First-ever open heart surgery performed at Tshepong Hospital

The 38-year-old patient, Martha Vanstawel, was suffering from several problems, including a leaking valve and a heart submental aneurysm in 2006.

The surgery took six hours. 

North West Health MEC Madoda Sambatha said surgery was done at the newly renovated cardiothoracic theatre at Tshepong Hospital. 

"We are here to celebrate an extension of life. This intervention is one of the best superiorities that science has. She wanted to be operated on in Jouberton, next to home. When the system was ready to do that, she accepted that she would be the one who was taken for the operation. The patient is very happy, and the family is very happy with the patient's progress.

"North West people should be happy. This is a reason to be happy. Our doctors proved that we can do it in this province to anyone who prefers to go to any other province for health purposes. 

"If anyone goes to another province for the same services that we deliver, it will be their choice. It wouldn’t be because the West can’t do it; that is why we are happy. North West can do it, it has done it successfully.”

Family representative Johannes Moseki praised the North West and Gauteng health teams for their job well done.

"As a family, we are very delighted that our doctors here have done their best, a good job that was required on that day. As a family, we are excited that our daughter has been well from the first day of the operation. 

"Tshepong has been put on the map that it is a hospital that has doctors that successfully operated on a heart.” 

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