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IIn South Africa, heart surgery is our medical claim to fame – after all, this was the first country in the world in which a successful heart transplant was performed, by South African surgeon Dr Christiaan Barnard. 

If medical history interests you, when you’re in Cape Town be sure to visit the Groote Schuur Hospital Museum to see how medicine has changed over the years.  

This huge, renowned teaching and research hospital nestled on the slopes of Devils Peak was where Dr Barnard performed the first successful human heart transplant on 3 December 1967. The patient was Louis Washkansky, and the museum does a good job of retelling this ground-breaking story. 

It is no wonder, then, that South Africa has since made enormous strides in the field of cardiology and cardiovascular surgery, and specialised aftercare of patients. These disciplines include electrophysiology, paediatric cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery, and state-of-the-art cardiac catheterisation as well as laboratory services and recuperative nursing. 

Cardiac surgery in all its forms is practised across South Africa at state hospitals, as well as many private hospitals and clinics. The Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital in Cape Town, for example, which was the first private hospital to start a cardiac surgical programme in the country, has facilities covering all aspects of cardiology and cardiac surgery as well as facilities providing care for all other medical requirements. 

Heart surgery in South Africa continues to attract patients from all over the world, seeking first-class medical facilities and specialised skills. Of course, the fact that South Africa is a value-for-money destination is also a major drawcard. 

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