Update on Dad

UPDATE 11.00PM: Sorry for the late update but by now you all must know that the operation went smoothly according to plan. Here's the official IJN statement:

MEDIA STATEMENT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Institut Jantung Negara, 4 September... YABhg Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad has successfully undergone coronary bypass surgery at the Institut Jantung Negara (IJN) today.

Currently Tun Dr Mahathir is warded at the Intensive Care Unit of the IJN where his condition will be observed for the next few days as is routine in post-bypass surgery. The next 48-hours is the crucial period in his post operative care and hence he will be under close observation in Intensive Care Unit by a team of doctors and nurses. Overnight, he will be fully sedated.

Earlier, Tun Dr Mahathir was taken into the Operation Theatre Complex at 8.45am where immediate family members were allowed to see him before he was brought into the Operating Theatre. The operation commenced at 9.40am and was completed at 3.05pm. He was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit at 3.30pm.

Doctors are happy that the procedure progressed as anticipated and his vital parameters thus far are stable.

Tun Dr Mahathir was operated on by a panel of surgeons led by Tan Sri Dr Yahya Awang. The other members of the surgical team are Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery of the Mayo Clinic, Prof Dr Hartzell Schaff, Dato Dr Rozali Wathooth, Dato Dr Azhari Yakub, Dato Dr Venugopal Balchand and Dr Mohamed Ezani Mohd Taib.

The anaesthetic team led by Dato Dr Mohd Hassan Mohd Ariff included Dr Sharifah Suraya Syed Tahir, Dato Dr Syed Abdul Aziz Syed Zain and Dr Nor Azlina Abdul Jalil.

The panel of doctors is headed by IJN’s Medical Director, YBhg Dato Seri Dr. Robaayah Zambahari and includes consultant nephrologists Dato Dr Zaki Morad Mohd Zaher, Dr Ghazali Ahmad and consultant gastroenterologist, Dr S Ganeshanathan.

Tun Dr Mahathir had been admitted to Institut Jantung Negara on Sunday for the elective coronary bypass surgery.

IJN will continue to issue updates as and when there is significant change in Tun Dr Mahathir’s condition. Doctors have also advised against Tun Dr Mahathir receiving visitors apart from immediate family members.

-ENDS-

I really had to go home for a quick nap this afternoon after we saw him in the ICU. I'm now back in IJN again to keep Mum company. We just went down to ICU again to see him and the doctors are very happy with his progress.

I've told my Mum about all your messages and will try and print them out so that she can read them now and Dad can read them later when he's awake and better. Meantime once again, my whole family thanks you for your very kind thoughts. All the prayers were much much appreciated. They comforted us enormously and gave us hope.

Post-op recovery is of course another process which will take time. But Insya-Allah, under the most able care of the wonderful doctors and nurses at IJN, Dad will recover well and be back on his feet again.

Until tomorrow then, goodnight.




UPDATE 12.54pm: Not much to update really. Just wanted to thank everyone for their kind wishes. Also wanted to request that those of you in KL please do not try and come to IJN to visit. Nobody will be allowed to visit Dad, doctors' orders. And we'd like to give my Mum a break too because she's tired. And so are we too actually. So thanks for the good intentions but please do stay away for the moment.

ORIGINAL POST:
Hi folks! Well he was wheeled into the OT at about 9am so now we're just sitting around waiting. Should take about 4 hours or so. But he was fine, calm and relaxed before he went in and we all got to give him big hugs.