Since Friday 28 July 2018 when I got the news of the sudden death of Prof Bongani M Mayosi, I have been in ‘psychological shock’ and this will remain with me for a long time to come.
Bongani had called me a day or two earlier (while I was in Mombasa, Kenya, attending the annual conference of the Kenya Cardiac Society) to get an update on the INVICTUS trial in Nigeria. I had promised to call him back from Nigeria on Monday 30 July. It is therefore very hard for me to accept that a brother, a friend, a mentor, a warrior, a champion, a leader and a true son of Africa has suddenly left this side of eternity. This is devastating.
My first personal contact with Bongani was at the PASCAR renaissance meeting (4–9 February 2007) in Kenya (although he had earlier contacted some of us indirectly via e-mail through Prof Mpiko Ntsekhe/Dr Akinyemi Aje on 3 January 2007 to join the IMPI trial). At the PASCAR meeting, Bongani spoke with great passion and emotion and a very rare eloquence on the need for collaboration to tackle endemic diseases on the continent (especially ‘cardiovascular diseases of the poor’, such as rheumatic heart disease, tuberculous pericarditis and endemic cardiomyopathies).
Since then, Bongani has remained a source of leadership and inspiration, not only to me but also to my other colleagues from Nigeria, such as Prof Mahmoud Sani and Dr Dike Ojji. On 17 October 2007, I sent the proposal/protocol of the Nigerian Heart Failure Registry to him. Bongani replied and made vey useful comments but suggested we join the Continental HF registry (THESUS-HF).
Then started the era (contemporary) of very fruitful and rewarding collaboration in cardiovascular disease research through the instrumentality and able leadership of Prof Bongani Mayosi, Prof Karen Sliwa (who I first met at the WHO/ WELLCOME Trust workshop on secondary prevention of CVDs in LMIC in London, 6–8 June 2007) and Prof Albertino Damasceno (who I first met at the ISH hypertension teaching seminar in Maputo, Mozambique, 21–22 September 2006). These include the IMPI trial, REMEDY, RELY_AF registry, PAPUCO, BAHEF trial, CREOLE and INVICTUS trials.
For Bongani to leave us at a moment like this is very saddening and frustrating. We shall miss his useful advice. We shall miss his encouraging words and leadership.
‘O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?’
Our consolation is that you fought a good fight and ran your race well while you were on this side of eternity. The story of the African Union and United Nations Resolution on Rheumatic Heart Disease will not be complete without the name Bongani M Mayosi.
My deepest condolences go to his immediate family and all his associates worldwide. God willing, we shall keep the candle of collaboration he ignited burning.
‘Fading away like the stars of the morning, Losing their light in the glorious sun – Thus would we pass from the earth and its toiling, Only remembered by what we have done. Only remembered, only remembered, Only remembered by what we have done.’(Horatius Bonar)
Adieu Bongani Mayosi
References
- 1.David TE, Maganti M, Armstrong S. Aortic root aneurysm: principles of repair and long-term follow-up. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2010;140:14–19. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2010.07.041. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 2.Silva VF, Real DS, Branco JN, Catani R, Kim HC, Buffolo E. et al. Bentall and De Bono surgery for correction of valve and ascending aortic disease: long-term results. Rev Bras Cir Cardiovasc. 2008;23:256–261. doi: 10.1590/s0102-76382008000200016. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 3.David TE, Feindel CM, Webb GD, Colman JM, Armstrong S, Maganti MD. Aortic valve preservation in patients with aortic root aneurysm: results of the reimplantation technique. Ann Thorac Surg. 2007;83:732–735. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2006.10.080. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 4.Gaudino M, Lau C, Munjal M, Avgerinos D, Girardi LN. Contemporary outcomes of surgery for aortc root aneurysms: A propensity-matched comprasion of valve-sparing and composite valve graft replacement. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2015;150:1120–1129. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2015.07.015. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 5.David TE, Maganti M, Armstrong S. Aortic root aneurysm: principles of repair and long-term follow-up. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2010;140:14–19. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2010.07.041. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 6.Bentall H, de Bono A. A technique for complete replacement of the ascending aorta. Thorax. l968;23:338–338. doi: 10.1136/thx.23.4.338. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 7.Yakut C. A new modified Bentall procedure: the flanged technique. Ann Thorac Surg. 2001;71:2050–2052. doi: 10.1016/s0003-4975(01)02439-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 8.David TE, Feindel CM. An aortic valve-sparing operation for patients with aortic incompetence and aneurysm of the ascending aorta. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 1992;103:617–621. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 9.Lamana F, de A, Dias RR, Duncan JA, Faria LB, Malbouisson LM, Borges L de F. et al. Surgery of the aortic root: should we go for the valve-sparing root reconstruction or the composite graft valve replacement is still the first choice of treatment for these patients? Rev Bras Cir Cardiovasc. 2015;30:343–352. doi: 10.5935/1678-9741.20150028. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 10.Coselli JS, Hughes MS, Green SY, Price MD, Zarda S, de la Cruz KI. et al. Valve-sparing aortic root replacement: Early and midterm outcomes in 83 patients. Ann Thorac Surg. 2014;97:1267–1274. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2013.10.076. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 11.Arabkhani B, Mookhoek A, Di Centa I, Lansac E, Bekkers JA, De Lind van Wijngaarden R. et al. Reported outcame after valve-sparing aortic root replacement for aortic root aneurysm: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Thorac Surg. 2015;100:1126–1131. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2015.05.093. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 12.Patel ND, Weiss ES, Alejo DE, Nwakanma LU, Williams JA, Dietz HC. et al. Aortic root operations for Marfan syndrome: A comparison of the Bentall and valve-sparing procedures. Ann Thorac Surg. 2008;85:2003–2011. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2008.01.032. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 13.Kallenbach K, Baraki H, Khaladj N, Kamiya H, Hagl C, Haverich A. et al. Aortic valve-sparing operation in Marfan syndrome: what do we know after a decade? Ann Thorac Surg. 2007;83:764–768. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2006.10.097. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 14.Svensson LG, Cooper M, Batizy LH, Nowicki ER. Simplified David reimplantation with reduction of annular size and creation of artificial sinuses. Ann Thorac Surg. 2010;89:1443–1447. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2010.01.058. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 15.Kerendi F, Guyton RA, Vega JD, Kligo PD, Chen EP. Early results of valve-sparing aortic root replacement in high-risk clinical scenarios. Ann Thorac Surg. 2010;89:471–478. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2009.10.030. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 16.Skripochnik E, Michler ER, Hentschel V, Neragi-Miandoab S. Repair of aortic root in patients with aneurysm or dissection: comparing the outcomes of valve-sparing root replacement with those from the Bentall procedure. Rev Bras Cir Cardiovasc. 2013;28:435–441. doi: 10.5935/1678-9741.20130072. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]