Move to decrease number of children for urgent cardiac surgery

There is a “tremendous” need for cardiac surgery for children  in Trinidad and Tobago. Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist, Dr Diane Alexander, yesterday said the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC) had 137 patients on the waiting list at the end of last year. At a media briefing at St Clair Medical Centre, Alexander said at each weekly cardiology clinic, seven or eight new patients were evaluated. Two or three may have a major cardiac problem requiring medical intervention. On Monday, work started on reducing the number of patients with pulmonary valve stenosis — a congenital condition in which blood flow from the right ventricle is obstructed in varying degrees.

Twelve patients ranging in age from nine months to 19 years had valvuloplasty (a procedure to widen a narrowed heart valve) at St Clair Medical Centre. Some of them have been waiting for three to four years. The parents of paediatric patients expressed relief that their children’s problem had been treated. Suresh Rampersad said his mind was at ease now that his four-year-old daughter Simone had undergone surgery. Her condition was diagnosed at birth and she had been on a waiting list since. Avalon and Camille Winchester from Tobago have been taking their two-year-old daughter for check-ups at EWMSC since her condition was detected when she was one-day-old. They said treatment abroad was expensive and hoped the programme to assist families would continue.

Dr Alexander said, “the reality” was that the complex nature of some paediatric procedures meant they could not be done in TT. She also said it had become increasingly difficult over the past few years to get foreign medical institutions in US and Canada to receive children. She said a regional initiative was taking place. She said Barbadian doctor Tony Harris was assisting with surgeries for children with rheumatic heart disease. The first surgery was on January 10.  She said EWMSC is trying to use local, regional and international resources to deal with paediatric surgeries.  Dr Galindo, a professor at the Uiversity of Miami, said the surgeries done at St Clair were a drop in the bucket.

“What we are dealing with is children who have a severe obstruction of one of the four valves and our procedure (basically) is to pass a catheter with a balloon to open the valve. This can make a difference in terms of their lives and their life span and quality of life. It is a very effective intervention.” Galindo, said the visit was facilitated by Caribbean Heart Menders Association, which assists with the provision of specialised surgery. He expressed interest in working with the Health Ministry, and private facilities to treat more paediatric patients. Health Minister, John Rahael said the estimated cost of doing the 12 procedures abroad was TT$1.5 million, but by doing it locally the cost was slashed to less than $500,000.