A private hospital in Lagos State, Tristate healthcare systems, has performed Nigeria’s first minimally invasive heart surgery.
This was made known by a cardiologist and professor of medicine, Kamal Adeleke, who explained how the surgery was performed in the hospital.
Adeleke said they used techniques to carry out the surgery while the heart was beating.
Speaking on Monday, with Channels Television, Adeleke said before now, Nigerians could only get life-saving minimally invasive heart surgeries in the West, India and South Africa.
He added that the hospital had done over 120 normal open heart surgeries in the West, India and South Africa.
“Now, we’re using techniques that have never been done in Nigeria. The first one is the minimally invasive heart surgery.
“Apart from the fact that it is minimally invasive, we also did not stop the heart. The heart was beating while the blood vessels were bypassed.
“As a Nigerian that loves Nigeria, you can’t be happier that Nigeria can really do this.
“Nigeria can come out of a mess. When Nigeria puts its mind to something, it becomes doable,” he said
The PUNCH reports that one of the patients was an 81-year-old woman who needed a valve replacement.
Minimally invasive heart surgery involves making small cuts, called incisions, in the chest. This lets the surgeon reach the heart by going in between the ribs.
The surgeon does not cut through the breastbone, as is done in traditional open-heart surgery.
Minimally invasive heart surgery can be used to treat many different heart conditions. Compared with open-heart surgery, this type of surgery often means less pain and a quicker recovery for many people.
