Angela Onwuzoo
Duchess International Hospital, Lagos, has successfully performed open-heart surgery on a five-month-old (twin) baby boy with a hole in the heart and a 12-year-old girl, Precious Kolajo, respectively.
The management of the hospital said in November 2023, a combined team of cardiac surgeons, cardiac anaesthetists and other specialists led by Dr. Onyekwelu Nzewi and Prof. Bode Falase successfully performed an aortic root replacement for an unusually large (8cm) aneurysm (dilatation) of the ascending aorta in the 12-year-old girl.
According to the hospital, Precious is the youngest person ever to have an aortic root replacement successfully done in Nigeria.
For the five-month-old (twin) baby boy, the management said he was successfully operated upon to close a large congenital ventricular septal defect (a “hole in the heart”) in February 2024, in an extremely delicate surgical operation, led by a Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Dr Michael Sanusi, and his team at the hospital.
Announcing the successful completion of the two complex paediatric surgery operations at a press briefing in Lagos on Friday, the Chief Executive Officer of the Duchess International Hospital, Dr Adetokunbo Shitta-Bey, said the hospital commenced its cardiac (“open-heart”) surgery programme in 2023 with a total of 31 open-heart surgery procedures in the year.
Shitta-Bey said, ” Today, we are redefining the meaning of success. It is not enough simply to conduct these operations. It is vitally important that the patients survive.
“Here before us are two patients who have survived complex surgical procedures and are able to return to their normal lives, a fitting testament to the excellent facilities and skilled personnel we have at the Duchess International Hospital and our commitment to deliver safe and affordable access to world-class healthcare to all Nigerians”.He further remarked, “We will continue to push the boundaries of specialised emergency and complex medical care to reverse the trend of medical tourism abroad and deliver the fastest, most convenient access to the best medical expertise available anywhere in the world.”
Speaking on the two successful surgical operations, Sanusi said he was pleased to work with a team of highly accomplished specialist professionals to give the hope of a normal life to both children and their parents.
Describing the procedure as an extremely delicate surgical operation, the heart specialist said the five-month-old baby boy who weighed just 3.4kg at the time of surgery, had gained an additional 11kg since the operation was performed three weeks ago.
He said the infant had been discharged to go home with his parents, having recovered fully from the open-heart surgery operation while Precious had since returned to full-time school.
He commended the cutting-edge technology and medical facilities provided at the Duchess International Hospital, a significant and enabling factor in ensuring the medical team achieves a consistent and high rate of success.
Expressing his joy, the father of Precious, Mr Felix Kolajo, said he was “absolutely elated” to see his daughter, who at the height of her illness was fainting regularly and unable to walk fast or do domestic chores, bounce back to life.
He said, “We almost lost her. The burden has now been lifted and despondency has given way to a hope of living a fulfilling life unencumbered by any form of infirmity”.
Copyright PUNCH
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
