…First of its kind in a Public Tertiary Health Institution in Nigeria*
… “patients now have options to open heart surgery” – says Interventional Cardiologist, Dr. Oluwaseye Oladimeji*
As a public tertiary health institution, the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) is never resting on it oars, in its provision of quality health solutions to the residents of Lagos State, Nigeria and the World at large.
On Tuesday, the 20th of June, 2023, at the hospital’s Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, experts carried out a first of its kind procedure called Ventricular Septal Defect Closure (VSD), in a tertiary health institution.
According to Dr. Oluwaseye Oladimeji, a Consultant Interventional Cardiologist in LASUTH, described the procedure as one being performed on patients born with a hole in the heart. He revealed that “there are two ways to deal with holes in the heart. One is to perform an open heart surgery, while the other way, is to do a non-surgical closure”
Dr. Oladimeji defined VSD as a type of heart procedure that closes a hole between the left and right ventricles of the heart. He said this can be done without making an incision in the chest wall and the defect can be closed using a disc-like device.
The Consultant Cardiologist said, “patients who undergo this procedure can be discharged two hours after VSD closure and they can be on their way home.”
It is worthy of note that, different kinds of procedures have been carried out in LASUTH’s Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory. So far, over 120 procedures have been successfully performed since the inception of this laboratory in the second quarter of year 2022.
The efforts of the current distinctive hospital management and staff, led by the unwavering and efficient Chief Medical Director, Prof. Adetokunbo O. Fabamwo, has produced continuous improvement in the delivery of excellent healthcare services in LASUTH.
