A Global First from the Arab World: Saudi Team Performs the World’s First Robotic BiVAD Implant, Redefining Heart Failure Care
A Global First from the Arab World: Saudi Team Performs the World’s First Robotic BiVAD Implant, Redefining Heart Failure Care
Published July 17, 2025
🔗 Source: News release via King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (KFSHRC) and international media coverage.
Key Points:
1. Historic First Surgery
Surgeons at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (KFSHRC) in Riyadh performed the world’s first robotic-assisted implantation of biventricular assist devices (BiVAD).
2. Dual Device Implantation
Two Abbott HeartMate 3 pumps were implanted using robotic arms—one for the left ventricle and one for the right ventricle—to support both sides of the patient’s failing heart.
3. Patient Profile
The patient was a 61-year-old individual with …
[9:24 am, 31/07/2025] Dr Jamal Aldabbas Card Socity: Saving Time Saving Lives: Improving STEMI Care Through Systems Guidelines and Smart Tools
1 Why This Matters STEMI Treatment Still Too Slow
In 2025 data from both the GWTG–CAD Registry and the CRT 2025 Conference reveal that many patients with heart attacks STEMI are not receiving timely treatment especially when they are transferred between hospitals. Delays in treatment increase the risk of death but better systems and smarter tools can save lives.
2 Key Findings From GWTG-CAD and CRT 2025
Only 50 percent of transferred STEMI patients received PCI within the recommended 120 minutes from first medical contact to device.
Only 13.9 percent of hospitals met this target in at least 75 percent of cases.
Low-performing hospitals had average delays of about 155 minutes compared to 100 minutes in high-performing hospitals.
These delays are directly linked to higher in-hospital mortality.
3 How Delays Increase Risk
From AHA February 2025 data
Every 5-minute delay in door-in–door-out DIDO time lowers the chance of survival.
Mortality risk increases significantly at 30 42 63 and 93 minutes of DIDO time.
4 A Jordanian Innovation Smartphone App by JCS
The Jordanian Cardiac Society JCS and the Jordan ACS Task Force developed a secure STEMI smartphone app.
This tool is used by EMS and hospitals in Jordan to share real-time ECGs notify PCI centers early and improve decision and transfer speed.
The app has already shown better DIDO times faster door-to-balloon times and improved patient outcomes.
5 What the Guidelines Recommend Target Times
The American Heart Association AHA and the European Society of Cardiology ESC provide the following time goals for STEMI care
First medical contact to device FMC-to-Device should be 120 minutes or less
Door-in–door-out DIDO time should be 30 minutes or less
Door-to-balloon D2B time should be 90 minutes or less
EMS-to-balloon time should be 90 minutes or less
Door-to-needle D2N time should be 30 minutes or less when PCI is not available
Total ischemic time from symptom onset to artery opening should be under 120 minutes
6 Jordan’s STEMI Time Pathways
The Jordan STEMI Toolkit includes three structured clinical pathways based on time goals
A Direct EMS Transfer to PCI Hospital
EMS call is received
Ambulance departs in 2 to 4 minutes
EMS arrives at patient in 8 to 12 minutes
Clinical assessment begins within 1 minute
First ECG done within 5 minutes
ECG sent to physician immediately
Medications given within 10 minutes
Decision to transfer made immediately after ECG
Ambulance departs to PCI center as soon as possible
Arrival at emergency department within 30 minutes
ED reassessment within 5 minutes
Cath lab activated within 10 minutes
Cath team arrives within 20 minutes
Cath lab entry within 90 minutes from EMS call
Angiography starts immediately
Blocked artery is opened
B Transfer from Non-PCI Hospital to PCI Center
Transfer decision made and call placed to Civil Defense
Ambulance departs in 0 to 4 minutes
EMS arrives at patient in 8 to 10 minutes
Clinical reassessment in 1 minute
ECG performed within 5 minutes
ECG sent immediately
Medications given within 10 minutes
Transfer confirmed right after ECG
Arrival at PCI hospital within 30 minutes
ED reassessment within 5 minutes
Cath team activated within 10 minutes
Cath lab entry within 20 minutes
Angiography and artery opening start immediately
C In-Hospital STEMI Activation
ECG is performed and interpreted
Cath lab team activated immediately
Door-to-balloon goal is within 90 minutes
7 Understanding the Metrics Glossary
GWTG stands for Get With The Guidelines
CAD means Coronary Artery Disease
FMC is First Medical Contact
FMC-to-Device is time from first contact to PCI
DIDO is Door-In–Door-Out time
D2B is Door-to-Balloon time
EMS-to-Balloon is time from EMS arrival to PCI
D2N is Door-to-Needle time
Total Ischemic Time is time from symptom onset to artery opening
8 What Hospitals and EMS Should Do Now
Use digital apps to notify PCI hospitals early
Aim for DIDO time of 30 minutes or less
Target FMC-to-device time of 120 minutes or less
Track all delays by breaking each case into time steps
Improve teamwork between EMS and hospitals
Train all healthcare staff on time goals and protocols
Join or align with the upcoming Jordanian GWTG–ACS Registry
9 Conclusion From Guidelines to Action
Data from 2025 confirm that every minute of delay increases the risk of death for STEMI patients
The Jordanian Cardiac Society’s national app and time-tracking system offer a strong model for improving care
Building faster and more reliable care systems truly saves lives
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