Tommy van Staden is currently recovering from heart surgery. The 55-year-old Empangeni resident was recently discharged from Melomed Hospital after a two-week stay in its Cardiac Centre of Excellence.

Van Staden says he never realised he had heart problems until three weeks ago when he felt an intense burning sensation in his chest.

‘It felt like there was ‘ball of fire’ in my chest. ‘I have experienced similar sensations in the past, but it always subsided and life carried on. But this time, the pain was persisting and did not go away. The pain was intense – I knew I had to get to a hospital quickly,’ he recalls.

Van Staden was admitted to Melomed after being stabilised at another local hospital.

‘On my arrival I was met by the ER team and was put in an isolation room under 24/7 observation. The next day I was moved to the Cardiac ICU section in the hospital, where I was met by a friendly and professional team that made me feel at ease,’ he says.

‘The Cardiac ICU section is well equipped and organised. I never once felt unattended to. The staff is amazing and dedicated to taking care of you.

‘I was taken to theatre on 25 August for an in-depth examination. Using state-of-the-art equipment, where you can see everything on a big screen monitor, the doctors did an angiogram on my heart to see what was going on.

‘Dr Sizwe Mthiyane and his team of specialists did a lengthy examination and I was diagnosed with coronary artery disease and multi–vessel disease.’

With this condition, the heart is essentially deprived of oxygen, which causes terrible chest pain. Van Staden underwent a life-saving procedure on 27 August.

‘They replaced multiple arteries by using arteries from my leg and arm.’

Van Staden says he was very impressed with the immense skills and speciality treatment that he witnessed at Melomed.

‘Back in the Cardiac ICU ward I was under personal care from staff around the clock. The nurse actually sat next to my bed monitoring every minute of my progress.

‘On Monday, 30^th August, the physiotherapist and staff were next to my bed assisting me to get back on my feet and to help me take my first steps back to life. They attended to me, motivated me in such a way that I was discharged from Melomed on 1^st September after undergoing open heart surgery!

‘I would recommend Melomed Private Hospital as a hospital of choice to anybody – not only for its world class cardiac division, but for various fields of expertise,’ he says.

‘I would like to thank Dr Mthiyane and Dr Ramghulam for saving my life. Thank you to all the sisters and their professional team members that faithfully attended to me and made sure that my stay in the Melomed Cardiac ICU was an experience that I will remember. Sister Thobiswa Mbedla, Zinigi Cynthia Khanyile, Eunice Jali and Neliswe Dlamini, as well as physiotherapist Sifiso Dlamini, all deserve praise.’