Emmy Okello

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Emmy Okello
Born1977 (age 4647)
NationalityUgandan
CitizenshipUganda
Alma mater Mbarara University
(Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery)
Wuhan University
(Master of Medicine in Internal Medicine)
Makerere University
(Doctor of Philosophy)
Case Western Reserve University
(Interventional Cardiology Fellowship)
American College of Cardiology
(Fellow of the American College of Cardiology)
Occupation(s) Consultant Cardiologist and Academic
Years active2000–present
TitleHead of Cardiac Catheterization Department at Uganda Heart Institute

Emmy Okello, is a Ugandan consultant physician who has specialized as an interventional cardiologist and researcher. He serves as the Head of the Cardiac Catheterization Department at Uganda Heart Institute, the government institution in Kampala that specializes in the treatment of congenital and acquired cardiac disorders. [1]

Contents

Okello has special interest in rheumatic heart disease (RHD), and is one of the recognized leaders in this area of cardiology in the region. [2]

Background and education

Okello was admitted to Mbarara University School of Medicine in the 1990s, graduating with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degree. He continued his studies at Wuhan University, in Wuhan, Hubei, China, graduating with a Master of Medicine degree in Internal Medicine. In 2015, he graduated with a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Makerere University, Uganda's oldest and largest public university. He then underwent a one-year fellowship in Interventional Cardiology at Case Western Reserve University, in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. [3] His doctoral thesis was titled "Burden, Risk Factors And Outcome of Rheumatic Heart Disease in Uganda". [4]

His research has identified the high morbidity and mortality, along with the big burden that RHD presents. He also found genetic susceptibility to RHD related to the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II Human Leucocyte Antigens (HLA) DR–11. [5]

Career

Dr Okello joined the Uganda Heart Centre in 2010. [3] In an interview that he gave in 2019, he stated that he qualified as a cardiologist in 2013. [6]

He has mastered the technique known as "percutaneous mitral commissurotomy", performed on patients with severe mitral stenosis. Commissurotomy is heart surgery that repairs one of the four internal heart valves (this time the mitral valve) that is narrowed from mitral valve stenosis, as a result of fibrosis, often from rheumatic heart disease. [6] Percutaneous, means that instead of opening up the patient's chest to carry out the procedure in the open, it is done through a small incision in the upper arm the procedure is performed remotely while watching on a fluoroscopic screen. [7]

Other considerations

In April 2019, Emmy Okello was elected as a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology by the American College of Cardiology, based in Washington, DC, in recognition of his body of work. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aortic stenosis</span> Narrowing of the exit of the hearts left ventricle

Aortic stenosis is the narrowing of the exit of the left ventricle of the heart, such that problems result. It may occur at the aortic valve as well as above and below this level. It typically gets worse over time. Symptoms often come on gradually with a decreased ability to exercise often occurring first. If heart failure, loss of consciousness, or heart related chest pain occur due to AS the outcomes are worse. Loss of consciousness typically occurs with standing or exercising. Signs of heart failure include shortness of breath especially when lying down, at night, or with exercise, and swelling of the legs. Thickening of the valve without causing obstruction is known as aortic sclerosis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rheumatic fever</span> Post-streptococcal inflammatory disease

Rheumatic fever (RF) is an inflammatory disease that can involve the heart, joints, skin, and brain. The disease typically develops two to four weeks after a streptococcal throat infection. Signs and symptoms include fever, multiple painful joints, involuntary muscle movements, and occasionally a characteristic non-itchy rash known as erythema marginatum. The heart is involved in about half of the cases. Damage to the heart valves, known as rheumatic heart disease (RHD), usually occurs after repeated attacks but can sometimes occur after one. The damaged valves may result in heart failure, atrial fibrillation and infection of the valves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mitral stenosis</span> Heart disease with narrowing of valve

Mitral stenosis is a valvular heart disease characterized by the narrowing of the opening of the mitral valve of the heart. It is almost always caused by rheumatic valvular heart disease. Normally, the mitral valve is about 5 cm2 during diastole. Any decrease in area below 2 cm2 causes mitral stenosis. Early diagnosis of mitral stenosis in pregnancy is very important as the heart cannot tolerate increased cardiac output demand as in the case of exercise and pregnancy. Atrial fibrillation is a common complication of resulting left atrial enlargement, which can lead to systemic thromboembolic complications such as stroke.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interventional cardiology</span> Catheter-based treatment of structural heart diseases

Interventional cardiology is a branch of cardiology that deals specifically with the catheter based treatment of structural heart diseases. Andreas Gruentzig is considered the father of interventional cardiology after the development of angioplasty by interventional radiologist Charles Dotter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valvular heart disease</span> Disease in the valves of the heart

Valvular heart disease is any cardiovascular disease process involving one or more of the four valves of the heart. These conditions occur largely as a consequence of aging, but may also be the result of congenital (inborn) abnormalities or specific disease or physiologic processes including rheumatic heart disease and pregnancy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mitral valve repair</span> Cardiac surgery procedure

Mitral valve repair is a cardiac surgery procedure performed by cardiac surgeons to treat stenosis (narrowing) or regurgitation (leakage) of the mitral valve. The mitral valve is the "inflow valve" for the left side of the heart. Blood flows from the lungs, where it picks up oxygen, through the pulmonary veins, to the left atrium of the heart. After the left atrium fills with blood, the mitral valve allows blood to flow from the left atrium into the heart's main pumping chamber called the left ventricle. It then closes to keep blood from leaking back into the left atrium or lungs when the ventricle contracts (squeezes) to push blood out to the body. It has two flaps, or leaflets, known as cusps.

Tricuspid valve stenosis is a valvular heart disease that narrows the opening of the heart's tricuspid valve. It is a relatively rare condition that causes stenosis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lutembacher's syndrome</span> Medical condition

Lutembacher's syndrome is a very rare form of congenital heart disease that affects one of the chambers of the heart as well as a valve. It is commonly known as both congenital atrial septal defect (ASD) and acquired mitral stenosis (MS). Congenital atrial septal defect refers to a hole being in the septum or wall that separates the two atria; this condition is usually seen in fetuses and infants. Mitral stenosis refers to mitral valve leaflets sticking to each other making the opening for blood to pass from the atrium to the ventricles very small. With the valve being so small, blood has difficulty passing from the left atrium into the left ventricle. Septal defects that may occur with Lutembacher's syndrome include: Ostium primum atrial septal defect or ostium secundum which is more prevalent.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to cardiology, the branch of medicine dealing with disorders of the human heart. The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease and electrophysiology. Physicians who specialize in cardiology are called cardiologists.

Annapoorna Kini is an American cardiologist. She is Professor of Cardiology and Interventional Director of Structural Heart Program at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.

Heart valve repair is a cardiac surgery procedure, carried out to repair one or more faulty heart valves. In some valvular heart diseases repair where possible is preferable to valve replacement. A mechanical heart valve is a replacement valve that is not itself subject to repair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MitraClip</span>

MitraClip is a medical device used to treat mitral valve regurgitation for individuals who should not have open-heart surgery. It is implanted via a tri-axial transcatheter technique and involves suturing together the anterior and posterior mitral valve leaflets.

Alain Cribier, FACC, FESC was a French interventional cardiologist, Professor of Medicine and Director of Cardiology at the University of Rouen's Charles Nicolle Hospital. Alain Cribier was best known for performing the world's first transcatheter aortic valve implantation in 2002, first transcatheter mitral commissurotomy in 1995, and first balloon aortic valvuloplasty in 1986.

John G. Webb, M.D., FRCPC is a Canadian interventional cardiologist and the McLeod Professor of Heart Valve Intervention at the University of British Columbia. He is most well known for performing the first transfemoral and the first transapical transcatheter aortic valve implantation in the world both in 2005. He completed the first ever transcatheter mitral valve-in-valve replacement in 2009 and the first in-human TMVR to be completed with the Neovasc Tiara device in 2014. In addition, he was an investigator in the PARTNER trial, a randomized clinical trial demonstrating the efficacy of TAVI compared to aortic valve replacement and medical intervention.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nagarur Gopinath</span> Indian cardiothoracic surgeon

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Sujoy Bhushan Roy was an Indian cardiologist and the founder Head of the department of the Cardiology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi. He was the president of the Cardiological Society of India in 1972. He was known for medical research in cardiology and was reported to have coined the name, Juvenile Rheumatic Stenosis. The Government of India awarded him the third highest civilian honour of the Padma Bhushan, in 1972, for his contributions to medical science.

Peter Lwabi is a consultant pediatric cardiologist at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala, Uganda. He concurrently serves as the deputy executive director of Uganda Heart Institute (UHI). He also serves as the Head of the Pediatric Cardiology Division at Makerere University School of Medicine. He also sits on the board of directors of UHI.

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Richard Gorlin was an American cardiologist known for his contributions to the fields of valvular heart disease, coronary artery disease and cardiac catheterization, digitalis and vasodilators in congestive heart failure, and thrombolysis in myocardial infarctions. Along with his father, developed the Gorlin formula used to calculate valve areas in aortic valve stenosis and mitral valve stenosis.

References

  1. Okello, Emmy (29 September 2016). "Heart Disease in Uganda: Present And Future". New Vision . Kampala. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  2. Thrive Organization Uganda (2017). "Dr Emmy Okello". Kampala: Thrive.or.ug. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  3. 1 2 Emmy Okello (2019). "Emmy Okello: Consultant Physician & Cardiologist: Uganda Heart Institute, Mulago Hospital Complex, Kampala, Uganda". Linkedin.com . Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  4. MESAU Consortium Uganda (2015). "Dr. Emmy Okello PhD Defence: Burden, Risk Factors And Outcome of Rheumatic Heart Disease in Uganda". MESAU Consortium Uganda. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  5. Africa Stemi (2019). "Africa Stemi Live 2019: 25th to 27th April 2019: Radisson Blue Hotel Nairobi: Speakers: Dr Emmy Okello, MBChB, MMed, PhD, FACC". Nairobi: Africastemi.com. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  6. 1 2 3 Nakirigya, Shabibah (7 April 2019). "Ugandan Cardiologist Scoops Top US Award". Daily Monitor . Kampala. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  7. Wen Loong Yeow, and Saibal Kar (2018). "Mitral Stenosis: Percutaneous Transvenous Mitral Commissurotomy". Hong Kong: The Cardiology Advisor, Copyright 2018 Haymarket Media, Inc. Retrieved 8 April 2019.