on the heart's upper chamber. 

• Insertion of cardiac device: Cardiac devices are inserted into the heart. Based on the existing medical ailment, the insertion device varies. 

Permanent pacemakers are inserted to normalise the abnormal heartbeat and in turn, support the electrical system of the heart. 

Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), left ventricular assist device (LVAD) and total artificial heart (TAH) are the other cardiac devices. 

• Heart transplant surgery: It is performed in entirely sick cases where the healthy, compatible donor heart is used to replace the patient's, sick heart. 

• Pericardectomy: It is the surgical removal of the pericardium or sac surrounding the heart. It is done in cases of pericarditis due to cancer, an autoimmune condition or inflammation. 

It is an open heart surgery done through an incision in the breast bone.

• Transmyocardial laser revascularization: It is done in coronary heart disease patients who cannot tolerate a CABG. A carbon dioxide laser is used to make tiny pinholes in the heart muscle to improve the oxygen-rich blood flow. 

How Long Does It Take For A Cardiac Surgery?

A pacemaker surgery takes 1-2 hours and is a minor surgery. 

CABG, aneurysm and heart transplant surgeries are major surgeries and take around 3-6 hours of time.  

Post-Discharge Care For Cardiac Surgery

The patients who underwent a recent cardiac surgery are advised to minimise their physical activity for a certain time period until recovery. 

Lifting and carrying weights should be avoided by open-surgery patients.

Medications should be used without fail and follow-up check-ups are a must to be followed post-discharge. 

Is Choosing UAE For Cardiac Surgery A Good Decision?

UAE is definitely a good option for cardiac surgery for patients around the globe. The UAE's healthcare system is patient-friendly and the ultra-modern hospitals in UAE are equipped with highly precise and advanced equipment.

The quality of care and usual success rate of the operating procedures is high in UAE making it an ideal option for patients to choose as a destination for cardiac surgeries. And the top hospitals in UAE are accredited by the Joint Commission International which is a global body certifying most international hospitals. And for this, even the top hospitals have to meet some necessary criteria in terms of quality standards.

The other positive side of choosing the UAE as a cardiac surgery destination is that the doctors are fluent in English and European languages and many hospitals also offer language translational services to help international patients.

Apart from the hospital infrastructure, other factors like location and tourist attractions in UAE make it quite ideal for travel. The airport infrastructure and suitability of tourists to fly over to UAE from various cities of the world make it the best choice for cardiac surgery destinations. 

Top Hospitals For Cardiac Surgery In UAE

1. Burjeel Hospital, Dubai: This hospital has well-equipped operating theatres and laminar airflow systems to minimize the chances of infection. And for this, it received the Best Laboratory Design by Hospital Build and Infrastructure in the Middle East. 

2. Medeor Hospital 24x7, Dubai: This hospital provides the highest level of excellence in medical care by having highly skilled and speciality medical staff of doctors, nurses, and technicians. It is accredited by Joint Commission International (JCI).

3. LLH Hospital, Abu Dhabi: Along with various other specialities cardiology is one major speciality of this hospital. For its best medical services, this hospital received a prestigious European Quality Award from the European Foundation for Quality Management.

4. Fakeeh University Hospital, Dubai: This is a multispeciality smart hospital with technology-based support systems for answering the patient's unique needs. This hospital is the first choice for patients seeking tertiary and quaternary medical care and offers 24x 7 medical care with a cath lab facility.

5. American Hospital, Dubai: The state of art facilities at this hospital has well-skilled, and experienced cardiologists to conduct robotic surgeries for better diagnosis and treatment.

6. NMC Speciality Hospital, Al Nadah: This hospital received several awards including Gold Stevie Award 2016 and the Sheikh Khalifa Excellence award and has ties ups with international health insurance.

Top Doctors For Cardiac Surgery In UAE

1. Dr Radwan Elhussein: He is a reputed Cardiovascular Surgeon having 22 years of experience. He has a long successful record of performing intraarterial thrombolysis, cardiac pacing, invasive cardiac and pediatric cardiac surgeries, balloon mitral valvuloplasty, heart valve replacements, and radial approach angiography.

2. Dr Pradeep Nambiar: He is a renowned Cardiac Surgeon. With a practice of 38+ years, he has performed nearly 7000+ cardiac surgeries and 1000+ cardiac redo surgeries.

3. Dr Heyman Luckraz: He is a famous Cardiac Surgeon in UAE with experience in dealing with CABG, heart valve repair and replacement surgeries.  

4. Dr Rajeev Lochan: He is a reputed Interventional Cardiologist having 30+ years of experience in pacemaker implants, reprogramming, complex coronary and cardiology interventions, ICD and CRT implantations and various non-invasive procedures as well.

5. Dr Khaldoun Taha: He is a famous Cardiac Surgeon in Dubai having 25 years of experience in dealing with hypertensive heart diseases and coronary artery diseases.  

6. Dr Mohamed Ahmed Helmy: Having 25+ years of experience, he is reputed for performing successful cardiac surgeries including CABG, coronary artery bypass grafting, arterial revascularization, valve repair and surgery, aortic aneurysm and various minimally invasive procedures.

What Is The Cost Of Cardiac Surgery In UAE?

Although the cardiac surgery costs in UAE are quite high, the country offers the best and high-quality treatment by following internationally acceptable standards. You will get excellent medical services from one of the best surgeons at one of the best hospitals in the country.

How To Obtain A Medical Visa For Cardiac Surgery In UAE?

A UAE-registered and certified medical service-providing hospital where the patient is aspiring to undergo cardiac surgery has to raise an appeal to the UAE’s visa-issuing authorities. 

The General Directorate of Residency and Foreign affairs (GDRFA) issues the Patient Entry Permit for Dubai.

For the other seven Emirates of Arab, the visa-issuing authority is the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA).

A patient has to plan their medical travel within 60 days of obtaining the UAE patient entrance permit and can stay in UAE for up to 90 days.

• A single entry permit visa allows a single entry into UAE for obtaining treatment.

• A multiple entries visa allows multiple entries each with a maximum of 90 days. 

• In case the patient requires an extension of stay, the medical service provider is required to provide valid documental proof explaining the patient's medical condition and the necessity of an extended treatment plan. 

What Documents Should A Patient Produce During The Visa Process? 

The patient is required to produce the following documents:

• Valid passport.

• Medical letter from the hospital intending to provide medical treatment.

• Medical insurance proof.

• Documental profs of financial stability.

Role Of Vaidam Healthcare

Vaidam has been helping medical travellers from different countries to get the best treatment in the best hospitals in different nations including the UAE. To get support from Vaidam’s team, you are free to raise a request quote.

Conclusion

The United Arab Emirates is blessed with high-quality medical care hospitals. Patients from across the globe can choose it as a terminus for cardiac surgeries. 

The high standard of medical procedures, quality medical facilities along with the hospital-driven medical visa process are all positive assets for UAE as a medical tourism destination.  

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Are there any complications associated with cardiac surgery?

Ans: Medical advancements today are highly precise with the least risks however, as with other surgeries, bleeding from the incision site is a complication in cardiac surgery.

2. Does a person need a blood transfusion during cardiac surgery?

Ans: Cardiac surgeries are most likely linked to blood transfusion to ensure tissue oxygen delivery.

3. What is the recovery period for cardiac surgeries?

Ans: The recovery period for major cardiac surgeries is three months while for minor surgeries it is a month. In case of any complications, the length of the period increases.