Mahathir back on respirator

Former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad underwent surgery and was back on a respirator on Sunday after a recent heart bypass led to a chest infection, a hospital statement said.

Institut Jantung Negara, 23 September....YABhg Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad has successfully undergone surgical wound debridement yesterday (Saturday, Sept 22) because of wound infection.


The surgery commenced at 11.30pm and ended at 2.30am. The procedure was undertaken by the same surgical team that performed the second coronary bypass surgery on Dr Mahathir at the IJN on September 4.

He is currently stable and has been put under routine post-cardiac surgery support.


He is expected to remain on support for at least 36-hours for post-operative care and will be put under close monitoring and observation by IJN doctors and nurses at the Intensive Care Unit.


The next 72-hours will be the crucial period in his post-operative care.

Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who is recovering from a coronary bypass operation, Saturday night underwent surgical wound debridement owing to a wound infection.

The surgery commenced at 11.30pm and ended at 2.30am today, said a statement issued by the National Heart Institute (IJN) here.

The procedure was undertaken by the same surgical team, led by Tan Sri Dr Yahya Awang, which had performed the coronary bypass surgery on Dr Mahathir at the IJN on Sept 4.

The statement said Dr Mahathir was in stable condition and had been put on routine post-cardiac surgery support.

He is expected to remain on the support for at least 36 hours for post-operative care and would be closely monitored and observed by the IJN doctors and nurses in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), it added.

The statement said the next 72 hours would be a crucial period in the post-operative care.

Debridement is the surgical excision of dead, devitalised or contaminated tissue and removal of foreign matter from a wound. It is said to increase the rate of wound healing.

Dr Mahahir, 81, who underwent his second coronary bypass surgery on Sept 4 at the premier heart centre, was transferred back to ICU 10 days later. He had been placed in the normal Bunga Raya Ward on Sept 12.

The former prime minister underwent his first coronary bypass surgery, at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital, on Jan 24 1989 following a heart attack.
(Bernama)


A word from Marina Mahathir :

" So....please don't worry. He got through the operation OK. His heart is fine. Now it's a matter once again of recovery. For that I need to humbly once again ask for your prayers so that he will get through this well and as speedily as possible. Thank you so much."

"Tolong jangan bimbang. Ayah saya telah berjaya melalui pembedahan kedua untuk membersihkan infeksi di bahagian pembedahan yang dijalankan pada 4hb Sept lalu. Sekarang hanya menunggu untuk dia pulih semula. Oleh itu, saya dengan rendah diri terpaksa meminta sekali lagi supaya anda semua berdoa supaya dia cepat sembuh.Terima kasih tak terhingga."