A new technology that will make the Mitral heart valve repair surgery, faster, easier and done with greater precision has been invented by a Dubai Hospital doctor, the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) announced on Monday.

Named the Safadi Stich by its inventor Dr Faouzi Safadi, consultant cardiothoracic surgeon at Dubai Hospital, this reproducible technique could be an efficient alternative to any other method of measurement for Artificial Mitral Chord, opening the door to a higher practice of Mitral repair.

“I have invented a unique artificial chord for Mitral Repair with a specific sliding stitch named the Safadi Stitch, providing an easy, fast and accurate sizing of Chordal length, essential for an effective and durable repair,” said Dr Safadi.

Dr Safadi said this reproducible technique could be an efficient alternative to any other method of measurement for Artificial Mitral Chord, adding that it will be also very helpful for robotic and minimal invasive cardiac surgery.

Dr Safadi explained that the Mitral valve is located between the pumping chamber of the heart called the left atrium and the final pumping chamber of the heart called the left ventricle.

“The mitral valve makes sure that the blood keeps moving forward through the heart. You may need surgery on your mitral valve if the mitral valve is prolapsed (ruptured or elongated valve chords), so the mitral valve become too loose. In this case the blood tends to flows backward when this occurs,” he said.  

Dr Safadi said the Safadi Stich has received substantial attention in the region and the world, as it was presented at the annual congress of Saudi Heart Association held recently in Riyadh, as well as different participations are considered in imminent international meetings.

He added that more than 50 interventions of Mitral repair applying the Safadi Stitch have been implemented in UAE, Italy and Belgium, where he along with specialised surgeons such as  Prof Mattia Glauber, head of cardiothoracic surgery at St. Ambrogio Hospital, Gruppo San Donato, Milan-Italy; Dr Alaaddine Yilmaz, head of minimally invasive cardiac surgery division at Jessa Hospital, Hasselt-Belgium; established the first coordinating team between the three centres.

“The preliminary results are very encouraging and promising to develop and extend this technology globally,” Dr Safadi.

Dr Safadi said in the last few years the concept of valve repair instead of replacement has emerged and expanded gradually and he hopes that his invention will leave a notable mark in the field of Mirtal Valve repair surgery. - TradeArabia News Service