In cardiology, innovation is not a milestone — it is a mission.

At LAU Medical Center–Rizk Hospital, transforming heart care has been a continuous journey spanning more than three decades. From the very first structural intervention performed in Lebanon to today’s most advanced transcatheter technologies, our Structural Heart Diseases Interventions Program has consistently set the national benchmark — and often the regional one.

A Legacy of Firsts

1993 – The Beginning of a Revolution
LAU Medical Center–Rizk Hospital performed Lebanon’s first mitral balloon valvuloplasty, opening a new era of minimally invasive valve treatment. At a time when surgery was the only option, this breakthrough offered patients safer, less invasive care — and established the hospital as a pioneer in interventional cardiology.

1998 – Closing Congenital Defects Without Surgery
We launched Lebanon’s first program for transcatheter congenital heart defect closure, providing life-changing solutions for children and adults born with structural heart anomalies — without open-heart surgery.

July 17, 2012 – The First TAVI in Lebanon
On this historic date, LAU Medical Center–Rizk Hospital performed Lebanon’s first TAVI (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation).

This was more than a procedure. It was a turning point.

TAVI transformed the treatment of severe aortic stenosis, allowing fragile and elderly patients to receive a new heart valve without open surgery, without stopping the heart, and with dramatically faster recovery. By introducing TAVI to Lebanon first, we ensured patients no longer needed to travel abroad for world-class valve therapy.

2015 – The First Lebanese MitraClip
Once again leading innovation, the hospital performed Lebanon’s first MitraClip procedure, offering a minimally invasive solution for severe mitral regurgitation in high-risk patients.

Each of these milestones reflects one principle:
If a breakthrough exists, Lebanese patients deserve it here.

A Comprehensive Structural Heart Program

Today, the Structural Heart Diseases Interventions Program at LAU Medical Center–Rizk Hospital integrates:

• Advanced hybrid catheterization laboratories
• High-resolution cardiac imaging with real-time 3D guidance
• Internationally approved transcatheter valve and repair technologies
• Multidisciplinary Heart Team combining interventional cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, imaging specialists, and anesthesiologists

Precision is measured in millimeters.
Impact is measured in lives restored.

Heart 2 Heart: Advancing the Field Beyond Our Walls

Innovation does not stop in the cath lab.

Every two years, LAU Medical Center–Rizk Hospital organizes Heart 2 Heart Talks, a landmark scientific meeting dedicated to structural heart disease and cutting-edge cardiovascular interventions.

The event brings together regional and international experts to:

• Discuss emerging innovations
• Share complex case experiences
• Conduct live case transmissions
• Advance collaborative learning in structural heart interventions

Through Heart 2 Heart Talks, LAUMC-RH becomes a platform for global cardiology dialogue.

Leadership Rooted in Vision

At the center of this journey stands Pr Georges Ghanem, a recognized pioneer of interventional cardiology and structural heart disease in Lebanon and the region.

From the first mitral balloon valvuloplasty in 1993 to the first TAVI and MitraClip procedures in Lebanon, Pr Georges Ghanem has led a program defined by courage, precision, and vision — ensuring that innovation reaches patients first, not last. His leadership helped build not just procedures, but a culture of structural heart excellence that continues to shape cardiovascular care nationwide.

Why Being First Matters

Being first is not about prestige.
It is about responsibility.

It means:

• Patients stay benefit from innovations
• High-risk individuals receive options once considered impossible
• Recovery is faster
• Outcomes are stronger
• Lebanese healthcare advances forward

The Future of Structural Heart Care Starts Here

As Heart Month is celebrated worldwide, LAU Medical Center–Rizk Hospital proudly stands at the forefront of cardiac innovation.

For more than 30 years, we have:

• Introduced breakthrough structural heart procedures to Lebanon
• Built the country’s leading transcatheter valve program
• Trained multidisciplinary teams to international standards
• Created platforms like Heart 2 Heart Talks to shape the region’s future

At LAU Medical Center–Rizk Hospital, we do not wait for the future of cardiology. We bring it home.