3 years ago
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The Gauteng health department said the new unit would help reduce brain trauma-related deaths.
The Sebokeng Hospital in Gauteng performed two brain surgeries for the first time in 40 years.
A team at the neurosurgery unit performed the surgeries on two patients with subdural haemotoma (bleeding on the brain).
The Gauteng health department said the new unit would help reduce brain trauma-related deaths.
Previously, the hospital referred brain surgery patients to Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital.
The first surgery was a patient who experienced weakness on the right side of his body and could not walk or talk.
A blood clot in his brain was removed. The second patient also had a clot removed. Both have fully recovered.
"One of our key focus areas is to ensure that our facilities function optimally and that infrastructure challenges are addressed as this has a direct bearing on positive health outcomes," said Gauteng health and wellness MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko.
READ | Four-year-old Pretoria girl survives dangerous brain surgery
The hospital's acting CEO, Dr Fhatuwani Mbara, said: "Traumatic brain injury patients were occupying ICU beds for a prolonged duration, with no definite management plan, because the majority of the patients require different types of operations, ranging from skull, brain and spine surgeries.
"The newly established unit and our highly skilled team will ensure that we reduce head injury-related deaths sustained by our patients, especially men of younger age groups."
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