May 1, 2026

In a place where access to advanced cardiac care has long been limited, an extraordinary milestone has just been reached.

For the first time in Syria, the SAMS Heart Hospital in Idlib successfully performed two MitraClip procedures to treat severe mitral valve regurgitation using a transcatheter approach, one of the most complex cardiac interventions in the region.

For patients with advanced heart failure, this is not just an innovation. It is life-changing.

One patient arrived in critical condition despite months of optimized medical therapy and specialist follow-up in the United States. His case was reviewed by a multidisciplinary Heart Team across borders, which determined MitraClip repair was his only viable option.

SAMS teams in the U.S. and Syria worked together for weeks ahead of the April mission to make the procedure possible. It was successfully completed using a single MitraClip, with immediate improvement in heart function and discharge within 24 hours.

As Dr. Hassan Al-Khawam said, “This was the patient’s only viable option.” Dr. Ibrahim Kassas added, “Success came from deep collaboration and preparation.” Dr. Tarek Kabbany shared, “We felt a profound responsibility. The patient is now stable.”

This is more than a medical achievement, it is hope made real in one of the most challenging settings in the world.

This milestone would not have been possible without you. Your support brings life-saving innovation to patients who have nowhere else to turn, and helps SAMS to continue reaching medical milestones that once seemed out of reach.