A team of doctors from the Caribbean Heart Institute (CHI) in Guyana was able to save a man’s life by using cow tissue to reconstruct his heart.
The lifesaving surgery, which was a first of its kind, was completed on June 22 by a team led by CHI’s CEO and Guyanese-born heart surgeon Dr Gary Stephens.
The surgery, which was conducted on 24-year-old Dexter George, saw doctors completely remove a cardiac tumour, partially remove his right atrium and utilise bovine pericardium, a tissue derived from a cow’s heart, to reconstruct his damaged right atrium.
George had been battling his severe illness for over nine months.
CHI said he was first diagnosed after a small lesion in the right atrium, initially believed to be a blood clot, rapidly grew into a massive tumour.
With few options for treatment, doctors recommended the innovative surgery, which has a less than one per cent chance of success.
The institute, which is located within the Georgetown Public Hospital, said it would continue to utilise new technology and procedures to be at the forefront of cardiovascular care and research.
