THUNDER BAY – Health – Save a heart! The Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) celebrated 25 years of Cardiac Catheterizations in Northwestern Ontario on Wednesday. Present members of the TBRHSC Cardiac Catheterization Team, along with members of the original team of 1988 were on hand to mark the occasion.
Cardiac catheterization is a procedure during which a catheter (a thin flexible tube) is passed into the right or left side of the heart. In general, this procedure is performed to obtain diagnostic information about the heart or its blood vessels or to provide treatment in certain types of heart conditions. Since February 1988, approximately 27,000 patients have received cardiac catheterization services in Thunder Bay.
Save a heart! 25th Anniversary of Cardiac Care
“Through the efforts of our respected TBRHSC cardiac professionals and the financial support of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation, tremendous strides have been made in cardiac care,” says Dr. Mark Henderson, Executive Vice President, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, TBRHSC. “Today we celebrate a successful past, which we know will shape an equally remarkable future for cardiac care at TBRHSC.”
The quality of cardiac care in Northwestern Ontario has steadily improved over the last 25 years:
In October 2007, Northwestern Ontario„s first angioplasties were performed at TBRHSC„s cardiac catheterization lab; the introduction of which allowed patients to have the procedure done close to home, saving expenses and stress that would have been incurred in travelling to southern Ontario.
A second cardiac catheterization lab opened in August 2011. Before it opened, the lab provided angioplasty services to 250 patients per year. After it opened, that number expanded to over 600 per year.
The success of the local Cardiac Catheterization program led to the development of the first Visiting
Cardiac Surgical Clinic Model in Ontario, which became a model for other hospitals.
In September 2012, our 4th angioplasty specialist joined the TBRHSC team of cardiologists. There are now a total of 4 interventional cardiologists and 2 that perform catheterizations.
In the past 5 years alone, TBRHSC has served cardiac patients in Northwestern Ontario by performing 9,600 cardiac catheterizations, 2,850 angioplasties, and 1,000 pacemaker implants.
This strong history paved the path for a bright future for TBRHSC. Our community, through the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation has contributed millions of dollars towards vital cardiac equipment, making these advances in cardiac care possible.
