UK vascular specialists conduct historic angioplasty procedures |04 July 2017
Another first for Seychelles
Twenty-six patients with kidney diseases and on dialysis have undergone specialised vascular interventions performed for the first time in Seychelles.
A team of three visiting vascular surgeons from the UK, on a charitable mission to Seychelles during last week, carried out the first ever angioplasty procedures to be done in Seychelles in the operating theatre of the Seychelles Hospital.
An angioplasty is a procedure that can be used to open blocked arteries in the heart (known as coronary arteries) and improve blood and oxygen flow to your heart without open heart surgery.
“For the first time we have made history in Seychelles; we have seen so many patients and have done 27 procedures on 26 patients half of these are angioplasties; balloons angioplasties as well as stents all at no cost,” Dr Arun Pherwani, the consultant, vascular surgeon leading the team told the press on Friday afternoon.
Dr Pherwani has been coming to Seychelles since 2009 to conduct voluntary vascular surgeries on patients on dialysis or suffering from other kidney related diseases.
During last week’s mission Dr Pherwani brought along a radiologist, vascular X-ray specialist who specialises in angioplasty as well as another vascular surgeon and a significant consignment of specialised equipment to carry out angioplasty procedures.
“We have brought with us between £50,000 and £100,000 worth of equipment purchased from charitable funds and donated by different companies that we work with,” Dr Pherwani said.
“It is really very satisfying to be able to come and give a helping hand and the patients are really very grateful and this makes you happy,” Dr Pherwani said.
“Looking after kidney failure patients is difficult anywhere in the world and it is even more so here because facilities and specialised doctors are limited,” Dr Pherwani said.
He added that the team providing care for patients on dialysis here is doing a wonderful job but when they require surgical interventions this is when outside expertise is needed.
“Right now there are over 150 patients on dialysis and the number of patients I see every time I come here keeps getting bigger and bigger,” Dr Pherwani remarked.
He added that patients requiring more specialised care are sent to MIOT, Chennai India for more than one treatment session to repair damaged veins and have angioplasty interventions and these are very costly procedures.
Asked for his impression on kidney and vascular related problems in Seychelles, Dr Pherwani said the worrying thing is that the number of patients on dialysis continues to increase and every time he comes to Seychelles he sees more and more patients and this is worrying for a small country with a small population like Seychelles.
Faced with such alarming increase in hypertension, obesity and diabetes which are the main causes of kidney problems and subsequent failure, Dr Pherwani said a change in lifestyle and diet is the only way to curb kidney related problems as this will reduce the leading causes.
“You have a lot of local fruits and the sea provides all the food you need so why is it that the beautiful Seychelles has a high incidence of diabetes, hypertension and obesity? People are eating badly and are not looking after their health. Over 150 people out of over 90,000 population is very sad and it is worrying,” Dr Pherwani pointed out.
He has congratulated Elsia Sinon and her team at the Dialysis Unit and Ramona Bristol, nurse manager at the operating theatre and her team for their commitment and dedication to ensure as many patients as possible who need specialised consultations and surgeries are seen by the visiting specialists and are given the care they need.
The vascular surgeons were expected to leave Seychelles over the weekend and are expected back in December to carry out the second stage of these interventions as well as see other patients.