Little Heroes Campaign helps children receive heart procedures at Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital
PARKTOWN – Rosebank Killarney Gazette witnessed some of the non-surgical closure of a patent ductus arteriosus (hole in the heart) at Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital on 1 August.
Abbott’s Little Heroes Campaign has sponsored 10 devices to plug holes in their hearts of young children at the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital in Parktown.
A patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) [hole in the heart] is a blood vessel connecting the aorta with the pulmonary artery. This channel is important prior to birth to allow oxygen-rich blood from the mother to circulate throughout the foetus’s body. This vessel usually closes shortly after birth. If it does not close, oxygen-rich blood can mix with oxygen-poor blood, creating extra work for the heart. A PDA is present in approximately 1 in 2 000 births and is two times more common in females than males.
A plug known as an amplatzer duct occluder is placed in the PDA during a catheter-based procedure and will remain permanently implanted to stop blood flowing through the PDA.
Head of cardiology at Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital Professor Hopewell Ntsinjana said this procedure means that young children will have no scars on their chest.
“Abnormal circulation, recurrent chest infections, an enlarged heart, sweating when feeding and poor growth are all symptoms of children with PDAs,” said Ntsinjana.
He explained that the problem can be detected through an ultrasound of the child’s heart. “It is essential that children experiencing problems get medical help to see if they have this problem. We don’t want to get to a place where we can’t repair this.”
Two-year-old Thato Mabuyangwa from Katlehong was the first child to receive the amplatzer duct occluder thanks to Abbott’s Little Heroes on 29 July.
When Rosebank Killarney Gazette spoke to little Thato’s mom, Queen Mabuyangwa, on 1 August she was already running around and happy.
Queen said, “Thato had experienced fever, coughing, shortness of breath, sweats and an abnormal heartbeat and we went to the doctor and the clinic several times and they kept telling me that she had flu. Eventually, in March this year, a doctor discovered that it was a problem with her heart and wrote a referral letter to this hospital.
“I was very scared that they were going to open her up to fix her and I was worried about the risks, but when they explained this procedure, I felt less scared.”
She said Thato came out of the four-hour procedure and recovered almost immediately. “She was running around like nothing had happened, which made me so happy.
“I am excited about her future. I feel that she will go far. I want the best for her and don’t want her to be admitted to the hospital again.”
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