The six-hour surgery, conducted on a Friday, was a success, with Vanstawel recovering well. This operation marks the first heart surgery at a public hospital in the North West province.
A cohort of medical experts from Klerksdorp-Tshepong Hospital and Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital teamed up to conduct the surgery of 38-year-old Martha Vanstawel, who was a cardiac patient since 2006.
The North West Health Department teamed up with the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital in Johannesburg to perform a first-ever open heart surgery at Tshepong Hospital.