Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, part of the M42 group, has successfully performed the first-ever combined heart and double lung transplant in the UAE, underscoring the hospital’s commitment to advanced medical care.

The complex surgery was performed on a 56-year-old Emirati woman who was suffering from pulmonary hypertension - a life-threatening condition caused by high pressure within the pulmonary artery, which disrupts the vital flow of blood from the heart to the lungs.

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi achieved this milestone with the support of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH). This accomplishment reflects Abu Dhabi's commitment to becoming a leading global healthcare destination, driven by its advanced transplant capabilities, state-of-the-art infrastructure, experienced healthcare professionals, and world-class facilities.

Since its inception in 2017, the hospital has performed over 700 transplants, including 47 lung transplants and 23 heart transplants.

The patient’s medical journey began in 2004, then referred to Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi in March 2022.

Explaining the patient’s condition, Dr. Fadi Hamed, consultant pulmonologist and medical director of lung transplant programme at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, said, “The patient was regularly monitored for response to diverse care and therapeutic strategies to tackle the issue but showed no progress with standard medication. The deterioration continued so a multidisciplinary team was formed and deployed to assess her condition.”

A comprehensive evaluation by the hospital's multidisciplinary teams determined that the patient required a complex surgical intervention, not just a lung transplant, due to the severe enlargement of her heart as a result of the ongoing pressure on the organ.

Dr. Mitesh V. Badiwala, Staff Physician in Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute, explained, "In modern history, pulmonary hypertension is typically treated with a lung transplant. However, the patient’s condition was particularly challenging due to her severely enlarged heart and petite frame, necessitating a combined heart and double lung transplant.”

By February 2024, the patient’s condition stopped responding to medication. She suffered from excess water retention, continued high pressure, and severe breathing difficulties, with survival expected to be only a few months without intervention.

Dr. Nadya Almatrooshi, a Staff Physician in Cardiothoracic Surgery, said, "Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi is one of the few hospitals that facilitates multidisciplinary care for complex cases. Teams from different departments worked tirelessly to manage her heart pressure by keeping her on high oxygen in the ICU until suitable organs were available.”

A multidisciplinary team of cardiology, heart failure team, pulmonology, thoracic surgery, cardiac surgery, cardiac intensive care and cardiac anesthesia was involved in the meticulous planning for the combined heart and lung transplant.

Dr. Usman Ahmad, Department Chair of Thoracic Surgery, who has previous experience with combined heart and lung transplants in the US, stated, “Combined heart-lung transplant operations are uncommon even in large volume international transplant centres. Our programme is unique due to short wait times, access to appropriate size-matched organs and short ischemic times.”

"Under the guidance of DoH and in collaboration with Hayat, we are able to keep the ischemic time short for heart and lung transplant. This has allowed us to achieve outstanding survival results in these complex surgeries and because of such complex surgeries that we can do here, we are now seeing patients from Europe, Asia and South America,” Dr Ahmad added.

Dr. Rashed Obaid Alsuwaidi, Executive Director of the Healthcare Workforce Planning Sector at DoH, said, "Since the launch of the National Programme for Donation and Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues (HYATT) in 2017, Abu Dhabi has experienced a consistent increase in organ transplant procedures, exceeding 800 operations by the end of 2023, contributing to saving and improving the lives of many patients.”