RIYADH, 7 March 2004 — Ali Al-Enazi has become the first Saudi living with an artificial heart after a historic implant operation at the King Abdul Aziz Center for Heart Disease at the National Guard Hospital here. This is the first time such an operation has been carried out in the Arab world.
At a press conference yesterday at the National Guard Hospital, Dr. Muad Al-Zubaiq, head of the King Abdul Aziz Center, said Al-Enazi was given an artificial heart after a severe heart attack left his heart irreparably damaged.
Al-Zubaiq said that after undergoing a cauterization operation, the heart’s condition did not improve and Al-Enazi remained on a respirator for several weeks.
“After various medical consultations, we had one of two choices: either the patient would have to be put on a temporary machine until we could find a replaceable heart and have it transplanted, or to implant a permanent artificial heart in his chest.”
“We went along with the second choice since it did not involve waiting for a donor. We also decided that an artificial heart transplant would be better for the patient. He agreed and we carried on,” Al-Zubaiq added. A surgical team headed by Dr. Hani Najm of the center consulted physicians in Berlin, where the artificial heart was manufactured, and physicians from both sides confirmed that the prosthesis was suitable for the patient.
Dr. Najm, who headed the surgical team in the operation, said that after reaching the conclusion that the patient’s heart was not responding to anti-clogging medication following the first operation, the hospital wrote to Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard.
“The crown prince agreed to pay for all costs including the purchase of the artificial heart...and indeed it arrived and was transplanted six days ago,” Najm said.
The operation took place last Sunday, and by Monday Al-Enazi was able to sit up and communicate. The following day he was able to stand on his feet.
He told Arab News he was grateful to God and to the crown prince for making the operation possible.
The artificial heart weighs 900 grams, according to the medical team. The only drawback is that the patient must carry a briefcase with rechargeable batteries weighing 2.5 kg with him at all times to recharge the heart.
