The Duchess International Hospital has performed a successful complex “open-heart” surgery operation on a five-year-old boy (known as “Master D”), born with a life-threatening congenital heart condition known as Tetralogy of Fallot (ToF), a significant heart defect that affects the normal flow of blood through the heart and lungs.

Dr. Adetokunbo Shitta-Bey, chief executive officer of Duchess International Hospital, explained that the complex surgical procedure was successfully performed in stages over a combined period of approximately 14 hours between the 19th and 21st of May 2025, by a combined multidisciplinary team of specialised cardiac surgeons, cardiac anaesthetists, perfusionists, and intensivists amongst others, led by Dr Mudasiru Salami, Consultant Paediatric Cardiac Surgeon.

Master D has since made a remarkable recovery under the watchful eye of the intensive care team of the Duchess International Hospital’s Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) and has now been transferred from the CICU for routine observation on the Paediatrics ward.

Explaining further on why this is a great medical feat, the Duchess Hospital CEO explained that in a normal heart, blood flows to the lungs from the right chambers of the heart to receive oxygen from the lungs. In a heart affected by a Tetralogy of Fallot, the defect causes the blood (which is low in oxygen) to flow in the wrong direction, by-passing the lungs and causing low energy levels, a persistent blue discolouration of his lips and tissues, chronic fatigue, shortness of breath and recurring chest infections; all classic signs and symptoms of this severe and debilitating congenital heart defect.

He said the patient suffered from the four component malformations of this composite heart disease – a hole in the wall between the two lower chambers of the heart, a narrowing of the valve of the main artery carrying blood to the lungs, a thickening of the muscle of the right lower chamber of the heart due mainly to a forced protracted increase in pressure and workload, and poor positioning of the main artery that carries blood from the heart allowing blood to bypass the lungs and deliver blood poor in oxygen to the tissues and organs of the body.

In most developed health systems around the world, this heart condition, which is present from birth, would normally be treated by an open-heart surgery operation within six to nine months of birth to prevent further complications occurring in the years to come. In Master D’s case, he has had to wait several long years before his delayed presentation at Duchess International Hospital at 5 years of age.

Dr. Mudasiru Salami, Consultant Paediatric Cardiac Surgeon, explained that in order to perform such complex open-heart surgery in Master D’s case, the heart has to be arrested for the first five and a half hours. which was a huge risk. “But the first miracle was that the heart came back instantly”, Dr. Salami remarked.

He emphasised the importance of teamwork, dedication, specialised clinical expertise and cutting-edge medical technology available at Duchess Hospital as essential ingredients in the overall success of the procedure. He thanked Duchess Hospital staff for their show of humanity in donating fresh blood to transfuse the patient at a time when this was critically needed.

The patient’s mother, Olutope Adetona, while speaking, thanked Duchess Hospital for saving the life of her last-born child, noting that she had confidence that the hospital would be able to save her son after watching testimonials of satisfied patients on YouTube who had undergone open-heart surgery at the Duchess Hospital.

Mrs Adetona urged parents not to hide any form of health challenge in the family but to speak out so that help can come in time.

In less than four years of its existence, the Duchess Hospital, which was opened to patients on the 22nd of October 2021, has continued to be a shining light in the delivery of affordable quality healthcare in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa. Its cutting-edge medical technology and experienced teams of specialised clinical, non-clinical and allied healthcare professionals have worked tirelessly to reverse the trend of medical tourism abroad and build confidence and trust in healthcare services in Lagos and across Nigeria.

The hospital has noted an increasing trend of Nigerians in the Diaspora now coming back home to patronise its services in Lagos.