Saudi Medical City 2025: A 96% leap in heart surgeries and a global achievement
The healthcare sector in Saudi Arabia has achieved a new medical milestone, adding to the nation's record of accomplishments. The Heart Health Center at King Saud Medical City announced an unprecedented leap in performance indicators during 2025. This leap was reflected in a growth of over 96% in surgical procedures, coupled with achieving globally competitive figures in emergency response times.
A strategic transformation in line with Vision 2030
These figures reflect not merely an increase in quantity, but a strategic shift in the efficiency of the healthcare system within the Riyadh Health Cluster 1. This development aligns with the objectives of the Health Transformation Program and the Kingdom's Vision 2030, which focus on facilitating access to healthcare services and enhancing their quality and efficiency. The medical city has successfully solidified its position as a referral center for critical cases, reducing the need for external referrals and localizing highly specialized treatment.
Operational readiness: Zero cancellations
Official statistics revealed a significant expansion in the center's operational capacity, with the number of completed cardiac surgeries increasing by 96.7% compared to the previous year. Notably, the annual report highlighted the medical teams' success in achieving a perfect score for operational discipline, recording zero cancellations of scheduled cardiac surgeries throughout the year. This figure reflects the center's meticulous administrative and medical organization, the readiness of its operating rooms, and the availability of qualified personnel capable of handling increased workload without compromising the quality of care.
A race against time: 80 minutes to save the heart
In emergency cardiac care, minutes are crucial in determining a patient's fate, as it is medically known that "time is heart muscle." In this context, the center has achieved a globally competitive time of just 80 minutes between a heart attack patient's arrival at the emergency room and their urgent catheterization (door-to-balloon time). This is a significant achievement compared to international standards, which typically recommend 90 minutes, and directly contributes to reducing complications of heart muscle damage and lowering mortality and permanent disability rates.
Numbers reflect the scale of the achievement
The center performed over 8,143 diverse cardiac procedures, highlighting the city's high level of trust and capacity. These procedures included:
- 872 Emergency catheterizations: to save lives and deal with acute strokes.
- 3000 therapeutic catheterizations: They were successful with an outstanding rate of 96.3%.
- 14,400 echocardiograms: This has enhanced diagnostic capabilities for early detection of disorders and the development of proactive treatment plans.
These digital and qualitative achievements confirm that King Saud Medical City is moving steadily towards regional leadership in cardiology and cardiac surgery, setting a model to be emulated in its commitment to global standards and patient care.
