Babcock varsity performs first heart surgery

It was another milestone yesterday in Babcock University as the first heart surgery was performed there by its doctors. The operation lasted six hours.

The first beneficiary of this feat in the history of the university is a 34-year-old woman who brimmed with exceptional spirit as she calmly walked through the door with gaiety into the theatre for a life saving venture in the human hands of cardio thoracic surgeons: Professor Kamar Adeleke, Dr. Michael Sanusi, Dr. Mudashiru Lawal and Dr. Edward Anderson, all resident doctors, under God’s divine care. Dr. Anderson led the team for the operations.

Those were not the only ones who were part of the epoch-making exercise. There were other 15 critical care personnel in the operating theatre to provide specific required services. They included perfussionists, cardiac operations nurses, internists and anesthesiologists.

Yesterday’s surgery was a milk valve replacement. Today, another set of patients’ hearts are receiving care from the surgeons’ hearts that care. Dozens other patients are on the roll call and will have their turn as scheduled from now onwards at the Babcock University Teaching Hospital. So, what is going on now at the Tristate Heart and Vascular Centre of the University is not the last of such operations until all afflicted hearts are rid of that which prevents their effective functioning.

Professor Iheanyichukwu Okoro a surgeon and senior vice president of Babcock University, and Mr. Olukunle Iyanda, Vice president, development and strategy also of Babcock University, said the medical feat couldn’t have happened at a better time than this. “This is inspirational and praiseworthy; another achievement by God through mortal men”.