Objective The profile, success and progression of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft at the institute has not adequately been reviewed. Coronary artery bypass graft though a widely performed procedure in developed countries, it is uncommon procedure in a few centers found in developing countries. The procedure is skill and expertise demanding. The study aimed to evaluate patients’ characteristics, number and disposition of patients after coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Methods This was a retrospective study that enrolled all patients who underwent coronary revascularization at the centre from May 2016 through November 2022. Patients’ demographic was entered into a structured data sheet, excluded were those whom their surgical and clinical details could not be retrieved. Preoperative clinical details, intraoperative and postoperative patients’ profile were recorded and entered into a data sheet in SPSS version 20 program and analyzed; Chi square (2) was used to compare categorical variables. Results There was a total of 220 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft from May 2016 through November 2022. Male patients were 172 (78.2%) and female patients were 48(21.8%). Male patients outnumbered female patients by 3.6 folds. The minimum age was 42 years and maximum were 89 years with a mean year age of 63.7± 8years. The majority of patients were overweight and obese in 73%. The mean duration of presentation was 13.5 ± 8.6 months and the overall early mortality rate was 10.5%. Conclusion The key to a successful of a well-established cardiac centre in sub-Saharan countries of Africa and to any newly established cardiac center requires government commitment to invest in human resource; that in turn forms a local core cardiac team that should work focused to archive its goals. Investing into a well-planned structure that fits the requirement of a cardiac Centre. There should be a system that ensures availability and constant supply of consumables. The success and progress of open heart surgery demonstrated by Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute from simple open heart procedures to complex surgical procedures required a well-planned short and long term plan with good coordination and focus, backed by unwavering government commitment
Objective: The aim of this study was to prove, whether the intracutaneous skin closure with self made fishing line suture is equivalent to commercial sutures. Design: It was a randomised blinded animal study. Setting: The study was performed in December 2002 at the Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences in Dar-es-salaam. Subjects: Both German surgeons from Mannheim, and Tanzanian surgeons from Dar es salaam operated on nine one year old Tanzanian domestic sheep. Interventions: 108 standardised cutaneous wounds on the backs of the animals were closed by intracutaneous sutures either with self produced fishing line suture or a commercial nylon suture (Ethilon®). Main Outcome measures: The clinical and histological outcomes, as well as the costs of this self-made fishing line suture, with a commercial nylon thread were evaluated and compared. Results: There are no significant differences between the two sutures in histological or clinical findings, or in the reported ease of use by the surgeons. The cost of a selfproduced atraumatic thread is US$ 0.12, less than one-twentieth of the cost of the commercial thread. Conclusion: Self-made fishing nylon suture has characteristics and properties in sheep skin wounds comparable to commercial nylon suture. The advantage of the commercial thread is the guaranteed quality assurance. It is discussed whether this quality assurance justifies the large price difference, and whether the self-produced thread should be recommended to surgeons in countries where the costs of surgical material often remains an obstacle for life saving operations. East African Medical Journal Vol.81(7) 2004: 348-352