University of Ibadan teaching hospital begins heart surgery

A team from the United States assisted with the first operation

Heart surgeries are now being performed at the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan, with the first one being on a 19-year-old boy, on Monday.

The boy’s surgery, which lasted three hours, was among the three slated for the commencement of the operations.

It was done in collaboration with a team of heart surgeons from the United States of America.

Head of the medical team from the U.S., Paul Davids, from Delaware, disclosed that they had replaced the bad valves in the boy’s heart.

He also confirmed that U.C.H was now well-equipped to carry out heart surgeries.

Also speaking, the Chief Medical Director of UCH, Tope Alonge, said the project would be run in collaboration with the Cardiovascular Institute, where Mr. Davids works.

A professor and head of the Department of Paediatrics, Samuel Omokhodion, who led the cardiovascular team from the UCH, said the cost of the operations in Nigeria would not be different from what is obtainable in other developing countries of the world.

According to him, heart problems are common among children and usually occur from birth