Cleveland Clinic

When a person falls ill, his/her concern is how and where the treatment will be, and by whom. The scene of doctors and nurses moving around and tubes and wires being inserted and removed may complicate conditions. But this is now changing with modern technology and highly developed approaches by man and machine.

I recently had the opportunity to visit Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, and felt that the facility is a source of comfort and a place of relaxation for anyone who seeks recovery from a medical condition. The hospital has an atmosphere and an environment that creates a sense of satisfaction in the minds of patients and their family members. The human element's approach sends messages of confidence, making the patient feel that he is really in good hands, which makes it much easier to recover.

The magnificently-designed facility surrounded by landscaped areas has welcomed more than 12,000 patients since its opening in 2014 from 60 different countries, Chief Executive Officer, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Tomislav Mihaljevic, MD said. "All members of the hospital team and every cutting-edge technology in the facility revolve around the patient," he said.

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi is associated with Mubadala's network of world class healthcare providers and is linked with the prestigious US-based Cleveland Clinic. The clinic by far is not a "general hospital" - rather it is a "multispecialty facility". I was impressed with Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi's philosophy of naming its treatment centers as institutes that provide education and training for local physicians for heart, vascular, neurological and digestive diseases and ophthalmology, respiratory and critical care.

Cleveland Clinic is known to be the number one heart care facility in the world, and the number two facility overall. The building has five medical floors with a capacity of 364 beds, which can later be increased to 490 beds. It has three diagnostic and treatment levels, with 13 floors of critical inpatient units. The rooms in the VIP section provide an opportunity for patients' relatives to spend time with them and sleep in an adjacent room to give the patient peace of mind and make him as comfortable as possible.

"We are the first truly American hospital outside the United States of America, as patients used to travel to the US for treatment, but we have brought clinical care excellence to their doorstep," Mihaljevic said. He added that they were here to complement the existing healthcare system as well as to cultivate a sustainable change in healthcare. He said a patient's case is evaluated by a number of doctors of various specialties. "What is unique about Cleveland Clinic is the way we care for our patients. We recognize that many diseases today need a group approach and you have to have more than one doctor to take care of it."

Cleveland Clinic introduced robotic heart surgeries, and actually when we visited the hospital, Dr Mihaljevic performed a heart valve repair procedure using the robot, before he was able to speak with us. Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has a total of 3,000 employees both clinical and administrative with 255 physicians. Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has had over 261,500 outpatient visits and witnessed over 12,000 surgeries and procedures. It has also received more than 5,000 international patients from 60 countries as it continues to grow.

A press release published in Jan 2017 said Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and Healthpoint, both part of Mubadala's network of world-class healthcare providers, performed two landmark surgeries in the field of pediatric eye care for the first time in Abu Dhabi, marking the beginning of a new era in ophthalmologic healthcare for the children of the nation. The influx of leading ophthalmology experts at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi's Eye Institute, together with Healthpoint's specialization and expertise in pediatric care, has enabled surgical treatment of a complex case of infantile glaucoma, a clinical first in Abu Dhabi, as well as surgical correction of complex case of misaligned eyes (strabismus).

The first surgical procedure involved glaucoma valve implantation in the affected eye of a 7-month-old Emirati patient suffering from an advanced secondary form of infantile glaucoma. The second procedure involved combined horizontal and vertical extra-ocular muscle surgery in both eyes of a 4-year-old Emirati patient with misaligned eyes since infancy.

Glaucoma is damage to the optic nerve from increased eye pressure. Complex infantile forms are relatively more common on the Arabian Peninsula than in other regions of the world, due to a higher incidence of genetic mutation. The incidence of primary infantile glaucoma is estimated to be one in 10,000 to 20,000 in Western countries, while in the Gulf region it is approximately four times higher at one in 2,500. Infantile forms that are not successfully treated during infancy result in permanent irreversible eye damage and blindness.

Strabismus, or misaligned eyes, occurs in up to 4 percent of the population. The more common form is horizontal, which is also more straightforward to treat. Combined horizontal and vertical forms are less common and require a more advanced surgical approach. If not treated during childhood, binocular vision (the ability to focus with both eyes together) does not develop normally.

Both surgical procedures were performed by Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi's Dr Arif Khan, Staff Physician, Pediatric Ophthalmology, Eye Institute, in partnership with Healthpoint's team of pediatric experts, including pediatric general practitioners and anesthesiologists who provide specialized postoperative care for children. The combined care from both facilities permitted successful treatment as well as smooth recovery for both patients.

"Young Emirati children with complex glaucoma or strabismus have in the past been sent overseas for their care; however, they now can receive state-of-the art treatment in the comfort their home environment. In fact, we are increasingly treating children referred from surrounding countries for ophthalmic care. At Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi we are excited to offer the specialized expertise and advanced technology to treat complex cases in very young children and to collaborate with Healthpoint when surgery is required", said Dr Rakesh Sun, Chief of Staff and Chief of Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

"Pediatrics is a key specialism at Healthpoint and we have the facilities, resources and services needed to serve children's treatment needs without the need for them to travel overseas. We are constantly working toward filling the gaps in the market and expanding our pediatric capabilities. We are happy to grow our service offering by sharing our specialist facilities and collaborating with Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi to provide new treatment options to patients," said Dr Nader Darwich, Medical Director, Healthpoint.

"Modern healthcare demands new, multi-specialty solutions and innovative thinking. The positive results of these two surgeries are a testament to the comprehensive care offered by Mubadala's network of healthcare providers for the people of the UAE and signifies a leap forward toward the UAE's vision of providing exceptional healthcare to our residents", commented Suhail Al-Ansari, Executive Director of Mubadala Healthcare, Vice Chairman of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and Chairman of Healthpoint. "It is a dawn of a new age in the field of pediatric eye care, where expert collaboration across our network between eye and children specialists is allowing the treatment of complex conditions such as pediatric glaucoma within the country, become a reality within one seamless patient experience that is leading to improved outcomes.

One thing I cannot let go without mentioning is the food at the hospital. The hospital kitchen is manned by highly experienced chefs who have spent years in the business, and offer healthy dishes and diets to both patients and staff.

The kitchen operates 24 hours a day to care for patients' desired food. Valetin Bischoff, Manager, Production Quality, emphasized that "Cleveland Hospital Abu Dhabi's kitchen has no deep frying devices, while salt and sugar are used sparingly". He added that the "hospital's dedicated food services team offers an innovative service that customizes each patient's meal plan according to their individual health needs".

I can vouch that the food we were served at lunch was simply delicious!

By Abdellatif Sharaa