Healthier Hearts, Together
From prevention and early diagnosis to advanced valve procedures and rehabilitation, we offer comprehensive heart care at every stage.
World Heart Day calls for us all to prioritize cardiovascular health and protect ourselves and our loved ones from cardiovascular disease, the world’s leading cause of death.
Experts from Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute emphasize the importance of knowledge, prevention and advancements in heart health care when it comes to tackling heart disease.
Comprehensive heart care, tailored to you
Every heart condition is different. At Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, our multidisciplinary Heart Team brings together a range of specialists to assess your condition and determine the most appropriate approach, based on your individual needs.
From timely check-ups and medication to minimally invasive, transcatheter and surgical procedures, your care and treatment plan are tailored to you, your condition, your overall health and individual risk.
Protect your heart
Heart health begins with understanding and managing your cardiovascular risk. Regular heart screening can help identify risk factors such as high blood pressure (hypertension), high cholesterol and diabetes. Maintaining a healthy weight, staying active, and following a heart-healthy diet can all protect your heart health.
Know the signs of heart problems
Knowing the symptoms of heart disease can help you recognise when you should see a doctor. Symptoms can vary from person to person and depend on the condition, but, for example, heart failure symptoms may include fatigue, shortness of breath and swelling in the legs and ankles.
Knowing the signs of a heart attack is also important – symptoms may include chest pain, shortness of breath, cold sweats, nausea or lightheadedness. Spotting the signs of a cardiac arrest and seeking immediate medical help could save someone’s life.
Stay informed, protect your heart
From monitoring your blood pressure and recognizing heart attack symptoms to accessing the right care team and most advanced procedures, staying informed can help you to make the best decisions for your heart health.
Discover More About World Heart Day
Heart Valve Repair & Replacement
Cardiac care has advanced. Our Heart Valve Repair & Replacement Program provides comprehensive care for patients with a wide range of heart valve diseases, including minimally invasive and transcatheter procedures, with treatment tailored to each patient's needs.
Minimally invasive mitral valve repair
Our Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Repair Program offers advanced procedures to people living with significant mitral valve disease. Whenever possible, repairing your own mitral valve is preferred over replacement, as it preserves your native valve.
If you have mitral valve regurgitation, our Heart Team will assess your condition and determine whether minimally invasive repair is an appropriate option for you. Procedures include:
- Transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER): A catheter-based procedure that brings the mitral valve leaflets together to reduce leakage. It may be an option for selected patients who are at higher risk for surgery.
- Robotic-assisted mitral valve repair: Robotic technology can be used to perform minimally invasive mitral valve repair in selected patients.
Aortic valve replacement
Our Aortic Valve Replacement Program offers a complete range of aortic valve replacement options, including minimally invasive and advanced surgical procedures. Our Heart Team selects the most appropriate approach based on your age, anatomy, overall health, surgical risk and other individual factors, and discusses valve choice with you.
- Surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR): A range of minimally invasive approaches are available, including mini-sternotomy and rapid-deployment valve for suitable patients.
- Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR): A catheter-based procedure that replaces the aortic valve without traditional open-heart surgery.
What does minimally invasive mean?
Minimally invasive heart procedures can offer a number of benefits over traditional, open-heart surgery. The procedures access the heart via small incisions between the ribs or through catheters inserted into blood vessels, which may reduce trauma to surrounding tissue. The benefits of minimally invasive procedures may include:
- Faster recovery
- Shorter hospital stays
- Reduced pain
- Lower infection risk
- Less blood loss
- Minimal scarring
At Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, we offer a range of these advanced methods:
- Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
- Transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVR)
- Robotic-assisted mitral valve repair
- Tricuspid valve procedures
- Atrial septal defect (ASD) closure
- Patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure
- Electrophysiology procedures such as ablation
- Surgical radiofrequency ablation for atrial fibrillation
- Biventricular epicardial pacing lead placement
Technology transforming heart care
Technological advancements in heart surgery have transformed the way heart disease is diagnosed, treated and managed. From artificial intelligence (AI) to sophisticated, implanted devices, cardiovascular innovations provide safer, more effective treatment options, offering shorter recovery times and improved quality of life for heart patients.
Our dedicated team of heart experts offer patients access to many of these innovations, supporting early detection and advanced treatment, as well as post-operative care and rehabilitation.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI and machine learning algorithms enhance cardiac imaging interpretation, predict patient outcomes, personalize treatments, and alert healthcare providers of critical events.
- Robotic-Assisted Heart Surgery: Enables surgeons to perform complex heart surgeries with greater precision and fewer complications, involving smaller incisions, reduced blood loss, faster recovery, and less pain.
- Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVADs): Mechanical devices that assist the left ventricle in pumping blood, used temporarily for transplant candidates or long-term for ineligible patients.
- Coronary artery bypass surgery: Minimally invasive approaches may be available for selected patients, depending on their condition and anatomy.
- Heart transplants: Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi is the UAE’s first multi-organ transplant center and performed the UAE’s first heart transplant. The program also uses technologies such as Proximie to support collaboration between surgical and cardiac teams.
Understanding heart disease
Heart disease refers to a number of conditions that affect the heart and blood vessels. It is the leading cause of death worldwide, and includes conditions such as heart failure, heart valve disease, coronary artery disease and heart rhythm disorders.
Know your risk
There are a number of factors that can increase your risk of developing heart disease. Some, such as age, family history and genetics can’t be changed, but others can be managed through lifestyle changes and medical interventions. These include:
- Diabetes
- High cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- Obesity
- Physical inactivity
- Smoking
Making healthier lifestyle choices, such as eating a balanced diet, taking regular exercise and avoiding tobacco, can all help to reduce your risk of heart disease.
Know the symptoms
The symptoms of heart disease can vary depending on the condition. Some people have no symptoms, while others may experience chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, dizziness or an irregular heartbeat.
Heart failure symptoms may include shortness of breath, fatigue and swelling in the legs and ankles.
Knowing the signs of a heart attack is also important. Symptoms can include chest pain, shortness of breath, cold sweats, nausea and lightheadedness.
If you think you or someone else is having a heart attack, seek emergency medical attention immediately.
Cardiac screening
Regular health checks can help identify cardiovascular risk factors and certain heart conditions early. Knowing your risk can help you and your Heart Team decide which tests and interventions may be appropriate for you.
Cardiac screening is a check-up for your heart. Testing for a range of conditions that could impact your health, screening gives you a clear understanding of the current health of your heart and what you need to change.
Your doctor can advise which screening tests are appropriate for you based on your age, medical history and individual risk factors.
Our comprehensive heart screening includes:
- Consultation with an expert Consultant Cardiologist
- General labs
- Renal screening
- Lipids screening
- Metabolic and inflammation screening
- Coronary artery disease and cardiomyopathy screening
Meet Our Team
Our Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute is led by some of the world’s most respected cardiologists and heart, vascular and thoracic surgeons. Offering treatment from prevention programs through to surgical procedures and rehabilitation, at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, your health is in safe hands.