A young Emirati with a rare heart problem has been fitted with a tiny stent to unblock an artery, precisely measured by Artificial Intelligence, in what has been described as a landmark medical intervention by doctors in Ajman.
Muhanad Abdulla Murad, who lives in the emirate, experienced a heart attack known as an acute myocardial infarction after failing to take medication for his type 1 diabetes.
Those with the condition usually treat symptoms through drugs that prevent sugar collecting in red blood cells, causing blockages and damage to vessels transporting oxygen to the heart.
The 26-year-old's misconception over how to treat his diabetes, assuming it could be controlled by diet and exercise alone, resulted in the rare heart attack that is more common in those over 50.
Once diagnosed, cardiologists at Saudi German Hospital in Ajman used AI to assess thousands of possible solutions to find the exact 4mm stent required to open up his artery and prevent further blockages.
Mr Murad was with his sister when he felt sudden, sharp chest pains three months ago.
“When it happened, I just woke up in the morning and everything was fine. I was about to go to work and I just felt a burning sensation,” he said.
“It was like my entire chest was on fire. It was the first time I'd felt any kind of feeling in my chest like that before.
“My sister took me to the hospital. After the treatment the doctors said it was one of those things that just happened, with a 100-1 chance of it happening to me.”
Although there was no history of heart problems in his family, Mr Murad’s father passed away from a health problem related to smoking four years ago.
“During my recovery, there was a little bit of pain at the beginning,” said Mr Murad.
“I feel like if AI or a machine like this can help mitigate the error factor, then that’s great.
“I was back at work after 10 days or so and the doctors said everything should get back to normal.”
The surgeon who led Mr Murad's care said the case stood out as a prime example of an advanced application of AI in cardiology.
“During the procedure, AI-enhanced intravascular imaging played a pivotal role,” said Dr Shady Habboush, interventional cardiology consultant and rhythmologist at Saudi German Hospital in Dubai.
“Initially, the lesion in the patient's right coronary artery appeared manageable, seemingly measuring around 2.5mm in diameter.
“However, AI analysis indicated a substantial discrepancy, revealing the actual diameter to be 4mm.
“This significant difference is crucial in coronary artery treatments, where precision is paramount.”
Life-saving intervention
Such discrepancies can have dire consequences if not identified correctly and promptly.
A stent that is smaller than required, as would have been the case without AI's intervention, can gradually lead to the closing of the artery over time.
This often results in severe complications, potentially culminating in catastrophic outcomes, including the patient's death, usually within a year of the procedure.
“Intravascular imaging is not new, but what is new is that this imaging compares this narrow lesion of the artery with maybe 10,000 other lesions to tell us exactly what we needed to do,” said Dr Habboush.
“Without this kind of precise intervention, it could have been fatal for him.”
The case is an example of how machine learning and AI is becoming significant in healthcare.
From relieving pressure on overworked staff, to freeing up time for doctors for more face-face patient interactions, digital tools are improving global healthcare scenarios.
Google’s DeepMind Health and US Department of Veteran Affairs developed a tool that could predict Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) up to 48 hours earlier, while Google also developed an AI-based eye scanner to detect diabetic retinopathy to prevent blindness.
Meanwhile surgical robots enhanced with AI are assisting surgeons to precisely position implants into the brain and spine.
Increased investment in AI technologies is also speeding up the development of new drugs and vaccines.
AI to improve hospital services
Huge amounts of data generated by hospitals can be utilised by AI to help manage services more efficiently, while other breakthroughs could help reduce the cost of medications.
“We call it augmented intelligence rather artificial intelligence, as it helps us make care better, safer and more appropriate over a shorter time frame,” said Prof Abdel Rahman Omer, group medical director at Burjeel Holdings and a consultant general surgeon.
“There are different applications, just like everywhere else like data analysis and medications.
“But specifically, AI is enhancing our ability to diagnose in radiology.
“The X-rays go through the system straight away and you get a report in a flicker of a second to tell you any common abnormalities or highlight areas that need to be revised by a human eye.
“It is still being developed, but we're going to come to a stage where everything is done by AI.”
Concern or confidence?
Surveys conducted by Pew Research in 2023 indicate that more than 60 per cent of Americans were sceptical about replacing human decision-making with AI, and uncomfortable with the idea of their doctors relying on AI for diagnosis.
But when it comes to AI acting as an assistant for the provider, patients are more optimistic, with more than 40 per cent believing AI can reduce medical errors.
“While there still exists a lot of mistrust in replacing human decision-making with AI, I believe, this can be addressed by clearly communicating where a human is in the loop,” said Abhinav Shashank, cofounder and chief executive of Innovaccer, a Silicon Valley-based digital healthcare company that recently launched in the Middle East.
Data protection of sensitive medical records is a concern but medics said there was reassurance that information would be secured as technology continues to improve.
A global survey in 2022 of 130,000 people by UK charity the Lloyd's Register Foundation found almost two thirds of people in Japan, China and Germany had confidence in the positive impact of AI over the next 20 years.
But fewer than half of survey respondents in the UK, Canada, France and the US believed AI would be positive for humanity, with confidence in the technology falling to 22 per cent in Indonesia, and 19 per cent in Pakistan.
