Saudi heart surgeon Dr. Hani Najm, head of the pediatric and adult cardiac surgery department at Cleveland Clinic, shared details of a rare operation he and his team performed on a woman who was four months pregnant. In this procedure, they removed a tumor attached to her fetus's heart that was affecting its performance.
Dr. Najm explained to "Sabq" that a medical team was formed at Cleveland Clinic, consisting of several medical specialties, to carry out the surgery. The fetus was returned to the mother's womb, she gave birth at nine months, and both mother and child are in good health, with no complications. He mentioned that this type of surgery is a rare and dangerous procedure that highlights Saudi medicine's humanitarian message.
He elaborated, "From the beginning, the patient was diagnosed with a tumor attached to her four-month-old fetus's heart, which was affecting its performance. She was referred to us, and imaging revealed that the tumor was growing and causing heart failure. We prepared a medical team consisting of an anesthesiologist, a specialist in cardiology, an obstetrician, a fetal medicine specialist, and myself as the heart surgeon."
He continued, "The mother was anesthetized, her abdomen was opened, then the uterus was opened to reach the fetus and remove the tumor. The fetus remained attached to the placenta, as is customary. It was then returned to the womb, and the uterus and abdomen were closed. The mother was discharged four days after the operation and gave birth at nine months, with the baby now four months old. This procedure poses risks to both the mother and fetus, but thankfully, it was successful."
Dr. Najm added, "The decision to perform the operation was clear because leaving the fetus would lead to death. We had to take that risk. Progress in any work always relies on previous knowledge and experience in the field, considering the level of risk. Thank God, these factors were aligned in this decision."
Regarding the reactions, Dr. Najm noted, "It warms my heart to see the tremendous support and kind words from my country and its people. I am a product of our Saudi education, both school and university, and thus we share this knowledge with the world. The tweet from Saudi ambassador to the U.S., Princess Reema bint Bandar, gave me confidence and pride in the support of our beloved nation's leadership. I take great pride in being a son of this homeland where we were raised, and may God enable us to repay the kindness of this great entity."
