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PROF. DR. NIKOLIKJ – A VIRTUOSO IN CARDIAC SURGERY: FIVE-HOUR OPEN HEART SURGERY AT “ACIBADEM SISTINA”

26.10.2020

An extensive and complex open heart surgery was performed at the Department of Cardiac Surgery in Acibadem Sistina Hospital to save the life of an 89-year-old patient. Lasting about five hours, the surgery was performed by Prof. Dr. Aleksandar Nikolikj, the head of the Cardiac Surgery Department; 3 bypasses were inserted in the patient, the aortic valve was replaced and the mitral and tricuspid valves were repaired.

Dame Sekulovski was admitted at the hospital with severe and unbearable chest pain. He was immediately referred for a cardiovascular examination and following the coronarography he was given a recommendation for surgical revascularization of the myocardium. Prof. Dr. Nikolikj, the cardiac surgeon says it was one of the long-lasting and most serious surgeries ever performed.

“The patient underwent a major surgery considering the intervention on 3 heart valves and insertion of 3 bypasses. The surgery posed a huge risk not only because of the age limit of 89 years, but also due to the 3 bypasses and the 3 valves. We did everything we could, there was nothing more to be done. I am satisfied, everything went great and now I am glad that the patient feels well”, says Dr. Nikolikj.

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The most important thing for the patient is to follow the recommendations given by the doctors and explained to his family, regarding the necessary care by their part and his behavior so that everything works the best.

Dame Sekulovski says that he has had heart problems for 10 years. He has been active all his life until the last year when he felt severe chest pain even while walking. Before the surgery he has taken therapies to regulate the pain.

“My heart problems started in 2010. I was engaged in beekeeping in my free time and always was on the move, working in the field, I could not sit in the office. I worked as a designer of energy facilities. However, the work still fulfils me, I get up at night and draw when ideas come to my mind. I started to notice the problems while moving; for example I would walk for 200 meters and suddenly I would feel a severe pain, very severe pain. I had to stop, rest and in 15 minutes it would pass. I could not carry more than 2-3 kilograms, so it was complicated in a way. Previously I have not had such an intervention. I have regulated everything with therapy, pills, injections”, recalls the 89-year-old patient.

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Dame Sekulovski says that Prof. Aleksandar Nikolikj is a virtuoso who performed the most serious surgery on his heart. He had complete confidence in him and now he expresses huge gratitude for prolonging his life.

“I told my granddaughter that my surgeon is a virtuoso. He performed the most serious heart surgery. A really great man. I am very grateful, and so is my family. Everyone asks me where I underwent the surgery, what was done and who performed the surgery. I tell them, only virtuosos can perform the surgeries for me and thanks to that now I feel very well”.

Mr. Sekulovski nostalgically retells that he still has contact with only three friends – Ljupcho Srbinovski – Srbo, Fikret and Mile Mozokot – out of his 30 friends. Although in the ninth decade, Dame Sekulovski is still upgrading his education; he completed English Language course a year ago, and still has a lot of design ideas that he would like to realize.

“While staying in the hospital room 4409, decorated with flowers on the wall, I got inspiration to write, I forgot all the pain, I read a lot of books and I still want to read. When I was young I studied in Zagreb; there was no faculty of electrical-mechanical sciences in Skopje, only faculties of civil engineering, agriculture, medicine and we learned Russian. I wanted to learn some world language and a year ago I enrolled English Language course; when the assistant asked me about my age, I told him nine times nine +7, or 88 years total and thus he exempted me from paying”, Sekulovski recalls.

Few weeks after the surgery Dame (89) feels very well. He has no pain and he can move and walk without restraints. He does his housework without any problem and he writes regularly. He expresses his huge gratitude for the overall treatment at Acibadem Sistina Hospital, for the dedication and care he got by the staff.