- Sheikh Khalifa Medical City and Tawam Hospital treat man with induced body temperature of 20 degrees Celsius - almost half of normal body temperature

-Successful collaboration between advanced SEHA facilities credited with saving the 32 year old local's life

Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, 17 April 2011: A team of cardiac consultants and specialists from Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC), managed by Cleveland Clinic, and Tawam Hospital, in affiliation with Johns Hopkins Medicine, have saved the life of a 32 year old local man in a medical collaboration which involved inducing a deep hypothermia prior to surgery. Therapeutic hypothermia is a procedure that is often used to stop brain damage in patients who suffer cardiac arrest, where the treatment involves lowering a patient's body temperature to slow the brain's demand for oxygen, thereby preventing damage to cells.  The cardiac patient, who had earlier undergone two serious heart operations to replace damaged valves elsewhere, was transferred by an emergency helicopter from Tawam Hospital to SKMC after being diagnosed with a huge false aneurysm (a pocket of blood that has leaked outside of the blood vessel).

The false aneurysm caused a serious erosion of the patient's sternum (middle part of the chest) and the only way for doctors to save the patient's life was to install a state of the art heart lung machine via the groin vessels and commence Extra Corporal Circulation (ECC) including hypothermia to open the chest safely. ECC is an advanced surgical technique used to replace the heart and the lungs: this equipment makes blood circulate (this is the heart function) and oxygenates it (this corresponds to the lungs function). Thus, heart and lungs stop functioning without the organs suffering. 

Dr. Husam Ouda, Consultant Chairman of Medicine and Division Head of Cardiology - Internal Medicine, Tawam Hospital commented, "The patient was in a critical condition when he was admitted to Tawam's Emergency Room (ER), so bad that no one thought he would survive.  He was suffering from severe chest pain and difficulty in breathing.  It is a miracle he lived, and the quick diagnosis at Tawam was crucial to his treatment as well as the rapid transfer to SKMC.  The treatment this patient received was a perfect example of SEHA's facilities working seamlessly together to save lives".

Dr. Norbert Augustin, Chairman of Cardiac Sciences Institute at SKMC stated, "The patient arrived to SKMC Emergency Department as an emergency case from Tawam Hospital with an exceptionally large false aneurysm, around 8 centimetres in diameter, caused by a previous aortic incision and his condition was critical. The patient developed a cardiogenic shock and was immediately sent to the operation room at SKMC. In his case the opening of the chest could cause a major bleeding because the aneurysm was already part of the thin sternum, therefore, we made the decision to connect the heart lung machine via the groin vessels to cool the body and induce a deep hypothermia before opening the chest."

 "In most cases where hypothermia is induced, the body temperature will not drop below 32-34 degrees Celsius as the heart lung machine is continuously running.  This case was rare as a deep hypothermia was induced, cooling the body temperature to approximately 20 degrees Celsius, almost half of normal body temperature. This is a very rare clinical practice employed to provide a bloodless surgical field for complex surgeries.   Physicians were then able to halt the ECC, enabling them to open the chest completely and commence emergency cardiac surgery," Dr. Augustin added.

During the complicated open-heart surgery, the surgeons were able to obtain access to the eight by ten centimetre false aneurysm and its source; a two by one centimetre leak from the previous aortic incision. The surgeons restarted the ECC again while replacing the fragile ascending aorta with a prosthesis. The patient was then weaned off the ECC after slowly 'warming' back to the normal body temperature. 

After an uncomplicated initial recovery period, the patient was transferred back to Tawam Hospital in very good condition, with intact brain activity.  Commenting on the patient case after the surgery while staying at Tawam Hospital for follow up treatment, Tawam's Dr. Ouda added, "The patient made an incredibly quick initial recovery.  He is well and undergoing some rehabilitation, coming in for outpatient treatment every six weeks".

Dr. Ali Abdulkarim Al Obaidli, on behalf of Abu Dhabi Health Services Company PJSC (SEHA), which owns and operates both hospitals said, "The patient in this emergency case was very fortunate that his treatment was in the hands of two of the best cardiac teams in the UAE with the world-class equipment and services of the SEHA HealthSystem behind them.  SEHA would like to take this opportunity to thank the outstanding professionals at both Tawam Hospital and SKMC; this man is alive today because of the efficient co-operation between the two SEHA facilities and their effective diagnosis, treatment and communication".

Tawam Hospital and SKMC are part of the SEHA Health System and are owned and operated by Abu Dhabi Health Services Company PJSC (SEHA) which is responsible for the curative activities of all the public hospitals and clinics in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. 

-Ends-

About SKMC managed by Cleveland Clinic
Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC) is located in Abu Dhabi City, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, and operates under the management of Cleveland Clinic, consistently named by U.S. News and World Report as one of the nation's best hospitals in its annual "America's Best Hospitals" survey. SKMC, is owned by SEHA, the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company, recently established to oversee operations of all public hospitals in the Emirate. SKMC is the flagship institution for the public health system in Abu Dhabi and has several 'Centers of Excellence', and aspires to practice contemporary medicine comparable to the best hospitals and medical centers in the world. SKMC provides comprehensive healthcare services in all of the disciplines relevant to the needs and priorities of the community to attain the highest levels of patient satisfaction.

SKMC, the largest hospital and medical city in the UAE, consists of 568-bed Tertiary Hospital, 14 outpatient specialty clinics and Abu Dhabi Blood Bank, all of which are accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI). SKMC is also accredited as a Cycle III Chest Pain Center with Primary Angioplasty Intervention; and is accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP) for its Main Laboratory and the Abu Dhabi Blood Bank. In addition, SKMC manages a 125-bed Behavioral Sciences Pavilion, 6 Family Medicine Clinics, 2 Dental Centers, and 2 Urgent Care Centers distributed over the city of Abu Dhabi. For further information, please contact us at marketing@skmc.gov.ae or visit www.skmc.ae. 

About Tawam Hospital
Tawam Hospital in affiliation with Johns Hopkins Medicine is a premier, 466-bed tertiary care facility located in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, one of the largest of the United Arab Emirates. Tawam serves as a regional referral center for specialized medical care and a national referral center for oncology services. Though it offers services in all specialties, the hospital is best known for its oncology, neonatal care, emergency medicine, intensive care, surgery, urology, family medicine, fertility services, neurosurgery, nephrology, pediatrics and pain management. Tawam Hospital is one of the first public hospitals to receive JCI accreditation in the UAE.  Tawam Hospital is part of the SEHA Health System owned and operated by Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA) which is responsible for the curative activities of all the public hospitals and clinics of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

About Johns Hopkins Medicine International
Johns Hopkins Medicine International (JHI) facilitates the global development of the Johns Hopkins Medicine mission: to improve the health of the community and the world by setting the standard of excellence in medical education, research and clinical care.

As the international access point to thousands of Johns Hopkins experts in medicine, nursing, public health and health care administration, JHI coordinates treatment for out-of-town patients who travel to Baltimore and for local patients with limited English proficiency. It also provides services in hospital management, health care consulting and clinical education through strategic alliances and affiliations in the Middle East, Latin America, North America, Europe and Asia.

About the SEHA Health System and the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company PJSC (SEHA)
SEHA is health in Arabic. The Abu Dhabi Health Services Company - whose marketing identity is SEHA - is an independent, public joint stock company created to develop the curative activities of the public healthcare system in Abu Dhabi. The company owns and operates all the public hospitals and clinics of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi which together make up the SEHA Health System.  SEHA is committed to providing high quality, cost effective healthcare in a socially responsible way on par with international standards measured through accessibility, affordability, choice and satisfaction.  SEHA has partnered with internationally recognized hospital managers to achieve these goals.  These include Johns Hopkins Medicine International, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, VAMED, Vienna Medical University and Bumrungrad International.  SEHA owns and operates 12 hospitals with 2,644 beds, 62 ambulatory care, family care and urgent care centers and 2 blood banks.  SEHA is one of the largest integrated healthcare providers in the Middle East with 16,500 doctors, nurses, ancillary care and administrative personnel in its employ. Visit our website at www.seha.ae

For media enquiries, please contact:
Sumaya Al Harrasi
Manager, Marketing & Business Communcation
Tawam Hospital
Tel.: +971 3 7075131 / Mobile: +971 553051305
Fax: +971 3 7075192
Email: sharrasi@tawamhospital.ae

Farah Al Alami
Sheikh Khalifa Medical City
Tel.: 971 2 610 2683  / Mobile: 971 50 661 1428  
Fax: +971 2 6102140
Email: falalami@skmc.ae

© Press Release 2011