A father-and-son cardiac surgery team at Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital in Cape Town is combining decades of experience with cutting-edge techniques to tackle cardiovascular disease, South Africa's leading cause of death.
When colleagues call out "Dr Koen" in theatre, both Dr Willie Koen and his son, Dr Johan Koen, answer. The pair now operate side by side, performing complex heart procedures while sharing knowledge across generations.
Willie, one of South Africa's most experienced cardiac surgeons, was trained by heart transplant pioneer Professor Christiaan Barnard and performed the country's first mechanical heart transplant in 1998. Johan completed advanced training in Toronto before returning to South Africa to join his father.
"As a son, I'm immensely proud of the dad he is to me, and as a colleague, I have the utmost respect for what he has achieved. He is a world-class surgeon," Johan said.
Although Willie initially expected his son to pursue internal medicine, Johan chose cardiac surgery after witnessing the dramatic transformation of patients with end-stage heart failure during his internship.
"I saw patients who could barely feed themselves before surgery. Afterwards, they were cycling and living independently. We were giving people a second chance at life," Johan said.
Working alongside fellow cardiac surgeon Dr Loven Moodley, the team carefully reviews every case before entering the theatre. Willie says experience and innovation complement each other, while Johan credits his father with passing on invaluable lessons learned over decades.
"You cannot buy experience," Johan said. "My father compares cardiac surgery to a minefield. You can either set the mines off yourself, or someone can show you where they are."
Beyond technical expertise, the pair say they support one another through the emotional highs and lows that come with operating on critically ill patients.
Looking ahead, Willie believes the next generation will continue transforming cardiac care through less invasive procedures and new technologies, adding that his greatest legacy will be seeing his son build on decades of accumulated knowledge.
Find CapeTowner on TikTok and Instagram @ccmonlineza