National Hospital Abuja performs open heart surgery, tweets operation

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