2 July 2009
Nairobi — Head of Public Service Francis Muthaura is likely to undergo a heart surgery any time from Friday in South Africa.
The Kenyan medical team had reviewed the situation with South African counterparts and agreed on the treatment, Dr Charles Kariuki told the Nation by telephone on Thursday.
"It looks like the most favoured management strategy right now," he said of the planned surgery.
Dr Kariuki, who together with Dr Frank Mwongera accompanied Mr Muthaura to South Africa, said the patient was in high spirits and expressed confidence that the treatment would be successful.
Mr Muthaura was admitted to Nairobi Hospital on Sunday after developing a heart problem, referred to in medical terms as a myocardial infarction.
On Wednesday, he was flown to South Africa despite earlier assurances by government spokesman Alfred Mutua that he was only in hospital for a routine check-up.
Typical treatment of such problem involves repairing blood vessels in and around the heart which may have narrowed or been blocked due to a combination of factors, including age and lifestyle.
This is done by injecting medication to dissolve any blood clots or opening up the vessels by inflating a balloon-like device inserted into the blood vessels through a catheter.
In serious cases, a heart bypass is done, which involves stitching in another blood vessel, usually taken from the leg, to replace or bypass the diseased one.
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