Doha: Sidra Medicine is set to create a regional center of excellence in paediatric and congenital cardiology, building on the strength of its international team, state-of-the-art equipment, and specialised expertise in children’s and adults with congenital heart diseases (CHD).
The Heart Centre at Sidra Medicine offers the highest standard of care and the best possible experience for individuals with congenital heart disease and their caregivers. The incredible work of the team at Heart Centre, whose expertise and care, has changed the lives of hundreds of children and adults with congenital heart disease.
“We run a very busy service as we are the only tertiary (heart) centre in Qatar. We get referrals from Hamad Medical Corporation, Primary Health Care Cooperation (PHCC) centres, private hospitals and clinics. We also get many referrals from GCC countries,” Division Chief of Cardiology, at the Heart Centre in Sidra Medicine, Dr. Hesham Al Saloos told The Peninsula.
CHD Awareness Week is observed between February 7 and 14, a time to recognise children born with cardiac defects and highlight the treatments and advancements that have allowed these children to survive and thrive.
According to Al Saloos, the CHD is one of the most common forms of birth defects worldwide, with a prevalence of 1-2% in newborns.
Epidemiological studies show a higher incidence of congenital heart defects in Arab countries due to high consanguinity and endogamy.
Dr. Al Saloos said that in 2022 the Heart Centre at Sidra Medicine recorded more than 8000 clinic visits, 8,500 echocardiograms, 500 cardiac catheterizations and invasive electrophysiology procedures, 200 open heart surgeries and 700 admissions to the ward and intensive care units for individuals with the CHD.
He said that Sidra Medicine also treats both children and adults with congenital heart disease.
“Worldwide advances in diagnosis and treatment continue to improve the survival rate for adults with the CHD. Since Sidra Medicine opened, we have treated over 1,500 adult patients with congenital heart disease,” said Dr. Al Saloos.
We provide medical and surgical care for children with any structural heart disease or arrhythmia, adults with congenital heart disease, pregnant women with congenital heart disease (mother and/or fetus); children with pulmonary hypertension and care for children with heart failure,” he added.
The services available at the Heart Centre at Sidra Medicine include a detailed clinical assessment at the outpatient clinics and the specialised clinics, including pulmonary hypertension, fetal cardiology and electrophysiology and we are planning to open heart failure clinics in a couple of months,” said Dr. Al Saloos.
It also includes the noninvasive lab that offers echocardiography, ECG, event monitor, holter, cardiac MRI, cardiac CT angiography, stress test and cardio-pulmonary exercise test.
The inpatient services at the Heart Centre include neonatal intensive care, cardiac intensive care and ward admissions. It also includes two cardiac catheterization labs, where doctors perform diagnostic and therapeutic cardiac catheterization to treat structural heart disease and invasive electrophysiology procedures to treat irregular heart rhythm.
Sidra Medicine has showcased its latest surgical and clinical research milestones at international events as it has pioneered treatments for the CHD in the region.
“Our hospital implemented this advanced therapy of trans-catheter pulmonary valve implantation from the day one. We were the first centre in the region/MENA to implant the new Venus P valve. We also implant the Melody, Edwards and MyVal valves via the less invasive trans-catheter approach. Our results are excellent and comparable to any of the recognised international specialised centers if not better,” said Dr. Al Saloos.
