The Scope of Cardiac Surgery at Federal Medical Center Abuja, Nigeria: A 12-month Review

Background: The heart was previously considered to be beyond surgical intervention until 1893 when a stab wound in the left ventricle was successfully repaired at Chicago Provident Hospital in the USA, beginning the dawn of a new era. Heart diseases were thought to be rare in Nigeria, until the establishment of a cardiac registry at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, in 1964 revealed different types of heart diseases including those requiring surgical intervention. Open-heart surgery (OHS), earlier rare, is now increasingly performed in various Nigerian Hospitals. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients who underwent heart surgery from March 2022 to February 2023, the first year of commencing OHS at Federal Medical Center, Abuja (FMCA). Results: There were 23 patients, with an age range of 1 to 65 years, mean 1.9 years, and majority of 12 (52%) females. A total of 17 (74%) patients underwent OHS with cardiopulmonary bypass, and six (26%) underwent closed-heart procedures. In the OHS cohort, 12 (71%) were for congenital heart disease and five (29%) acquired heart disease. The overall 30-day mortality was 13% (3/23), all occurring in the congenital heart disease cohort. Conclusion: A variety of cardiac surgical procedures were undertaken during the first 12 months of commencing OHS at FMCA, with an acceptable mortality for a new program considering the steep learning curve for OHS. The lessons learnt from this initial experience will help guide our program in improving the quality of service and clinical outcomes.