Report on the consecutive first one hundred cardiac surgeries at the King Fahad Hospital Heart Center

From February 1, 1989 to April 2, 1989, 100 consecutive pastients were operated on at the new King Fahad Hospital Heart Center was completely renovated to provide a sophisticated and modern cardiac surgical care to our patients, their relatives and staff. The new rebuilt intensive care unit houses 16 beds. The 2 operating rooms have been totally modernized. With this, we are now capable of performing 4-5 open heart surgery per day, facilities are underway for future heart transplantation. During this period, under review, seventy five [75%] open heart surgery was done; and twenty five [25%] closed heart surgery was performed. 61 patients [61%] were males, and 39 patients[39%]were females. The mean age was 23.4 years [range 10 months-60 years]. Aftermath of rheumatic heart disease was significantly seen. Congenital heart disease was also common due to consanguinity in marriage. Valve repair where suitable was given utmost consideration. Where valve replacement is considered, we preferred mechanical to tissue valves. An overall mortality of 2% was registered. There were 2deaths; one was due to low cardiac output in a 17year old patient who had a repair of congenital aortic valve/supravalvular stenosis. The other was due to severe chest complications in a patient who was in N. Y. H. A. class IV preoperatively. Morbidity was reduced to a minimum. We hope that the newly well furnished and well equipped King Fahad Hospital Heart Center will provide adequate cardiac surgical care with least morbidity and mortality. It will also serve as a training center for Saudi doctors, who would like to pursue cardiac surgery as career. In this article we review our experience with the first 100 consecutive cases in this new Heart Center