Brunei's First Heart Surgery A Big Success

Bandar Seri Begawan - Brunei first open heart surgery has been performed successfully.

The family of the patient, Dayang Bungsu bte Hashim, was beside her in a show of comfort and support during the operation.

She was brought into the operating theatre at exactly one in the afternoon. At this point, the patient was still fully conscious, but she was soon put under General Anaesthesia.

She was then further prepared for the surgery and a respiratory ventilator regulated and monitored the patient's breathing rate.

Another piece of equipment, the Cardiac Machine, was also linked up to the patient to watch her cardiac rate.

With all the necessary links placed on the patient the operating team, led by Dr. Rieda Menshawe El Oakley, then prepared for surgery.

This began with a delicate incision made in the chest, along the patient's sternum.

This first exposed the ribcage, which was then prised open, by using a special tool called the Plier.

At this point, the patient was then carefully connected to a heart-lung bypass machine through special tubes that circulates the blood and keeps it oxygenated.

Now, the real work began with the aid of a live video link from the operating theatre, the family of the patient as well as invited guests witnessed the procedure in real time.

The Septal defect in the patient's heart, which in layman's term means a hole in the heart, was now carefully sutured up.

This delicate process requires a steady and professional hand and very specialized tools, such as a very fine needle and surgical thread.

All this while the rest of the team carefully monitored the patient's vital signs.

Once the hole had been sutured up and the operating team was fully satisfied with the procedure, the patient was then taken off the heart-lung bypass machine as well as the anaesthetic machine.

After the successful surgery, the patient was taken to the surgery recovery room, which is similar to the Intensive Care Unit, where she will be closely monitored as she begins her road to a full and healthy recovery. -- Courtesy of Radio Television Brunei

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