Looking to spread awareness about their nation’s medical capabilities, the National Hospital of Abuja, Nigeria, recently live-tweeted a successful open-heart surgery on a child, reports CNN.
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An unidentified Nigerian 8-year-old was born with a hole in her heart, but rather than seeking care outside of her homeland, the National Hospital took on the sensitive surgery on Tuesday and live-tweeted it.
Of their decision, Hospital spokesperson Tayo Haastrup explained, “We have a lot of Nigerians in need of these operations. This [live-tweeting] is for them to know it is possible to do it in this country.”
See National Hospital’s tweets below:
Happening Now: Open Heart Surgery (Ventricular Septal Defect Repair) Live at the Trauma Centre, National Hospital, Abuja.
— Nat. Hospital Abuja (@NatHospital_ABJ) August 11, 2015
The procedure is a repair of a hole in the heart. The patient is an eight year old girl and the ailment is congenital – She was born with it
— Nat. Hospital Abuja (@NatHospital_ABJ) August 11, 2015
The surgeons are prepping and drapping the patient in preparation for surgery pic.twitter.com/w1sXJB6acm
— Nat. Hospital Abuja (@NatHospital_ABJ) August 11, 2015
The surgeon is performing a Median Sternotomy – opening the chest of the patient.
— Nat. Hospital Abuja (@NatHospital_ABJ) August 11, 2015
The patient is about to go on bypass – The bypass machine is a temporary replacement of the heart – before the heart is stopped.
— Nat. Hospital Abuja (@NatHospital_ABJ) August 11, 2015
The bypass machine creates a new route for blood to circulate, so that the heart can be stopped. pic.twitter.com/X8ahKcUjwM
— Nat. Hospital Abuja (@NatHospital_ABJ) August 11, 2015
The surgeons have connected the tubes successfully and the patient is now on bypass.
— Nat. Hospital Abuja (@NatHospital_ABJ) August 11, 2015
The surgeons are trying to put a purse string around the RSPV (Right Superior Pulmonary Vein)
— Nat. Hospital Abuja (@NatHospital_ABJ) August 11, 2015
And now a cannula has been inserted into the RSPV. This is to completely drain the heart of blood.
— Nat. Hospital Abuja (@NatHospital_ABJ) August 11, 2015
The heart has been stopped and the bypass machine is continuing its functions.
— Nat. Hospital Abuja (@NatHospital_ABJ) August 11, 2015
The corrective procedure is still being carried out on the heart and everything is going fine.
— Nat. Hospital Abuja (@NatHospital_ABJ) August 11, 2015
The heart has been started again successfully and being tested to work just fine. pic.twitter.com/PJt8QmoCqD
— Nat. Hospital Abuja (@NatHospital_ABJ) August 11, 2015
The patient has been taken off the bypass machine and the heart takes over. The patient is being closed up.
— Nat. Hospital Abuja (@NatHospital_ABJ) August 11, 2015
(1/4) The eight year-old girl that the open heart surgery was carried out on, is stable and recuperating.
— Nat. Hospital Abuja (@NatHospital_ABJ) August 13, 2015
So far, National Hospital has performed five open heart surgeries in collaboration with Hospitals for Humanity, a U.S. charity.
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