Peer-reviewed publications in international cardiothoracic journals, conference presentations at ISMICS, and patient case features in the UAE national press — every link below points to the original source.
PubMed papers
Conference presentations
Media features
Press languages
All publications below are searchable on PubMed/National Library of Medicine and link directly to the journal source. Where free full text is available, a PDF link is included.
Cardiology Journal 2021;28(1):86–94. Retrospective analysis of 714 EACAB patients followed for a mean of 6 years — 99% procedural success, zero 30-day mortality, 96.1% long-term survival.
Kardiologia Polska (Polish Heart Journal) 2004;61(9):253–261; discussion 262–4. PMID: 15531937.
PhD thesis on minimally invasive and robotic-assisted cardiac surgery — cited in Krzych Ł, Lach M, Joniec M, Cisowski M, Bochenek A. Kardiochir Torakochir Pol 2018;15(2):130–134.
Per Dr. Rafik's hospital profiles, the lifetime publication record includes six+ peer-reviewed papers and eleven conference presentations in English and Polish. The papers above are those publicly indexed in PubMed; additional Polish-language work appears in proceedings of the Polish Society of Cardio-Thoracic Surgeons annual congresses, the Annales Academiae Medicae Silesiensis, and chapters of his PhD dissertation published separately. The full curriculum vitae is available on request.
Request full CVEighteen years inside two of central Europe's leading cardiac centres — with a research group that has shaped Polish minimally invasive cardiac surgery for two decades.
Where Dr. Rafik trained, practised for 17 years (8 as cardiac surgeon, 9 as consultant), defended his PhD on minimally invasive cardiac surgery (2011), and co-authored his peer-reviewed publications on EACAB and robotic CABG.
sum.edu.plHigh-volume private cardiac centre where Dr. Rafik practised before relocating to the UAE. Affiliated with his 2021 Cardiology Journal first-author paper as a partner research site.
ahop.plProf. Andrzej Bochenek
Pioneer of Polish cardiac surgery, 225+ peer-reviewed publications. 1st Department of Cardiac Surgery, Medical University of Silesia.
Prof. Marek Cisowski
Cardiac surgeon, Medical University of Silesia / American Heart of Poland. Senior co-author on Dr. Rafik's 2004 and 2021 publications.
Prof. Janusz Drzewiecki
Interventional cardiologist, Medical University of Silesia. Co-author on the 2004 RCT and 2003 ISMICS presentations.
Prof. Maria Trusz-Gluza
Cardiologist, Medical University of Silesia. Co-author on Dr. Rafik's 2003 ISMICS 200-patient long-term follow-up study.
Prof. Paweł E. Buszman / Piotr P. Buszman
Interventional cardiology research group, American Heart of Poland. Co-authors on Dr. Rafik's 2021 first-author paper.
Prof. Wojciech Wojakowski
Head of Cardiology, Medical University of Silesia. Co-author on the 2021 paper and a leading European interventional cardiology figure.
Dr. Rafik's hospital profiles list 11 conference presentations in English and Polish across his career. The two below from ISMICS 2003 are publicly archived and verifiable; additional presentations at Polish Society of Cardio-Thoracic Surgeons meetings and other regional venues are documented in his curriculum vitae and available on request.
Sixth Annual Scientific Meeting, International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery (ISMICS), London, UK, 18–21 June 2003.
Sixth Annual Scientific Meeting, International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery (ISMICS), London, UK, 18–21 June 2003. Moderated by Gregory Fontana, MD & Kagami Miyaji, MD.
Hands-on training workshop on endoscopic and minimally invasive coronary bypass techniques.
Coverage of Dr. Rafik's patient cases and the introduction of robotic cardiac surgery to the UAE — from the November 2014 first to today.
Performed at Al Qassimi Hospital, Sharjah, on a 62-year-old patient (Salem Mohammed Al Sereidi) from Fujairah, in collaboration with a Belgian surgical team. Dr. Rafik led the cardiac surgery department at the time and headed the surgical team.
"Mortality rate in Da Vinci procedures is zero, with fewer complications. Heart arteries are replaced through a half-centimetre incision within four hours. Patients can leave hospital in three to four days — resuming normal life shortly after."
— Dr. Rafik Abu Samra, UAE Ministry of Health press release, November 2014
"Success of the first open-heart surgery with the robot at Al Qassimi Hospital"
Pan-Arab daily's coverage of the milestone, naming Dr. Rafik as Head of Cardiac Surgery and quoting him on the procedure outcomes. Reporting by Aida Abdel Hamid.
Read in Arabic"'Robot' performs open-heart surgery at Al Qassimi Hospital"
UAE national daily's coverage with Dr. Rafik named as Head of Cardiac Surgery, identifying patient Salem Mohammed Al Sereidi (62, Fujairah). Includes direct quotes from Dr. Rafik on procedure technique.
Read in Arabic"Da Vinci performs heart operations without surgery at Al Qassimi Hospital"
Arabic-language UAE Ministry of Health release with four direct quotes from Dr. Rafik on zero mortality, half-centimetre incisions, four-hour operating times, and three-to-four-day discharge.
Read in Arabic"Robot performs 9 heart operations with Al Qassimi Hospital surgeons"
Earlier Al Ittihad coverage from September 2014 documenting the first nine robotic cardiac surgeries performed by Dr. Rafik's department in Sharjah — first such unit outside the United States.
Read in ArabicInternational coverage of the milestone procedure. "The team... was headed by Dr Rafiq Abu Samra, head of the cardio centre."
Read on BreitbartOfficial UAE state-newswire announcement of the introduction of robotic cardiac surgery to the country. Dr. Rafik named as head of the cardiac centre.
Read on WAMOfficial government health-ministry coverage of the launch of the UAE's first robotic-assisted cardiac surgery unit — Dr. Rafik's department at Al Qassimi.
Read on MoHAPUAE national paper's coverage of the first nine robotic catheterisation and cardiac surgeries performed at Al Qassimi between June and August 2014.
Read on The NationalKhaleej Times reporting on the launch of the country's first robotic cardiac surgery unit, with quotes from the Ministry of Health and the Al Qassimi leadership team.
Read on Khaleej TimesPatient case feature on a chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) surgery — a rare condition affecting 3 to 30 people per million.
Watch on YouTubeLive radio segment on cardiac surgery, conditions that warrant surgical evaluation, and minimally invasive options — clip published on YouTube.
Listen / watchFeature on the redo Tetralogy of Fallot surgery performed on Lorna, a 38-year-old UK-born Dubai resident — with on-record quotes from Dr. Rafik.
Read on Gulf NewsFollow-up feature on the same case, focused on the patient's recovery and the technical complexity of a third chest opening.
Read on Gulf TodayHospital-published case film featuring Dr. Rafik (Cardiac Surgery) and Dr. Albert Alahmar (Interventional Cardiology) collaborating on a complex procedure.
Watch on FacebookEuropean Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery
eacts.orgInternational Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery
ismics.orgMember since training. Affiliated with Medical University of Silesia, Katowice.
Available on request: high-resolution headshot photography, short / medium / long biographies, fact sheet on robotic cardiac surgery in the UAE, and quote archives from previous coverage.
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