Tag: Duchess Hospital

The Duchess International Hospital has achieved a remarkable medical milestone by performing complex open‑heart surgery on “Master D,” a five‑year‑old boy born with Tetralogy of Fallot—a serious congenital defect that disrupts normal blood flow to the lungs. Over three days, from May 19 to 21, 2025, a multidisciplinary team led by Consultant Paediatric Cardiac Surgeon Dr. Mudasiru Salami worked in stages for a combined 14 hours to correct the defect. Under the vigilant care of the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, Master D has made a striking recovery and has now been moved to the paediatric ward for routine monitoring.

Chief Executive Officer Dr. Adetokunbo Shitta‑Bey explained that, in a healthy heart, deoxygenated blood travels from the right chambers to the lungs to be re‑oxygenated. In Tetralogy of Fallot, however, the defect forces oxygen‑poor blood past the lungs, causing chronic fatigue, cyanosis, and recurrent chest infections. This successful surgery not only restored proper circulation for Master D but also underscores Duchess International Hospital’s commitment to pioneering life‑saving cardiac care.

Master D’s Tetralogy of Fallot comprised four interrelated cardiac malformations: a ventricular septal defect (a hole between the heart’s lower chambers), pulmonary stenosis (narrowing of the valve leading to the lungs), right ventricular hypertrophy (thickening of the right lower chamber from prolonged pressure overload), and an overriding aorta (misalignment allowing oxygen‑poor blood to bypass the lungs). In many advanced healthcare settings, infants born with this complex condition undergo corrective surgery within the first nine months of life to forestall long‑term complications, experts said. Master D, however, did not present until he reached five years of age.

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Consultant Paediatric Cardiac Surgeon Dr. Mudasiru Salami described the critical first step of the operation: arresting the heart under cardiopulmonary bypass for five and a half hours—a period fraught with risk. “The first miracle,” he reflected, “was that the heart resumed beating immediately upon reperfusion.” Dr. Salami credited the seamless collaboration of surgeons, perfusionists, anaesthetists, intensivists and nurses, as well as the hospital’s state‑of‑the‑art facilities, for this life‑saving outcome. He also paid tribute to the selfless generosity of Duchess Hospital staff who donated fresh blood when it was most urgently needed. This confluence of skill, technology and compassion exemplifies the multidisciplinary dedication required to conquer congenital heart disease—and to rewrite the future for children like Master D.

Mrs. Olutope Adetona, mother of the miraculous patient, expressed profound gratitude to Duchess International Hospital for saving her youngest son’s life. She confessed that, after watching countless YouTube testimonials from families whose children had undergone similar open‑heart surgeries at Duchess, she felt reassured that her own son was in capable hands. “I begged every parent not to conceal any health challenges,” she urged, her voice steady but emotional. “Speak up early so help can arrive in time.”

Remarkably, the life‑saving expertise that revived Master D comes from a facility barely four years old. Since opening its doors on October 22, 2021, Duchess International Hospital has transformed Nigeria’s medical landscape—marrying cutting‑edge technology with an unwavering commitment to accessible, high‑quality care. Its multidisciplinary teams of surgeons, intensivists, perfusionists, nurses, and allied professionals have worked tirelessly to stem the tide of medical tourism, fostering renewed confidence in home‑grown healthcare.

Their success has not gone unnoticed. Today, an increasing number of Nigerians living abroad are returning to Lagos, drawn by Duchess’s reputation for excellence and compassionate service. In a region where families once felt compelled to seek treatment overseas, Duchess stands as a beacon—its neonatal units, cardiac suites and advanced diagnostic centres all testament to what’s possible when vision, investment and expertise converge.

Duchess International Hospital, Ikeja, has recorded another landmark clinical procedures and treatments in a variety of medical and surgical specialties since it opened its doors to patients in October 2021. The hospital, which commenced its cardiac (“open-heart”) surgery programme in earnest in the middle of 2023 with a total of 31 open-heart surgery procedures in the course of the year, convened a special press briefing to announce the successful completion of two complex paediatric surgery operations in children aged 12 years and 5 months old respectively.

On November 2, 2023, a combined team of cardiac surgeons, cardiac anaesthetists, specialised theatre nurses, perfusionists and intensive care 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 Precious Kolajo, a young girl aged 12 years old. Precious is the youngest person ever to have an aortic root replacement successfully done in Nigeria.

Similarly, a five-month-old (twin) infant (“Baby M”) was successfully operated upon to close a large congenital ventricular septal defect (a “hole in the heart”) on February 27, 2024. Baby M, who weighed just 3.4kg at the time of surgery has gained an additional 11kg since the operation was performed three weeks ago. This extremely delicate surgical operation was also performed by Dr Michael Sanusi, Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon and his team at the Duchess International Hospital. Both Precious and Baby M were physically present with their parents at the special press briefing held at the Duchess International hospital on March 15, 2024.  Precious has since returned to full time school. Baby M has also been discharged home with his parents, having made full recovery from the open-heart surgery operation.

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Commenting on this landmark achievement, the Chief Executive Officer of the Duchess International Hospital, Dr Adetokunbo 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 actually survive. Here before us are two patients who have survived complex surgical procedures and 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.

“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,” he said.

Speaking on the two successful surgical operations, Dr 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. 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 achieve a consistent and high rate of success.

Mr Felix Kolajo, father of 12-year-old Precious, 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.”

Mr Jamal Olalere, father of five-month-old Baby M, said, “My wife and I brought our baby to Duchess Hospital on the recommendation of Dr Adebola Adegunwa, Chairman of Rites Foods Limited. He commended the team at Duchess International Hospital for their professionalism and excellent care, which he said helped to save his twin boy’s life.” Both sets of parents expressed their thanks and appreciation to the Duchess International Hospital for giving their children “a new lease of life.”

Duchess Hospital, Ikeja is a 100-bed state-of-the-art multi-specialist hospital located in the heart of Ikeja GRA. The fifth floor of the hospital is equipped with a dedicated Cardiac Centre and highly specialised facilities for cardiac catheterisation and angioplasty, dedicated cardiac theatre for open-heart surgery and a wide range of specialised services and equipment for advanced cardiac investigations and non-invasive diagnostics and treatment. Duchess International Hospital officially opened its doors on October 22, 2021. Since its opening, the hospital has successfully conducted several complex surgical procedures in a variety of clinical specialties. In July 2022, former Vice-President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo successfully underwent surgery to his right femur at the Duchess International Hospital.