Nigeria’s first-ever minimally invasive open heart surgeries have been carried out by a private hospital in Lagos.

The operations were coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) – Off-Pump, and Mitral valve replacement. Both were done without big cuts on the chests of the patients.

The success of the surgeries by Tristate Healthcare Systems in Lekki put Nigeria on the list of the few countries in the “developing” world with the capacity to perform the complex surgical procedures.

The surgeries were done on four different patients while their hearts were beating.

A renowned Cardiologist and Professor of Medicine, Kamar Adeleke, announced the feat to journalists yesterday.

Adeleke disclosed that Tristate Healthcare had done over 120 normal open heart surgeries nationwide.

He explained that before Saturday’s feat, Nigerians could only get life-saving minimally invasive heart surgeries in the West, India and South Africa.

“Now, we’re using techniques that have never been done in Nigeria,“ Adeleke said, adding that because the technique is minimally invasive, it greatly minimises how much opening is made on the chest during open heart surgery.

This also means that the patient does not lose much blood, experiences less pain and spends less time in the theatre.

The Cardiologist added: “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.”

One of the patients was an 81-year-old woman who needed a valve replacement. (The Nation)

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