A HEARTWARMING TESTIMONY OF DOCTOR’S HEALING EACH OTHER

A senior surgeon’s life came full circle at Walter Sisulu’s International Medicine Week after he had guided and mentored a junior surgeon into specialisation, only to later be healed by the very protégé’s expertise.

This was during iYunivesithi Walter Sisulu’s International Medicine Week where academics and clinicians from diverse specialties gathered to share groundbreaking research.

As Dr Lungisani Mtimba, a vascular surgeon at Mthatha’s Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital (NMAH), took the stage to present his research and clinical work, but unbeknown to many, in the audience sat his former patient, Dr Mbuyiselo Madiba.

As Mtimba concluded his presentation, a visibly moved Madiba rose to his feet and shared how, after eight years of struggling with a venous leg ulcer, Mtimba healed him, ending years of pain and frustration.

His words carried deep gratitude and earned him heartfelt smiles from the audience.

According to Madiba, also a qualified surgeon, his journey with the unhealing wound began in the early 2000s when he had injured himself with a grinder, resulting in a stubborn wound on the lower aspect of his right leg.

“The wound was difficult to heal, requiring frequent dressings about three times a week. It was foul smelling and problematic, often causing discomfort and a mess during dress change. Despite all efforts taken, it remained unhealed. I struggled with it for about 8 years,” Madiba recalled.

Years later when Madiba was placed at Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital as clinical governance lead, he was tasked with recruiting specialists and filling vacant posts. That is when he noticed a glaring gap in vascular surgery expertise, particularly in the Eastern Cape.

Madiba added: “At the time, Dr Mtimba was just a medical officer in the Department of Surgery. He went on to specialize as a general surgeon and I encouraged him to pursue vascular speciality. Though initially hesitant, Mtimba eventually recognised the importance of this path and embarked on a two-year vascular training programme at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital.”

After completion, Mtimba returned to NMAH, only to discover that his former senior still struggled with the same leg ulcer. With his newly acquired expertise, he took on the case and successfully treated the wound that had plagued Madiba for nearly a decade.

“The first thing I did was to perform a thorough venous ultrasound of his leg trying to detect what the problem was, because the actual ulcer was not the primary problem. It was a symptom of an underlying disease. I identified green diseased veins, which I then performed a procedure in theatre, and completely cleaned all the veins as they triggered the ulcer,” Mtimba recalled.

In 2023, with the help of a skin graft, Madiba’s leg ulcer was completely healed, ending years of pain and frustration.

By Thandeka Mgqibi