A distinguished Professor Cesar Khazen, MD, PhD visited the Clinic of Cardiovascular Diseases

A distinguished Professor Cesar Khazen, MD, PhD, a cardiac surgeon from the Vienna General Hospital (AKH), with the support of Biotronik company visited the Clinical Centre Banja Luka. On that occasion, he performed two complex surgeries together with the physicians of the Clinic of Cardiovascular Diseases – Department of Cardiac Arrhythmias, Electrophysiology and Cardiac Electrostimulation.

Patients with cardiac insufficiency needed implantation of CRT-D system (resynchronization therapy). A friendly visit of Cesar Khazen MD, a recognized expert in the field of cardiac pacing and resynchronization therapy, is a continuation of long-term cooperation between the Clinical Centre Banja Luka and the Vienna General Hospital in which physicians from Department of Cardiac Arrhythmias, Electrophysiology and Cardiac Electrostimulation of the CCBL Clinic of Cardiovascular Diseases were educated. Professor Cesar Khazen, MD, PhD said: “The cooperation started when Dragan Unčanin MD underwent educational training in the Vienna General Hospital. Afterwards, I came to Banja Luka. The cooperation between Vienna General Hospital and the Clinical Centre Banja Luka is best known for successfully performed cardiac transplants.

There is a possibility to achieve the same cooperation for extraction of electrodes as well as education of young personnel. Companies that provide realization of cooperation plans play a big role in the mentioned cooperation”. Implantable cardioverter defibrillator with three electrodes (CRT-D) is used in patients with cardiac insufficiency i.e. in patients for whom other treatment modalities have failed. In all reputable hospitals worldwide, patients are fitted with these types of the most complex implant systems. Patients react positively to this type of treatment, their hospital stay is shorter and accordingly costs of treatment are reduced. For the past six years, the Clinical Centre Banja Luka has been having a successful cooperation with Vienna General Hospital, especially regarding cardiac transplants. In Vienna, cardiac transplants were successfully performed in eight patients from the Republic of Srpska. The most deserving person for cooperation between two healthcare institutions in the field of heart transplantation is Professor Andreas Zuckermann and cooperation between our Pacemaker Centre and AKH Pacemaker Centre will be continued. Professor Cesar Khazen, MD, PhD completed his primary and secondary education and graduated from the Faculty of Medicine in Venezuela. Afterwards, he got his diploma recognized in Austria. He is conducting a project on surgical electrophysiology in the Vienna General Hospital.