Heart Institute performs five closed PDA surgeries in northern Uganda

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The Uganda Heart Institute (UHI) has successfully performed five closed-heart surgeries - free of charge — to correct Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA), a congenital heart defect.

Every year, UHI performs over 100 PDA operations at its Kampala facility (at a cost of sh3.5m), but these are the first such surgeries in northern Uganda — performed at Lira Regional Referral Hospital.

It marks a significant milestone in the decentralization of specialized cardiac care in Uganda.

Dr Ruth Aceng touring Lira regional referral hospital with a team from UHI. (Photo credit: Uganda Heart Institute)

PDA is a congenital heart defect where a temporary blood vessel, the ductus arteriosus, fails to close after birth. This results in the abnormal flow of blood between the aorta and pulmonary artery, potentially leading to severe complications, if untreated.

PDA surgery is performed to close this vessel, allowing blood to flow normally to the body instead of the lungs.

At the closure of the northern region PDA camp on Wednesday (February 26), UHI acting executive director, Dr Peter Lwabi, emphasized the significance of this initiative in fighting cardiovascular diseases.

"Following a thorough screening process, five out of the eight patients were selected for these life-saving free surgeries. The remaining three patients, whose cases require more complex interventions, will undergo their surgeries at UHI in Kampala at no cost," he said.

The camp, which began last Sunday, is part of UHI’s broader mission to decentralize heart care and bring advanced medical services closer to Ugandans — at regional level.

Lwabi spoke of the urgent need for continued investment, citing that cardiovascular diseases account for 33 per cent of global deaths, with 80 per cent occurring in low-and middle-income countries.

'Significant milestone'

Health minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng commended the efforts of UHI in bridging healthcare gaps.

Dr. Peter Lwabi, Acting Executive Director at UHI, looks on as Dr Jane Ruth Aceng listens to the parents of the operated child. (Photo credit: Uganda Heart Institute)

Dr Ruth Aceng, the health minister, sharing a moment with an operated child. (Photo credit: Uganda Heart Institute)

"This is not just a medical success but a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to decentralize specialized healthcare services and ensure equitable access to quality care for all Ugandans," she said.

According to Dr Muhoozi Rwakaryebe, a senior surgeon at UHI, PDA is one of the congenital heart defects that children are born with.

“If PDA stays open, it causes some of the blood that should go from the heart to the body to instead flow to the lungs, leading to complications such as poor weight gain, lung infections, and a weakened immune system. If left untreated, it can eventually be fatal,” he explained.

Of the 1.6 million babies born annually in Uganda, approximately 1 per cent of them (16,000) have congenital heart disease.

The availability of specialized surgeries like the PDA one is crucial in addressing these numbers.

Dr Twalib Olega Aliku, a senior consultant cardiologist at UHI, said these kinds of surgeries no longer require patients to travel abroad. 

“We have been doing these surgeries at our main hospital in Kampala, but we have started performing them at regional referral centres," he said.

"Last year, we did one in western Uganda at Mbarara Referral Hospital, and another in the east at Jinja Hospital. This year, we brought this life-saving procedure to northern Uganda."

The availability of these procedures within Uganda eliminates the need for patients to seek treatment abroad.

For comparison's sake, data from the Indian Health Council indicates that PDA closure surgery in India ranges from $3,800 (sh14m) to $5,500 (sh20m), a cost that is prohibitive for many Ugandan families.

The closed PDA surgery, which typically takes two hours, now means Ugandans will no longer have to travel long distances for treatment.

UHI has plans to scale up these procedures at all regional referral hospitals, improving accessibility while also reducing congestion at the main institute in Kampala.