The 37 Military Hospital has successfully conducted its first ever dual chamber pacemaker surgery at the Cardiothoracic Centre of the hospital on Friday, 23 June 2023.

This surgery was conducted on Madam Helen Annor, a 47-year-old woman transferred from the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) Hospital to the 37 Military Hospital where she was diagnosed of a chronic heart condition.

The Doctor in charge of the Cardiothoracic Centre of the facility who performed the surgery, Colonel (Col) Dr Kwame Acheampong Adomako said the diagnosis on the patient revealed that there was the need for an immediate surgery to be conducted for the patient to survive, hence the dual chamber pacemaker surgery where a dual chamber pacemaker was inserted into the heart of the patient to stimulate her heart to beat at a normal rate and pump more effectively.

In an interaction with the media, Col (Dr) Adomako intimated that the two-and-a-half-hour surgery was successful because there has been tremendous improvement on the heart rate of the patient. He explained that the device could last between eight (8) to ten (10) years depending on how the patient conducts her daily activities. He stressed further that after these years, the battery would have to be replaced with new ones which would keep the patient going.

Col Adomako admitted that the procedure was undertaken with the help of Cardiologists like Dr Adzamle, Professor Tettey, Professor Martey and Doctor Victor Mensah, all from the Cardiothoracic Centre of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. He indicated that this surgery has challenged the Cardio Centre of the 37 Military Hospital to do more. He also added that he had initiated discussions with the suppliers of the device to make it affordable to enable Ghanaians undergo such procedure.

The patient, Madam Helen Annor, indicated that she was initially experiencing dizziness, weakness and immobility and was later diagnosed of a chronic heart condition at the Cardiothoracic Centre of the 37 Military Hospital which could only be resolved through an emergency surgery. Albeit she was informed through her search that the needed surgery could only be undertaken in advanced countries, she was elated the surgery was successfully done at the 37 Military Hospital. She advised other patients with such conditions not to hesitate in engaging the services of the Cardiothoracic Centre of the 37 Military Hospital.