A patient in their 70s has undergone a new type of heart procedure in Casablanca, offering another treatment option for people whose arteries have become narrowed by calcium deposits. Doctors at OceanicClinic El Hana carried out the city’s first intracoronary lithotripsy procedure, led by Dr Karim Badaoui. The clinic is part of Oncorad Group, a private healthcare operator that announced the achievement on 21 October 2026.
The procedure uses sound waves to break up calcium deposits inside the arteries that supply blood to the heart. This helps doctors place a stent, a small tube that keeps the artery open, when conventional angioplasty is difficult.
The technique is minimally invasive and can be used to treat patients with severe coronary artery disease, including older people who may face higher risks during complex heart procedures.
“This achievement illustrates Oncorad Group’s commitment to combining medical expertise, innovation, and quality of care, aligned with our mission to make the medicine of tomorrow accessible to every Moroccan,” the group said.
Oncorad Group was founded in 2000 by Prof Redouane Samlali and Dr Omar Hajji. It initially focused on cancer treatment before expanding into other medical specialties.
In May 2023, the group received an investment of 458 million Moroccan dirhams ($45m) from French impact investor STOA and CDG Invest Growth, through its Cap Mezzanine III fund. The money supported investment in advanced medical equipment and facilities, including medical imaging, robotic surgery, interventional radiology and cardiology.
The group now employs about 600 healthcare and administrative staff across roughly six facilities in Casablanca, Agadir, Marrakech and Tangier. Together, these facilities have about 400 hospital beds.
On 9 October 2026, Oncorad announced a new medical affairs division to oversee the introduction of additional medical and surgical specialties. The division is led by Dr Hamza Samlali.
In August 2026, the group also began plans to open a specialised cancer clinic in Tetouan, aiming to give patients in northern Morocco better access to treatment closer to home.
Oncorad has outlined a wider expansion plan worth 3.5bn dirhams, which includes debt and property financing. It aims to increase its capacity from about 400 beds to more than 2,800, operate 12 clinics in the short term and eventually expand to as many as 30 facilities nationwide.
Intracoronary lithotripsy was adapted from technology used to break up kidney stones. A catheter with a small balloon delivers acoustic pressure waves inside an artery, cracking calcium deposits in the vessel wall. This makes the artery easier to expand and helps doctors position a stent.
The technique is designed to treat heavily calcified arteries that can be difficult to manage with conventional balloon angioplasty. Other options, such as rotational atherectomy, use a specialised device to remove or break up calcium deposits. Each technique has its own risks, and the choice depends on the patient’s condition.
The global market for intravascular lithotripsy is estimated to reach $1bn in 2026, up from $954.3m in 2025. It is forecast to grow by an average of 15.8% a year, reaching $4bn by 2035.
