Akwa Ibom General Hospital, Awa Iman in Onna Local Government Area of the state has performed three more surgeries in transvenous cardiac pacemaker implantation.
This brings to five the number in the hospital as the facility recorded two in February 2023.
Briefing newsmen at the hospital, the surgery Team Leader, Dr Eyo Ekpo described the cardiac pacemaker implantation as a life saving procedure that helps to control heart beat, he noted that “this implant is not common in general hospitals.”
“The first pacemaker implant carried out at the General Hospital, Awa Iman took place on the 15th of February 2023 with two beneficiaries, while the second implant was carried out on the 30th and 31st of march 2023 with three beneficiaries, making a total of five beneficiaries and all were successful,” Ekpo said.
He commended Governor Udom Emmanuel for equipping the hospital theatre with modern facilities to enabling them to carry out the surgeries successfully.
A Chief Consultant and Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Dr Ezekiel Ogunleye, enjoined patients to stay away from Radioactive waves coming from phones and radios to prevent them from side effects of the pacemaker implant.
This, according to him, explains why the pacemaker is implanted on the left hand side of the patient.
Dr. Ogunleye said that “Changes that happen with age may increase a person’s risk of heart disease, added that a major cause of heart disease is the build-up of fatty deposits in the walls of arteries over many years.
‘‘People age 65 and older are more likely than younger people to suffer a heart attack, to have a stroke, or to develop coronary heart disease and heart failure.”
He lauded Governor Emmanuel administration’s commitment in bringing innovations to the health-care delivery system in Akwa Ibom State.
Other members of the team were consultant Cardiothoracic surgeon, University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Dr Akpan; Chief consultant Cardiologist, UUTH, Dr Shogade; Chief Consultant Anesthesiologist, among others.
