First operation completed as Ministry of Health & Jameel Health pioneer AVNeo™ heart surgery procedure to save more lives in the Kingdom

• First operation using the pioneering AVNeo™ technique successfully completed in Saudi Arabia
• The innovative technique is an alternative to artificial aortic valve replacement using the patient’s own tissue
• The technique is suitable for all age groups including children and may reduce the need for future surgery
• An educational webinar, was held on March 17, 2022, providing a case study presentation of the first AVNeo™ procedure in Saudi

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; March 21, 2021:

Following the pioneering collaboration announced in April 2021, between the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health, and Jameel Health, to introduce the innovative AVNeo™ (Aortic Valve Neocuspidization),  procedure for the surgical reconstruction of the aortic heart valve, the first Saudi surgeons have completed training and performed the first operation in February 2022.

The operation was performed by Dr. Khaled Eskander at the Saud Babtin Cardiac Center, with the attendance of Dr. Adel Tash and the international proctor Professor Alberto Albertini, Chief of Cardiovascular Surgery Division at Maria Cecilia Hospital who attended from Italy, to consult on AVNeo™ cases in Saudi.  

AVNeo™, provided by the Japanese Organization for Medical Device Development (JOMDD), is a standardized revolutionary procedural technique suitable for all age groups. According to medical studies, patients receiving the procedure will not be required to continue taking medication six months post-surgery.  

Developed by Professor Shigeyuki Ozaki, the procedure uses the patient’s autologous pericardium, in the aortic valve reconstruction.  Over the past 10 years, more than 5,000 cases have been performed globally. According to the latest data available (2018), as seen in the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, the survival rate “after 10 years was 85.9% for AVNeo™” compared to less than 80% for alternative procedures.

In this first Saudi Arabian operation, the patient was a 56 year-old male, with a history of heavy smoking suffering from rheumatic severe aortic valve stenosis.  The AVNeo™ ‘sizer’ kit was used to replace the aortic valve with a new reconstructed one using the patient’s own pericardium tissue. The surgery went well with very good result based on post-surgery echocardiogram readings.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cardiovascular diseases accounts for 32% of all deaths worldwide and over three quarters of these take place in low-and middle-income countries. Cardiovascular disease deaths are among the main causes of premature death in Saudi Arabia.  

Of the 17 million premature deaths (under the age of 70) due to noncommunicable diseases in 2019, 38% were caused by cardiovascular disease.[1]

A timeline of AVNeo™ in Saudi Arabia:

• April 2021: A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed between Eng. Faisal Al Samannoudi, Chairman & CEO of Abdul Latif Jameel Enterprises and Mrs. Najlaa Kateb, Director General, Innovation Center, at the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health.  The MOU included many aspects of introducing the procedure to the country including the process to certify the first wave of Ministry of Health surgeons.
• December 2021:
  • The AVNeo™ kit was registered by the Saudi Food & Drug Authority (SFDA).
  • First certification training wave of Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health surgeons commences in Italy.
• February 2, 2022: First AVNeo™ procedure takes place in Saudi Arabia.
• February-March 2022:
  • Second certification training wave in Italy commences.
• March 2022:
  • Third certification training wave in Egypt commences.

An educational webinar, jointly hosted by the Saudi Heat Association, the Ministry of Health, and Jameel Health was conducted on March 17, 2022, providing a case study presentation of the first AVNeo™ procedure in Saudi Arabia and attended by over 80 physicians from around the country and internationally.

Local and international speakers include the surgery team from the first Saudi procedure, (Dr. Khaled Eskander , Dr. Adel Tash, and Prof. Alberto Albertini).  The webinar is accredited from Saudi Commission for Health Specialties with a credit of one CME hour (continuous medical education).

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[1] https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cardiovascular-diseases-(cvds)

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Notes to Editors 

About Jameel Health

Backed by Abdul Latif Jameel, one of the most respected diversified family businesses and investors with a 75-year heritage, deep roots, and established networks alongside a multi-sector presence in 30 countries across six continents, Jameel Health is uniquely positioned as a trusted partner in realizing major innovations and opportunities in the healthcare world.

Jameel Health reflects the Jameel family’s long-established commitment to innovating for a better future through Community Jameel, an international organization supporting science and technology-led solutions to global challenges.  Community Jameel and MIT co-founded the Abdul Latif Jameel Clinic for Machine Learning in Health (Jameel Clinic) in September 2018 – which has rapidly become the very epicenter of AI and healthcare at MIT – and the Abdul Latif Jameel Institute for Disease and Emergency Analytics (Jameel Institute) co-founded with Imperial College London, in October 2019, using novel data analytics to reduce global risk of preventable disease most recently including the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, and strengthening health systems in the most fragile settings.

Jameel Health takes this commitment into the commercial environment addressing tangible real-world needs today, for a better tomorrow.  It is focused on health care inclusion in the global south, accelerating access to modern medical care for those who need it most by opening up/growing new markets for distribution of existing solutions and investing in the future of MedTech.

Abdul Latif Jameel actively invests in innovative, early-stage and breakthrough ventures and technology, aiming to positively shape the future of core industries driving the global economy through its’ investments that span medical and healthcare industries, from pharmaceuticals and vaccines to cutting-edge medical technology, along with emergent technologies across FinTech, InsurTech, electric vehicles and future mobility solutions.

For further information, visit: https://ameeljhealth.com and our brand video here.
Media Contact: Email aljhealth@edelman.com or telephone: +971 54 996 9935 (GMT +4 hours UAE)

About the Saudi Heart Association

Since its establishment over 32 years ago, the Saudi Heart Association has firmly positioned itself as the scientific reference for cardiovascular knowledge in the Kingdom with support of the Saudi Health Council, Ministry of Health, Saudi Food and Drug Administration and others.  The Saudi Heart Association provides research and fellowship grants and supports many societies and working groups in specific fields with educational activities that enriched the knowledge and science, cardiac diseases and patient care.  For more information, visit: https://saudi-heart.com/

About the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health

Formed in 1950, replacing the Public Health Council, the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health was stablished to meet the needs of the Kingdom’s public health and environmental sectors for its citizens and residents.  The Ministry of Health is committed to the provision of healthcare at all levels; the promotion of general health and prevention of diseases, and to developing the laws and legislation necessary to regulate both the public and private health sectors.  The Ministry of Health is condustcs performance monitoring of health institutions, and is advancing the research and academic training in the country.  The Ministry is also active in the field of health care investment.  For more information, visit: https://www.moh.gov.sa/

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