Sydney’s Westmead Private Hospital has boosted its heart care services with a $2.4 million upgrade of its two cardiac catheter laboratories.
With demand for cardiac treatment rising, the labs have been replaced with two image-guided therapy systems designed to simplify complex coronary interventions and speed up routine procedures.
Cardiologist Dr Lloyd Davis said the labs’ Philips Bi-Plane Azurion 7 technology would help to streamline patients’ care and improve their hospital experience.
“With the new cardiac catheter lab and angiography suites, our team will be able to diagnose and treat a range of cardiac, interventional neuroradiology and endovascular conditions,” he said.
Cardiac catheterisation lets doctors see any blockages in the arteries or heart via a long, thin tube inserted in the patient’s groin, neck or arm and threaded through blood vessels.
“The new labs will also be used for stenting and balloon angioplasty, and can also be used for procedures to treat arrhythmias and some types of congenital structural heart disease,” Dr Davis added.
Cardiovascular disease causes more than a quarter of all deaths in Australia, costing the economy more than $5 billion annually – more than any other health condition.
Westmead Private Hospital CEO Mike Flatley said the new cardiac catheter laboratory would benefit hundreds of patients every year.
“Last year we treated more than 1,600 patients with cardiovascular and neurological conditions, a 30 percent increase on the previous year.
“The new lab is part of our commitment to investing in the latest technology to help our surgeons and medical teams provide high-quality cardiac services to patients,” Mr Flatley said.
