Bartilani’s hospital visits finally ends with open heart surgery

TWELVE-year-old Bartilani Taligatus’ visits to the hospital over the last 11 years finally ended when he bared his heart in the Operation Open Heart on Monday.
His mother Nora Dennis said her son Bartilani was diagnosed with congenital heart defects when he was two months old.
She said with the help of Bartilani’s father Dennis Taligatus, their son began visiting the hospital for heart medication.
“Our son is a fighter, and we have come this far and finally the hole in his heart was patched,” she said.
“Our sincere thanks to the dedicated and hardworking heart specialists, doctors and nurses for giving hope to our son.
“We want to thank God for the successful operation of our son.”
Bartilani was the third in line for surgery on Monday morning.
Cardiothoracic surgeon Dr Noah Tapaua assisted by Open Heart surgeon Dr Yishay Orr operated on Bartilani and seven other children from Sunday yesterday.
“We have two children for operation today and one on Friday,” Dr Tapaua said.
Meanwhile paediatrician cardiologist Dr Cornela Kilalang thanked Professor Isi Kevau and his team at the Sir Buri Kidu Heart Institute for their support in screening children with heart problems in Port Moresby and referred children from the provinces.
“Screening of children with heart problems is done once a year in most provincial hospitals,” Kilalang said.
“This is done by getting on a plane with a portable heart scan machine and arriving to a packed clinic with anxious parents and children.
“This is the only time the children get to have their heart scanned.
“In Port Moresby, children’s heart scans are done twice a week at the Sir Buri Kidu Heart Institute. Up to 1000 children are screened and after stringent further screening and discussions with the OOH and OHI teams only 30-40 children are selected for heart operations, depending on our available resources in our setting.
“By the end of this week, a total of 33 children would have had their little hearts fixed this year through open and closed heart operations of which 11 were done by the local team.”
Kilalang said the screening and heart operations on the children could not be possible without the support of donor partners.
“We are equally grateful as the parents of these children to you all for your kind hearts in making it possible for them to have a second chance to live,” Kilalang said.