LUTH performs 7 open heart surgeries in 3 days

… celebrates medical team

The CMD, Prof. Chris Bode (4th from right) with Dr. Femi Fasanmade, and Prof. Jane Ajuluchukwu (to his left and right respectively) surrounded by members of the team

The management of Lagos University teaching Hospital (LUTH) Thursday addressed a press conference to formally honour its team of professionals that performed seven open heart  surgeries within three days last week.

Speaking at an official presentation of the team, the hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Prof. Chris Bode announced that the team had successfully performed seven paediatric and adult open heart surgeries within three days  last week, showing that Nigeria can now perform those delicate surgeries for which Nigerians  often travel abroad at huge costs.

Although the operations were performed at a subsidised rate by the hospital, Bode noted that the entire cost of the seven surgeries would not treat two patients abroad.  With the successful  seven surgeries, the CMD said it is now clear that Nigerians  do not need to travel abroad again as they could be easily treated at home by their own people.

He commended the team for their tenacity, team spirit and patriotism. He said the hospital was proud of the achievement of  the team made up of paediatric and adult cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, cardiac nurses, anaesthetists,  laboratory scientists, pharmacists among others, saying with their achievement, the hospital, now fully equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, is poised to undertake 100 open heart  surgeries per year.

In her remarks, the Head of the hospital’s Cardiac Project, Prof. Jane Ajuluchukwu  explained that the hospital’s  Cardiac Project started in 2014 with three successful open heart surgeries. Ajuluchukwu who is also a Consultant Cardiologist said the team had a range of people for the surgeries including, 39 year -old female who already have three children but confidence to do it in LUTH,  two year old, 11 year-old, three year-old, seven year-old and  nine month-old. They were all operated in three days. According to her, the results were instantaneous as some of the children were already running around and burbling with so much energy, shortly before their discharge.

“Three of the patients are already discharged and the rest should be back home in the next few days,” she announced.