By Victor Ogunje
The Afe Babalola Multi-system Hospital has successfully performed another successful open heart surgery on a female patient at the emergency unit of its Cardiac Centre, during which a large mass was removed from the left side chamber of the patient’s heart.
The lady, who developed sudden breathlessness from a condition known as ‘left atrial myxoma’, a few days ago, was brought to ABUAD Multi-system Hospital, where she was treated as an emergency and was effectively stabilised.
A statement by the Director of Corporate Affairs, Afe Babalola University, Tunde Olofintila, yesterday said: “Left atrial myxoma is a relatively rare condition which can lead to sudden death or severe damage to the brain and paralysis if not operated upon as early as possible.”
Olofintila said the medical team led by Dr. Dave Dhiren advised the patient to consider an urgent open heart surgery, which she quickly obliged.
“She subsequently underwent a successful open heart surgery as an Emergency at the Cardiac Centre, AMSH ABUAD, during which a large mass, measuring 7cm x 5cm, was successfully removed from the left side chamber of her heart.
“Dhiren, a senior heart surgeon from India, is currently working in AMSH with his experienced cardiac surgical team. Dhiren has over 30 years’ experience in adult and pediatric heart surgeries, having done more than 8,500 open heart surgeries like Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery (CABG), Heart Valve Replacement, Complex Heart Surgeries for children born with congenital heart defects.
“This feat, like many others before it, has also become another notable medical breakthrough recorded by the Multi-system Hospital which has been acknowledged by leading medical educators and healthcare stakeholders as the most well-equipped hospital in the Sub-Saharan Africa as a result of which it has progressively become the leading destination of quality health care in Nigeria.
“The ‘pin hole’ surgery in which a major surgical procedure was carried out without opening up the patient, was carried out on a woman who has been trying to conceive for a long time but without success.
“The lady, who has visited many hospitals with many medications administered on her, was said to have had a medical condition that made it difficult for her ovaries to produce eggs to be fertilized to get pregnant like every other woman,” he said.
Olofintila revealed that the heart surgery was not only successful, the patient was out of bed the next day and after a few days’ observation, she was discharged to go home.
Commenting on the successful procedure, Dr. Dave affirmed that the facilities/equipment in the hospital, which made the procedure seamless, can favourably compete with any hospital in Europe and America.
