Al Qassimi Hospital implants pacemaker in premature baby

The accomplishment shows how skilled and calm the hospital staff is when dealing with the most delicate and dangerous cases.

Early warning and quick action

Before Khadija was even born, doctors knew she had a heart problem. Routine scans showed that her heartbeat was very irregular, which led to constant monitoring during the pregnancy. The team meticulously planned her delivery, fully aware that every second after birth would be crucial. Khadija was delivered by emergency C-section when her heart rate suddenly fell to a dangerously low level, putting her life in immediate jeopardy.

After she was born, she spent 81 days in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), where the staff carefully dealt with the problems that come with being born very early. Her care included helping her heart and lungs and carefully controlling what she ate to help her become stronger.

A carefully staged treatment

Dr Ahmed Al Kamali, consultant in paediatric cardiology and head of the hospital’s Cardiology Centre, explained that the first step was fitting a temporary external pacemaker. Despite weighing less than one kilogram, Khadija underwent a highly precise procedure to place the necessary wires. The temporary device steadied her heartbeat, which helped her slowly gain strength in preparation for the permanent implant.

When she was at a safe weight, the paediatric cardiac surgery team placed a permanent pacemaker—a device that helps regulate the heartbeat— under her thin skin. During the operation, several specialised teams had to work together and plan their work cautiously to make sure everything went well. Dr Al Kamali called the successful surgery a major milestone because it stabilises Khadija's heart and gives her the best chance of having a healthy, active future.