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Tag: surgery

  • LUTH performs first open-heart surgery

    LUTH performs first open-heart surgery

    •15-year-old undergoes kidney transplant

    The Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) has successfully performed its first open-heart surgery,  its Chief Medical Director (CMD), Prof. Akin Osibogun, said yesterday.

    Osibogun, said the feat was novel in the hospital’s history, adding: “Three open-heart surgeries were performed on an 18-month-old baby girl, a seven-year-old boy and a 23-year-old undergraduate.”

    He told reporters that the patients were in stable condition, adding that they would leave for home today.

    Osibogun expressed satisfaction that LUTH has joined University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Nsukka in Enugu State and University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Oyo State in carrying out such surgery.

    Doctors at the hospital, he said, were joined by experts from Hopitaux Universitaires de Geneve, Switzerland, Greece and Istanbul, Turkey to achieve the feat. There was a visiting team of specialists from the Mansoura Hospital, Egypt, he added.

    He said that it would take a while before LUTH doctors were left to perform the surgery alone, adding that it is part of technology transfer for doctors to be supervised by those teaching them.

    Osibogun said some doctors were sent to Mansura Hospital and India for training, adding that they have now improved on their expertise to deliver qualitative care.

    He said cardiac and renal surgeries were the major reasons why people seek treatment abroad, adding that this is followed by knee/ joint replacement surgery.

    The CMD said a kidney transplant was also carried out on a 15-year-old who came down with nephritic syndrome, adding that the patient had been on dialysis for over six years before the transplantation.

    He said the reason some organs fail after transplantation is because they may not properly match or the patients’ refusal to take their drugs as advised by doctors.

  • Surgery bites

    Surgery bites

    The Sunday was cool, church service enlightening. The society is currently beset with an enormous volume of negative news, chiefly the beastly face of corruption.

    There was a subtle lesson for me, a lesson on the folly of stereo-typing I had previously zoned specific crime to specific parts of the country, please apologies, what we experience sometimes makes our view jaundiced. The baby factory madness has now transcended all zones in the country….wonders will never end. In which case I feel those sayings, “one man’s mean being another man’s poison” is misplaced. Poison for all intents and purposes remains poison, end of story.

    I am trying to find some pro bono project viable, Is that not what some purpose we all have in life, The smiling school project started in Sweden  and very much planted in Namibia seems very appealing.

    To the business of the day, the toothy smiles of a beaming child is so infectious and easily melts the stoniest of hearts…Please smile to someone today and hug someone.

    I had a health retreat recently in a school and pupils seen where given a mini report to see the dentist when they are examined and they needed treatment armed with the report, the parents sauntered with the pretty angel, the parents complained the problem retained baby or milk teeth have not fallen off for some time and the adult ones were coming out just behind it and she was having too many teeth.

    I had the opportunity to explain to the parents the sequence of teeth exfoliation and eruption. The several reasons lack of space

    , vitamin deficiencies, obstruction for the deciduous teeth. The baby girl had a the mouth examined, the oral mucosa checked , the tongue , the floor of the mouth , the roof of the mouth the palate, the bite/occlusion and how the patient bites and closes the mouth , any nutritional deficiency , investigate, count the number of teeth for any deficiency.

    A similar situation may occur and in this case the permanent teeth are not erupted or visible into the mouth. Investigations with a radiograph, x-ray, will determine the presence or absence of any successor teeth.

    X-rays are harmful rays when they is an exposure in large doses, hence the need to protect oneself as the there are some tissues in the body that are highly sensitive to X-rays, like the reproductive tissues, the thyroid, the bone cells are susceptible to radiation and x rays. The dentist and the radiologist has a duty to protect the patient from unusual exposure to radiation, for this reason a lead apron to absorb excess scattered radiation is necessary.

    The radiograph will show the tooth and the surrounding tissues in bone. Retained or un-erupted teeth are also common in adult especially the third molar or wisdom tooth it can be the source of excruciating pain. Should there be un-erupted teeth the x-rays will confirm their absence or presence.

    The causes for un-erupted teeth are sometimes not local they can be part of a generalised body imbalance. Such as

    Metabolic diseases including Ricketts, which can lead to low growth spurts, cretinism.

    Hereditary swollen gums, known as fibromatosis, the gums are overgrown and the teeth appear sunken in the gums.

    The dentist is in a position to help treat this situation when present .It may be necessary to treat with a couple of extractions or use of wire (braces) to move the teeth called orthodontics.

    This will help prevent the formation of cysts etc. Additional  teeth may be removed to make way for the regular teeth to erupt, a cooperative girl had her treatment and yours truly was greeted with the very innocent thank you

     

    The tongue

    The tongue is a structure that occupies a sizeable portion of the oral cavity. It has some roles carried out solely and others in conjunction with other structures in the oral cavity.

    Chiefly amongst its roles are speech, taste using structures called taste buds, production of saliva, there are salivary glands below and on the surface of the tongue it is a tactile organ too. The tongue is mobile and attached in places, floor of the mouth and the sides by a fibrous structure known as the frenulum.

    There are muscles attached within the tongue and to the sides and other location of the tongue.

    The tongue colour and pathology may be a sign of more localised or generalised conditions in the body.

    A few conditions of the tongue will be discussed below

  • SAD DEBUT: Balogun for surgery in Germany

    SAD DEBUT: Balogun for surgery in Germany

    Newly invited Fortuna Dusseldorf of Germany right back, Leon Balogun, will undergo surgery in Germany, when he returns to his base this weekend after he suffered a fractured foot in the highly explosive international friendly between Nigeria and Mexico on Wednesday in Atlanta, Georgia, United States.

    Super Eagles doctor , Ibrahim Gyaran told Head Coach Stephen Keshi, that it was the best option open to the young defender and the surgery will effectively rule him out for up to eight weeks. That may give him enough time to quickly bounce back and rejoin the national team ahead of preparation for the World Cup in May, if invited.

    The medics explained that if he does not undergo surgery, it will take him a longer time to return to action (up to four months) hence the surgery option. His club medics have already been briefed about the development even as Keshi says his immediate concern for the player is his health.

    Balogun was involved in a horrific fall with a Mexican striker near the dug house of the El Tri midway into the second half of the encounter and hit his legs against objects in the technical area, forcing the Nigerian bench to replace him even when he came on only in the second half of the game.

    The player himself said it was painful that he copped the injury but added that he had no regret making a decision to play for Nigeria. “I am a Nigerian, my father is from Ijebu Ode and my mother is half Italian and half German, so I chose to play for my fatherland and I am enjoying it so far. The only thing at the moment is that I don’t understand Pidgin English, which many speak in camp but I will soon catch up because I like the atmosphere in the Eagles camp.”

    The players who bonded faster with Balogun in camp included John Mikel Obi, Emmanuel Emenike, Victor Moses and Shola Ameobi. “But I’m in tune with all my teammates and I’m happy with the way I was received as if I had been with them for a very long time, meanwhile I had never met any of them till now.

    “I pray my injury heals on time so I can return to playing football for my club and country.”

  • Internal meniscopathy injury: Igiebor to undergo surgery Friday

    Internal meniscopathy injury: Igiebor to undergo surgery Friday

    Super Eagles and Real Betis midfielder, Nosa Igiebor will undergo arthroscopic surgery on Friday to resolve the problems on the left knee that prevented him from turning out for the La Liga outfit against Russia’s Rubin Kazan in the Europa League and against Ike Uche’s Villarreal in last weekend’s league date.

    According to reports coming out of the Premira Liga outfit on Wednesday, the Nigerian international missed the club’s double session midweek as he will be undergoing the corrective surgery for the internal meniscopathy in his left knee.

    “Nosa Igiebor will undergo surgery on Friday to resolve the problems drag on the left knee. It has been diagnosed with an internal meniscopathy and will undergo arthroscopic surgery to correct it. The deadlines for recovery will be announced after the surgery,” a release in the club’s official website read in part.

    Igiebor, it would be recalled missed out of the Eagles squad that battled Mexico’s El Tri in last night international friendly at the Georgia Dome Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, united States of America.

  • UCH breaks new grounds in open heart surgery

    UCH breaks new grounds in open heart surgery

    The University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, the first teaching hospital in Nigeria, has scored another first in medicine, with its open heart surgery, a feat which attracted wide accolades. OSEHEYE OKWUOFU writes.

    The University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, Nigeria’s premier teaching hospital has recorded a major breakthrough in medicine in the country when it successfully carried out a “bloodless” open-heart surgery on a patient.

    The operation known as Coronary Artery By-pass Gland (CABG) was carried out on 19-year-old Kazeem Ojo by a team of surgeon from the hospital lead by Chief Medical Director, Professor Temitope Alonge.

    The patient was expectedly happy at the feat performed by the hospital which has drawn commendation from health professionals.

    The cheery news on the successful CABG was broken last week by Alonge who said the surgery was carried out without complication. This indeed was a major breakthrough for UCH and the Nigerian Medical practitioners.

    An elated Alonge, said with the feat, Nigerians would no longer need to travel abroad for such tertiary treatment as more Nigerian doctors are currently being trained to offer such medical care in the hospital.

    The orthopaedic and trauma surgeon said, “following acquisition of the Cardiac capitalisation machine by Toshiba in 2011, it was installed and put to use in 2013, UCH is able to resuscitate its open heart surgery. That allows us to evaluate the state of the arteries supplied by the heart muscles and if for any reasons there is any blockage, the blood vessels can be opened up with the balloon, but if the damage is extensive such that we cannot do the so called balloon and geo-plasty, then we resolve to open heart surgery.

    “This technically means that the chest will be split into two, the heart is exposed and then, the blood that is entering and leaving the heart is diverted into a machine called the heart-lung machine and we stop the heart.

    “So, technically the person is dead and the blood is going through the machine and going back into the patient and then repair work are carried out on the heart and after that we wake the heart up again.”

    Professor Alonge was not alone in the euphoria of the celebration of the great achievement. Members of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) and Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals also came to savour in the joy of the medical breakthrough.

    The national President, Nigerian Union of Allied  Health Professionals, Dr.  Felix Olukayode Faniran, described the feat as a great breakthrough.

    According to him, “the essence of our being here is to examine health care practices in the country, one of  them is what you heard  Professor Alonge said that they just had a breakthrough in open heart surgery being carried out at UCH.”

    Speaking further on the successful bloodless open heart surgery, Professor Alonge said that issue of open heart surgery was not new in Nigeria, the ability to resuscitate the procedure started last year at UCH.

    He explained further that the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital in Enugu was actually the first institution to have embarked on open heart surgery but the challenges have always been that of equipment, manpower and ability to sustain it.

    To offer its services to others in the country, the management  of the institution last week invited well-meaning Nigerians and corporate bodies to support  an endowment which it launched  to further assist patients needing open heart surgery but could not afford the high cost of treatment.

    He invited all Nigerians to support the good cause by assisting in raising the standard of medical care been offered in the hospital.

    According to him, the population of Nigerians seeking medical treatment for cardiac surgeries such as open-heart surgeries, hole in the heart conditions in foreign countries would take a downturn, as patients would now be able to access these advanced surgeries at the state-of-art Cardiac Catheter Resuscitation Centre (CATH LAB) in UCH.

    He added: “There is no better place to have a cardiac surgery than in the country you reside. Proximity of care is important for recovery because follow up treatment is needed for some cardiac cases.

    “This facility is comparable to what obtains in India, United States and the United Kingdom. Nigeria would now be the place to come to for cardiac surgeries in Africa. That would be our medical tourism.”

    The University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan was established in November 1952, in response to the dire need for the training of medical personnel and other healthcare professionals for the country and the West African sub-region, remains the tertiary hospital with the highest number of patients on its list annually.

    The oldest teaching hospital in Nigeria, has evolved over the years, with the finest tradition of infrastructure renewal to keep abreast with modern technology, to be able to offer the best medical care obtainable anywhere in the modern world.

    The management of the hospital, comprising of renowned medical practitioners, has in addition to Federal Government efforts in refurbishing the teaching hospital, taken steps to widen the scope of services provided with the resuscitation of the open heart surgical procedure of the hospital

    Since its inception, the hospital, which is strategically located in heart of the city of Ibadan, has recorded so many feats in medical care, training and human development.

    In the area of training and human development, UCH, according to Professor Alonge, has trained over 6,051 doctors, 501 dentists, 4,513 nurses, 2,307 midwives, 471 peri-operative nurses, 1,062 laboratory scientists, 576 environmental health officers tutors, 326 primary health care tutors, 590 community health officers, 640 physiotherapists and 551 health information management personnel.

    The patients turn out in the accident and emergency (A&E) Department of the hospital alone averages 6,000 annually and about 160,000 new patients are seen in the various out-patient clinics every year.

    In May 2006, a surgical team successfully performed open-heart surgery on three paediatric patients, an important landmark in medicine in Nigeria.

    Over the years, UCH has also produced many core professionals for the nation’s health sector, and more of its products have continued to excel overseas.

    What is open heart surgery?

    An open heart bypass surgery is performed under general anesthesia, which requires that the patient be on a ventilator during surgery.

    Surgery begins with harvesting the blood vessels that will become the grafts. The saphenous vein in the leg is commonly used because it is long enough to create multiple grafts. If the saphenous vein cannot be used, vessels from the arm can be used instead. The left internal mammary artery is used for a single graft and is taken once the chest is opened for surgery.

    Once the saphenous vein has been recovered, the chest is opened by making an incision along the sternum, or breastbone. The surgeon then cuts the sternum, allowing the chest cavity to be opened, giving the surgeon access to the heart.

    In the traditional CABG procedure, the heart is stopped with a potassium solution so the surgeon is not attempting to work on a moving vessel, and the blood is circulated by a heart-lung machine. At this time the heart-lung machine does the work of the heart and the lungs and the ventilator is not used.

    The surgeon places the grafts, either rerouting blood around the blockage, or removing and replacing the blocked vessel. The amount of time on the heart-lung bypass machine is determined by the speed at which the surgeon is able to work, primarily, how many grafts are needed.

    Once the grafts are complete, the heart is started and provides blood and oxygen to the body. The sternum is returned to its original position and closed using surgical wire, to provide strength the bone needs to heal, and the incision is closed.

     

    The University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, the first teaching hospital in Nigeria, has scored another first in medicine, with its open heart surgery, a feat which attracted wide accolades. OSEHEYE OKWUOFU writes.

  • Haruna to undergo surgery in Germany

    Haruna to undergo surgery in Germany

    Super Eagles and Dynamo Kiev midfielder Lukman Haruna is scheduled for a trip to Germany next Monday where he will undergo a surgery.

    A club statement on Dynamo’s website confirmed that head coach Oleh Blokhin may have to cope without the former U-17 gold medallist for the club’s remaining fixture in the 2013 calendar year.

    “FC Dynamo Kyiv midfielder Lukman Haruna is likely to miss the ending of football year. According to the White-Blues doctor Leonid Myronov he has some problems with meniscus (a tear or a rupturing of one or more of the fibrocartilage strips in the knee). So on November 25 he’ll go to a clinic in Germany,” the statement read.

    In another injury update, Denys Harmash who is almost ready to step into the ranks, will accompany the Nigeria international as he (Harmash) needs a check-up by the doctors.

  • Injured Omeruo to decide on surgery

    Injured Omeruo to decide on surgery

    Chelsea doctors are waiting on Nigeria defender Kenneth Omeruo to decide on whether he would want surgery on a problematic shoulder injury.

    Omeruo’s adviser, Chika Conleth Akujobi informed MTNFootball.com: “The doctors at Chelsea have given Kenneth the option of surgery or theraphy for his shoulder problem.

    “They want a permanent solution to this problem and so they expect him to decide in the coming week what he wants.

    “If he opts for surgery, he will be out for eight weeks.”

    Akujobi added: “There is no panic as Kenneth is in very good hands.

    “George Weah is staying in the same hotel with Kenneth and he told him there is no problem as he also had surgery on both his shoulders while he was at Chelsea.”

    The Netherlands-based football expert said Omeruo’s latest injury setback will not have any negative impact on his future at Stamford Bridge.

    Chelsea technical chief and former Nigeria international, Michael Emenalo has already suggested that the player goes out on loan, while manager Jose Mourinho is to decide on Omeruo’s fate.

    The 19-year-old central defender was to have begun training with the Chelsea main squad in the new week on their return from a training tour of the United States of America.

    He has also pulled out of Wednesday’s friendly against South Africa in Durban on account of this injury.

  • KNEE SURGERY Babadidi returns from United States

    KNEE SURGERY Babadidi returns from United States

    •Resumes training with Gombe United

    Gombe United hotshot Mustapha Babadidi,has returned from the United States where he underwent a successful knee surgery from the one he copped in the Nigeria Premier League last season in the colours of the Desert Scorpions.

    Babadidi who should have begun his career as a foreign based player with Dutch second division side, VVV Venlo was however delayed by the knee injury.

    The Technical Adviser of the Desert Scorpions, Maurice Cooreman who broke the news to SportingLife said that Babadidi has resumed light training with the club and would leave for Holland immediately he is certified fit to play fully again.

    Cooreman told SportingLife:”We don’t have much injury worries like that besides Babadidi that just returned from the United States. He is now getting better and has started light training.

    “He is already a player of VVV Venlo and so will go back to Holland immediately he is okay.”

  • Blind man, 42, needs N300,000 for hernia surgery

    Blind man, 42, needs N300,000 for hernia surgery

    orty-two-year-old Ebenezer Ojo, who hails from Ilesa, Osun State, cannot do what men of his age are doing because he is blind.

    He is also suffering from hernia and watery sperm. He doesn’t have relations to cater for him. He needs money to feed, wade through life and, more importantly, pay for the surgery he is billed for.

    At his age, most men are married with children; he is still single, living alone with no help from any family member or friends.

    Lamenting his poor state, Ojo said some of his friends sometimes bother him for money.

    He said he has been sustaining himself through begging for alms. This, he said, is demeaning.

    “I hate to beg people for money but what do I do if I can’t get money to feed,” he added.

    Ojo said: “Despite being visually impaired, do you know people still rely on me? But now, I also need help to pay for my treatment at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).

    “I really don’t like to lean on people, which is why I need the help of Nigerians so that I can start doing something, especially selling ice block, to take care of myself. Now I need to be taking some drugs but I’ve not been able to buy them. It is painful that despite having the prescription of drugs I wasn’t privileged to buy them. The medicines and surgery cost N200,000.”

    Ojo said the doctor recommended he needs hernia surgery and another surgery to separate water from his semen.

    “The doctor said my semen was diluting with water,” he added. Ojo said he can be reached through Rimax Institute. He opened a bank account: Ebenezer Ojo: First Bank: 3014420198.

    He is calling on kind-hearted Nigerians and corporate organization to help him financially so that he can have the surgery as quickly as possible

  • Now, I want to become a doctor, says hole-in-the-heart boy rescued through surgery

    Now, I want to become a doctor, says hole-in-the-heart boy rescued through surgery

    MUBARAK OLANREWAJU, remember him? He was the four-year-old boy with a hole in the heart, whose story we published earlier. After a seemingly hopeless battle to save his life, he is back on his feet after visiting a hospital in India, running and playing with his mates.

    His dream to become a medical doctor, severely threatened by the ailment, is alive again. “I want to be a doctor when I grow up”, Mubarak told a crowded room of well-wishers last week.

    And he decided to thank Nigerians who rose to the call to save his life by paying a visit to the head office of The Nation during the week.

    Looking gay and smart in a T-shirt over a pair of jeans, one needed no medical certification to know that he had been handed a new life that changed his fortune from a burden on his parents to a blessing, just as his Arabic name suggests.

    The first sign that all was not well with the little boy had emerged in February, 2012. His father, Abiodun Olanrewaju, said: “We first noticed that something was wrong around February 2012, when he started complaining of tiredness. I was surprised that such a small boy would complain of tiredness.

    “We went to Mercy Hospital on Lagos Island, from where we were referred to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH). At LUTH, the consultant told us that our son had a hole in the heart. She counselled us, saying that it could be corrected if we had the money for surgery. She said we would need about N2.5 million for a surgery in India.”

    For the petty trader parents whose income was barely enough to take care of the family’s basic needs, raising the sum of N2.5 million looked every bit an impossible task.

    “We did not know where or how to raise the money. But we remembered the advice the consultant gave us; that we should appeal to Nigerians to come to our aid. We also shared the problem with family members, one of whom advised us to approach the Lagos State Government for assistance.

    “The government heeded our appeal and took the case to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH). The government also released the sum of N700, 000. Another tranche of N800, 000 was released later, making a total sum of N1.5 million. ”

    But while the search for more money continued, the family was thrown into more misery, as Mubarak developed another ailment. At a point, the medical team almost lost the little boy while they battled to unravel the mystery behind his ceaseless and severe headache.

    Olanrewaju recalled: “On December 1, 2012, Mubarak started complaining of headache. It got to a point that we had to go back to LASUTH. He was immediately placed on admission. He was discharged the following day and given some drugs.

    “Three days later, another test was carried out, where it was discovered that the surgery had to be done quickly. He was admitted again on December 11, 2012. We almost lost him on December 12, as his condition deteriorated.

    “After a scan was carried out on his head, it was discovered that he had abscess in the brain. He was placed on admission for two months to drain the abscess from his head.”

    At this point, several other issues that threatened Mubarak’s future emerged. There were uncertainties about his ability to see or walk. Olanrewaju recalled that the situation was so bad that some of his friends walked up to him and told him it was better to let the boy die instead of wasting so much money on him.

    “They wondered why we wanted to waste so much money. But why would a father allow his own child to die?” he queried?

    In the midst of all this, Mubarak comforted his parents by insisting that he would not die. “He always told us that he would not die,” the parents recalled.

    After a campaign championed by The Nation, the sum needed for the surgery was raised, and Mubarak, accompanied by his father, headed for India.

    Olanrewaju said: “We finally left for India on February 10, 2013. But before we left, the boy could no longer see, and we were told that he was going blind. But the real problem that now confronted us was that the bulk of the money we received for the surgery had gone into treating the abscess.

    “Upon arriving in India, we spent another six weeks treating another ailment. The doctors then placed him on a new drug, which they said would help in battling the infection. He took three doses every day, and each dose cost N4,000. He was on this drug for 30 days.

    “At a point, we ran out of money, but God was merciful.”

    The waiting period ended for Mubarak and his family on June 12, 2013, when he was wheeled into the theatre to correct the hole in his heart. For the more than one year that the problem started, nothing would compare to what Mubarak’s father felt the minute his little son was taken away from him to be prepared for surgery.

    His only solace, however, remained his faith in God and his ability to withstand the pangs of dry fasting. “I went into fasting accompanied with serious prayers. At a point, one of the coordinators in the hospital advised me to break the fast and eat. He reminded me that I was the only person around the boy, and that he needed me to be alive,” Olanrewaju recalled.

    To underscore how worried he was, he kept the news of the surgery to himself, not letting the wife, who was in Nigeria, know the details until three days after the surgery had been successfully done.

    He said: “I could not tell her about the surgery. We spoke every day, but I didn’t let her know when Mubarak was taken into the theatre. The surgery lasted for about four hours. But I cannot really tell you how I felt or what was happening to me until they had finished.”

    Be it as it may, his worries were over when the surgeon emerged from the theatre and stretched his hand to congratulations the distraught him.

    “The surgeon came out and said congratulations!. He also asked me to go to the ICU ward to see my son. I went in and saw him breathing. At that stage, I simply went on my knees and started praying. I couldn’t even tell his mother about the surgery until three days after, when I was sure that it was successful.”

    Mubarak sat between his parents as they rolled out loads of gratitude to all those who had heeded their cries, particularly the Lagos State Government, which Olanrewaju said had changed his opinion about governance in Nigeria.

    He was also full of praises for the media for rising to the challenge of leading the clamour for help to give little Mubarak the chance to live.

    “I thank Nigerians who helped us to keep Mubarak alive. In particular, I want to say a big thank you to the Lagos State Government for coming to our rescue. This has really changed my opinion about governance in Nigeria.