The National Heart Institute is the pioneer of TAVI transcatheter aortic valve implantation technology in Egypt and the Arab region
The technique of transcatheter aortic valve implantation, known as "TAVI" (TAVI), one of the advanced technologies in the field of interventional cardiology. It appeared for the first time globally in 2002 when it was performed by the late French doctor Alain Crebier. However, the roots of the idea go back to the end of the 1980s, when the Danish doctor Helling Andersson began experiments on animals.
This technique is used to treat elderly people with aortic valve stenosis, especially patients with Traditional open-heart surgery poses a great risk to them. The operation is characterized by the fact that it is performed without general anesthesia and through a small incision at the top of the leg, which allows the patient to leave the hospital within only 48 hours.
The National Heart Institute, affiliated with the General Authority for Hospitals and Educational Institutes, has emerged. As a pioneering center in Egypt and the Arab region in introducing this technology, in 2012 the first catheterization of the aortic valve was performed in the catheterization unit of the institute, under the leadership of Professor Dr. Adel Al-Banna, Dean of the Institute at that time. The team consisted of Medical examination from Dr. Hamdi Soliman, Dr. Hani Raji, and Dr. Mohamed Al-Maraghi. Although the technology was not included in health insurance or treatment services at state expense, the first operations were funded through donations, as the cost of each case exceeded 400 thousand pounds.
And during In 2022, Dr. Mohamed Abdel Hadi, the current Dean of the Institute, revived the project, with the support of Prof. D. Muhammad Mustafa Abdel Ghaffar, Chairman of the Authority, despite the high cost of this technology, which costs 800 thousand pounds per patient, was dealt with without the patient bearing any financial burdens. The Authority also provided all the material and human capabilities for training, which provided the opportunity for a new generation of doctors to gain advanced expertise. In this field, three working teams were formed within the institute, which included professors in interventional catheterization who underwent extensive training at the hands of Egyptian and foreign experts. These teams are now able to perform operations independently after obtaining the necessary licenses. The first team was led by Dr. Maged Ramses, Head of the Cardiology Department, and included Dr. Mohamed Selim, a cardiologist consultant at the institute. The team was trained by Dr. Yasser Sadiq, and the second team was led by Dr. Ahmed Hassanein. , Consultant Cardiologist, and included Dr. Ahmed Kamel, Consultant Cardiologist, and Dr. Amr Al-Ghandour, Consultant Cardiologist. This team was trained by Dr. Reda Abu Al-Atta, while the third team was led by Dr. Ahmed Abdel Al-Aziz, Assistant Cardiologist Consultant, and included Dr. Ahmed Kamel and Dr. Ahmed Mustafa Magdy, the institute’s cardiologist, and this team was trained by the Polish doctor Michael Zimbala.
The trained work teams contributed to expanding the scope of Operations include hospitals outside the institute, such as Al-Ahrar Teaching Hospital and Shebin Al-Kom Teaching Hospital, where several successful cases were performed. The first case in the Delta was performed with this technique at Al-Ahrar Teaching Hospital, bringing the total number of cases performed with this technique. 100 cases have been provided by the institute’s people so far, and the giving is still ongoing.
Despite the successes, the technology faces major financial challenges due to the high cost of the valves used, which threatens the continuity of its work. Despite these obstacles, the National Heart Institute will remain committed to continuing its leadership in this field, as the National Heart Institute is not only a medical edifice, but a center for medical innovation and insistence on providing the best health services to Egyptians. Financial and technical support remains one of the most important factors to ensure the continuity of this vital service for patients.
