Vascular doctor from Johns Hopkins Medicine joins Tawam Hospital

Tawam Hospital, the UAE and Gulf region's premier healthcare provider, recently announced the appointment of Dr. Heitham Hassoun as Director of Vascular Interventional Therapy. Dr. Hassoun joins Tawam Hospital from its affiliate, Johns Hopkins Medicine, USA, where he has been a member of the surgical faculty since 2005.

The appointment of Dr. Hassoun is part of Tawam Hospital's larger plan of setting up a state-of-the-art cardiac center at the hospital. Dr. Hassoun is currently the only surgeon in the UAE who can carry out advanced minimally invasive procedures such as stent-graft repair for aortic aneurysms, as well as percutaneous revascularization of carotid, visceral, and peripheral arteries.

"We are pleased to welcome onboard a surgeon of such high repute and skill," said Michael Heindel, CEO, Tawam Hospital. "In pursuit of our goal of being among the best hospitals in the region, we have been investing in world-class medical professionals and equipments in the recent years. Moreover, our affiliation with Johns Hopkins Medicine has resulted in several doctors joining us from there. We are certain that Dr. Hassoun will thrive in his new role and we look forward to gaining immensely from his experience."

Commenting on his appointment, Dr. Heitham Hassoun said, "This will be a new challenge for me and it's going to be exciting. The facilities at Tawam Hospital are excellent, comparable to some of the best hospitals in the world, which means that the need for residents of the UAE to travel abroad for medical treatment is significantly reduced. Further, the hospital has demonstrated a relentless commitment to offering state-of-the-art patient care, and its affiliation with Johns Hopkins Medicine and the major human resource and infrastructural investments it is making, is a reflection of this."

Dr. Hassoun completed his Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Fellowship in the Division of Vascular Surgery at the Northwestern University in Chicago, IL. His clinical interests are in minimally invasive management of aortic aneurysms, carotid artery stenosis, mesenteric/renal artery stenosis and occlusive peripheral artery disease (PAD).

In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Hassoun is engaged in basic and translational science research at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. His research interests are in the molecular mechanisms of visceral organ ischemia/reperfusion injury and inflammation, and his work has been published in several of the top scientific journals.