AN eight-year-old Ira Balajok has received a new lease of life from the gifted hands of the dedicated team of the catheterization laboratory or Cath Lab at Port Moresby General Hospital earlier this week.
Little Ira, who benefited from the Operation Open Heart Foundation’s children heart screening program last year in Madang, and recent airfares sponsorship from Air Niugini is now recovering at Port Moresby General Hospital.
Interventional Cardiologist and Head of Cath Lab Dr. Wesong Boko explained the procedure done on little Ira was a PDA (Patent ductus arteriosus) device closure where the team inserted the device through one of her bigger arteries and vein and closed the hole in the heart.
“We did a PDA (Patent ductus arteriosus) successfully close up; PDA is a congenital defect heart problem usually is an issue when one of the bigger artery or veins get connected with the aorta,” said Dr. Boko.
“The device closure, where we inserted through her groin and got through one of the bigger arteries, got access through one of the bigger arteries and veins and criss-cross the defect (hole) and pushed the PDA device through the vein into the aorta.
“As we were pushing through it got engaged and with the help of the angiogram, we saw everything was good and we launched it unscrewed the device, and it set on the defect.”
“It took about 20-30 minutes of procedure and the patient was well sedated for the next three-four hours when she woke and felt better.
“Unlikely, previously, when we treat these children patients, we do an open-heart, cut open the chest, patch the hole and this takes about 7-8 days to be fully healed. But for this patient’s healing was about 3-5 hours, waking up, sitting down, eating and walking.”
“I want to take this time to thank all the stakeholders, including Air Niugini for providing tickets for the patient, the Bank South Pacific for portable scan machine and Kumul Petroleum Holdings Ltd for the Cath Lab facility including the brand-new cannon Cath Lab machine that has given hope to children like Ira and many Papua New Guineans who will benefit from these world-class-highly specialized heart treatment services provide in Port Moresby General Hospital.
“It is actually a way forward for us in the heart treatment in PNG with this congenital issue as we celebrated the country’s 50th independence anniversary,” Dr. Boko emphasized.