RIYADH: A group of doctors at the King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC) here successfully performed surgery on a Polish infant on Tuesday, following a directive of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman.

One-year-old Jakub, accompanied by his father Tadeusz Przystki, was flown into the Kingdom on Friday. He had a genetic disorder in his heart and has been receiving medical treatment since birth.

Jakub is the third child in the family, and the other two are in Warsaw with their mother.

Initial medical reports said the child’s condition requires complicated heart surgery and specialized medical care.

The surgery, which started at 7 a.m. and lasted for 14 hours, was performed by a team led by cardiac surgery consultant Dr. Abdul Aziz Al-Khalidi, who specializes in such complex surgeries. He was supported by Dr. Omar Al-Tamimi, a consultant pediatric cardiologist, and Dr. Mohammed Al-Islam, consultant anesthetist.

The infant is currently in the pediatric intensive care unit of the KAMC.

Al-Khalidi said that following the preliminary clinical examinations, the medical team decided on a two-phase treatment plan. The first one was the heart surgery and the second will begin after two weeks, depending on the rate of recovery of the patient.

Polish Ambassador Witold Smidowski, who was at the hospital on Tuesday, thanked the king for his humanitarian gesture. “I am also thankful to Prince Miteb bin Abdullah (National Guard minister) for his kind cooperation and interest in the matter,” he said.

“This is not the first time the Kingdom has come forward to help Poland in providing free medical treatment. Conjoined twins from Warsaw were separated in the past,” he said.

The infant’s father expressed deep appreciation and thanks to King Salman, Prince Miteb and the hospital staff for the wonderful cooperation extended to him from the time he arrived in the Saudi capital with his child.

Bandar Al-Knawy, chief executive officer of the hospital, said the surgery is another magnanimous gesture of King Salman who renders yeoman services to the distressed people around the globe. “It was the king who ordered the transfer of the child and his surgery in the Kingdom,” he added.

The King Abdulaziz Cardiac Center, where the surgery was performed, is located within the KAMC complex in Riyadh.

The center has one of the most comprehensive programs for the management of heart problems in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region. The internationally-accredited center provides a complete range of high quality cardiac services to both adults and children.