HISTORIC HEART OPERATION SAVED PATIENT’S LIFE AND OVER K300, 000 COST

By Vonu LIBITINO

The very first Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) was performed on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at the Port Moresby General Hospital (POMGEN), marking a milestone for medicine and cardiology in the country and the Pacific Region.

The patient, a 53-year-old male, had a hardened and narrowed aortic valve, which restricted blood flow to his heart. Without intervention, he would have continued suffering until his death.

He was also rejected twice from the open-heart surgery program due to his age, leaving him with very limited options and fewer prospects for recovering to full health.

During a press conference earlier this week, following the historic and successful TAVI procedure, POMGEN’s Head of the Catheterization Laboratory and an interventional cardiologist, Dr. Wesong Boko, was elated while sharing that the patient was cooperative before the procedure and is doing quite well afterward. They hope to discharge him in the next day or two.

“The patient has not had a good night’s sleep in a long while because his heart condition disrupts his sleep and he wakes up with chest pains. But after the 1-hour procedure yesterday, he told me he had one of the best nights of sleep he has had in a very long time,” Dr. Boko said.

It was made known during the press conference that it would have cost the patient an estimated K300,000 to get this procedure done overseas. The patient had no way to pay for this operation, as he had exhausted all his funds on medical expenses.

“We were able to get the TAVI done, and because he was the first patient, it was done for free,” Dr. Boko explained while also thanking the POMGEN Board, Management, Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited, and the National Government for enabling this historic procedure to be carried out at POMGEN.

“Also, I hope they can subsidize the cost so every Papua New Guinean can access this service,” Dr. Boko said.

Dr. Boko, drawing from the sentiments expressed by Dr. Singh, said POMGEN stands to become the best center for TAVI to be performed, not just for PNG but for the whole Pacific Region.