Open heart surgery at Dubai's Zulekha Hospital gives expat new lease of life

Dr. Yasser Menaissy with Feras Malko

UAE resident Feras Malko, 41, experienced sudden severe chest pain radiating to his back and suffered loss of consciousness for a few minutes in the early hours of the day. He had no previous medical history of cardiac diseases. While he was at a hospital, the doctor did a chest X-ray and a CT angiography, which revealed a leaking acute ascending aortic dissection.

The attending doctor immediately had a conversation on the emergency case with Dr. Yasser Menaissy, Consultant Cardiac Surgeon at Zulekha Hospital Dubai. Due arrangements were immediately made to transfer the patient to Zulekha Hospital Dubai. Dr. Menaissy said, "Feras was in an unstable condition with low blood pressure, and further investigations revealed elevated liver and kidney functions as well as cardiac enzymes. Echocardiography revealed a cardiac tamponade (fluid or blood collected between the heart and the sac that surrounds the heart) and confirmed the leaking of blood from the aortic dissection. Leakage of blood means that the ascending aorta may rupture anytime."

The decision to do an emergency open heart surgery was taken and as soon as blood and blood products were ready, Dr. Menaissy did the open heart surgery successfully. During the five hour-surgery the aorta had to be replaced with a prosthetic tube graft. The patient was then transferred to the intensive care unit in a stable condition. The patient has resumed his normal life after being discharged from the hospital six days after the surgery.

On recovering, Feras says, "I am thankful and happy that Dr. Yasser and the medical team in Zulekha Hospital Dubai managed my critical health condition and successfully treated me in time. It is important to find the right doctor and be assured you are going to fine in the best hands. The team did just that."