Community
Mashudu Tshifularo: The First Middle-ear Transplant
For nearly 430 million globally, hearing loss is a disability. It is expected that by 2050, this number could rise to more than 700 million, according to the World Health Organization.
Mashudu Tshifularo: The First Middle-ear Transplant
For nearly 430 million globally, hearing loss is a disability. It is expected that by 2050, this number could rise to more than 700 million, according to the World Health Organization.
Prior to 2019, there was no known cure, treatment, or surgical procedure for deafness worldwide. On March 13 of that year, a team of surgeons led by Dr. Mashudu Tshifularo (1964–) using 3D technology, successfully pioneered the transplant of a patient’s middle ear to cure his deafness. The team was from the University of Pretoria Faculty of Health at the Steve Biko Academic hospital in Pretoria, South Africa.
The patient, a 35-year-old man, suffered hearing loss after a car accident caused his inner ear what was thought to have been permanent damage. Tshifularo recreated the bones that make up the inner ear, replacing the damaged ones. The one-and-a-half-hour surgery, performed through endoscopy, was the first-ever transplant of the middle ear that allowed a deaf man to hear.
During Tshifularo’s first doctorate studies, he focused on conductive hearing loss and through this, came up with the idea of using 3D technology to recreate any of the inner ear bones that may be damaged, restoring a patient’s hearing. While studying at the University of Pretoria, he forayed into the use of 3D printing technology.
Today, 3D technology has proved to be extremely useful and needed in the medical industry.
“By replacing only the ossicles (three bones in either middle ear) that aren’t functioning properly, the procedure carries significantly less risk than known prostheses and their associated surgical procedures,” Tshifularo told Radio Nigeria during a post-surgery interview. “The technique could be the cure for hearing defects irrespective of the patient’s age.”
Tshifularo added that the patient’s hearing will be restored immediately, “but since they will be wrapped in bandages, only after two weeks, when they are removed, will they be able to tell the difference.”
Tshifularo grew up as a herdsman in the rural village of Mbahela outside Thohoyandou, in Venda, South Africa. By age 13, he knew he would be a medical doctor. After attending the Mbilwi Secondary School, he began training in medicine at the University of Natal. In 1990, he began working as a practicing physician at Tshilidzini Hospital and in 1995 became a professor and began heading the Department of Otorhinolaryngology (ear, nose and throat) at the University of Pretoria.
In 2000, he was appointed as the youngest and only Black professor of ENT in South Africa. Tshifularo is also the senior pastor and founder of the Christ Revealed Fellowship Church near Pretoria. He has also authored several books in this ministry.
“People like me never arrive,” Tshifularo said. “After climbing one mountain we want to climb another one. If I was easily satisfied, I would have never achieved all the breakthroughs in my life.”
Learn how three young men took their place among the 5% of Black U.S. doctors in “Pulse of Perseverance,” by Pierre Johnson, Maxime Madhere, and Joseph Semien.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.
Alameda County
DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland
Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.
Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.
City Government
Vallejo Welcomes Interim City Manager Beverli Marshall
At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10. Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.
Special to The Post
At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10.
Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.
Current City Manager Michael Malone, whose official departure is slated for April 18, expressed his well wishes. “I wish the City of Vallejo and Interim City Manager Marshall all the best in moving forward on the progress we’ve made to improve service to residents.” Malone expressed his hope that the staff and Council will work closely with ICM Marshall to “ensure success and prosperity for the City.”
According to the Vallejo Sun, Malone stepped into the role of interim city manager in 2021 and became permanent in 2022. Previously, Malone served as the city’s water director and decided to retire from city service e at the end of his contract which is April 18.
“I hope the excellent work of City staff will continue for years to come in Vallejo,” he said. “However, recent developments have led me to this decision to announce my retirement.”
When Malone was appointed, Vallejo was awash in scandals involving the housing division and the police department. A third of the city’s jobs went unfilled during most of his tenure, making for a rocky road for getting things done, the Vallejo Sun reported.
At last night’s council meeting, McConnell explained the selection process, highlighting the council’s confidence in achieving positive outcomes through a collaborative effort, and said this afternoon, “The Council is confident that by working closely together, positive results will be obtained.”
While the search for a permanent city manager is ongoing, an announcement is expected in the coming months.
On behalf of the City Council, Mayor McConnell extended gratitude to the staff, citizen groups, and recruitment firm.
“The Council wishes to thank the staff, the citizens’ group, and the recruitment firm for their diligent work and careful consideration for the selection of what is possibly the most important decision a Council can make on behalf of the betterment of our City,” McConnell said.
The Vallejo Sun contributed to this report.
-
Community2 weeks ago
Financial Assistance Bill for Descendants of Enslaved Persons to Help Them Purchase, Own, or Maintain a Home
-
Activism4 weeks ago
Oakland Post: Week of April 3 – 6, 2024
-
Business2 weeks ago
V.P. Kamala Harris: Americans With Criminal Records Will Soon Be Eligible for SBA Loans
-
Community2 weeks ago
AG Bonta Says Oakland School Leaders Should Comply with State Laws to Avoid ‘Disparate Harm’ When Closing or Merging Schools
-
Activism3 weeks ago
Oakland Post: Week of April 10 – 16, 2024
-
Community2 weeks ago
Oakland WNBA Player to be Inducted Into Hall of Fame
-
Community2 weeks ago
Richmond Nonprofit Helps Ex-Felons Get Back on Their Feet
-
Community2 weeks ago
RPAL to Rename Technology Center for Retired Police Captain Arthur Lee Johnson