Pioneering way to treat heart blockages devised in Dubai

Surgeons from across the world are travelling to the UAE to learn a procedure to treat complex heart blockages that was devised here.

DUBAI // A surgeon in Dubai has pioneered a way to treat complex heart blockages.

Doctors from across the world are now travelling to the UAE to learn the procedure, known as the “Dubai technique”.

Dr Talib Majwal, director of interventional cardiology at Dubai Hospital’s heart centre, devised the method in January.

So far, he has treated 80 patients using the procedure and presented it to experts in London, France, Italy and Germany.

“We named this technique the Dubai technique as a mark of respect and love for our country,” said Dr Majwal, who is Iraqi and a consultant in interventional cardiology.

“We have received excellent feedback from doctors the world over with regard to this new method to treat complex heart blockages. So far, doctors from Austria and Netherlands have visited us to learn this technique.”

Next week another delegation from Austria will visit Dubai to learn the technique and the hospital will provide training to a delegation from Belgium in December.

“We will continue training programmes until May 2014 and we are overwhelmed to see the response of international cardiologists to this technique.”

The Dubai technique is a modified version of the Absorb procedure. They both involve inserting a scaffold that dissolves over a period of time into an affected artery to keep it open and promote the flow of blood and oxygen to the heart.

“The technique used is modified and it is mainly used for complex arterial blockages of the main artery or the branch of a main artery,” said Dr Majwal.