British Veterinary Centre performs historic canine heart surgery

ABU DHABI: The British Veterinary Centre in Abu Dhabi made a groundbreaking achievement in veterinary medicine as it became the first facility in the MENA region to successfully perform canine mitral valve repair surgeries during spring 2024.

Led by a team of distinguished veterinarians and supported by advanced equipment, this milestone marks a significant advancement in canine cardiac care in the UAE and wider area.

Mitral valve disease stands as the most common heart condition afflicting dogs worldwide. Traditional medical management can delay but not prevent physical decline and eventual heart failure. Successful valve repair removes the requirement for long term medication and allows a normal life, so the British Veterinary Centre, Abu Dhabi, undertook the challenge to pioneer mitral valve repair procedures for dogs in the region.

Under the leadership of esteemed personnel including Prof. Katsuhiro Matsuura, DVM, PhD, Clinical Assistant Professor in Open-heart Surgery at the Small Animal Clinical Sciences, University of Florida, USA, and Dr. Jose Botte, Senior Veterinarian and Cardiologist at the British Veterinary Centre, the 7-person surgical and perfusion team embarked on a series of three cases in urgent need of valve repair. One case had a life expectancy of one month without surgery.

The patients underwent meticulous preparation for their procedures. In each case, cardiopulmonary bypass allowed the heart to be stopped while intricate valve repair proceeded.

Following the successful completion of all three surgeries, intensive post-operative care was provided and the outcomes for all three were excellent. Normal life span without medication is now expected.

Commenting on this historic achievement, Dr. Martin Wyness, senior veterinarian and owner of the British Veterinary Centre, remarked, “We are immensely proud to introduce this advanced and highly successful procedure to the MENA region. Very few facilities in the world are capable of performing this procedure and we can now offer a cure here in the UAE for mitral valve disease. Seeing pets stop medications and regain their energy levels is truly wonderful.”