Medical Miracles

Urology specialist Prof Andre van der der Merwe heads up the Tygerberg Hospital unit, and he was moved after seeing the desperate plight of young men filling the wards every year. He became convinced he could successfully carry out the world’s first penile transplant.

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The South African Bone Marrow Registry outlines their ‘military style’ operation in getting the essential bone marrow from donor to patient in the necessary 72-hour window available. It’s a streamlined highly efficient procedure – and the bone marrow needs to get here on time no matter what obstacles they have to deal with along the way.

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Fibroids are benign tumours that grow in the wall of the womb plaguing the lives of millions of South African womb, for many it’s unbearable, causing unceasing bleeding, and even infertility. We hear from a South African woman who underwent a groundbreaking and life changing treatment that kills fibroids by cutting off their food supply – with minimal invasion. 

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A horrific accident sliced off a large part of a Cape Town man’s right hand, leaving him with only one finger. He was filled with despair, until a remarkable surgeon gave him new hope.

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Various viruses and other illness cause swelling in the brain. Intra cranial swelling must be identified as soon as possible to avoid brain damage. The problem with MRI and CAT scan equipment is it is expensive and only available in specialised centres or private hospitals. And the waiting lists for an MRI in the public health care system are long.

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Premature babies born sub 25 weeks – are known as micro prems – and some neonatal units in South Africa have developed such advanced bio mimicry incubators – in other words an extra uterine womb as close to nature as possible – that these minute babies are given more than a fighting chance.

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Type 1 Diabetes is being diagnosed in children younger and younger these days. Hear about the very latest development in the war against diabetes – an ‘airbag’ that shuts insulin delivery off at night if levels get to high while a child is sleeping – and thereby preventing the patient from going into hypo glycemic shock, one of parents biggest fears

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For couples struggling to have a baby, IVF or in vitro fertility treatment is a potential solution – but it is exorbitantly expensive and usually out of reach for most middle class people, never mind those in lower income groups. Now the Gynecology and Obstetrics unit at Tygerberg Hospital headed up by fertility specialist Dr Thabo Matsaseng is offering affordable IVF to couples.

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For decades the world that has focused on organ donor heart transplants as the only solution for a failing heart. Cape Town Cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Willie Koen talks about the groundbreaking research that has resulted in this golf ball size mechanical heart device, the Heartware Valve Assist Device (HVAD).

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