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Residents of the Northwest will now be able to receive angioplasty
(PCI) without traveling to Southern Ontario. This is particularly
important for heart attack victims and those experiencing
a type of angina called Acute Coronary Syndrome because treatment
will be available quickly. TBRHSC’s Angioplasty Program
is built upon principles to ensure the best possible patient
outcomes and every patient will be screened by experts to
ensure they are suitable for PCI in Thunder Bay. The University
of Ottawa Heart Institute (our Mentor) is one of the premier
cardiac institutions in Canada.
Angioplasty is a medical procedure where a balloon is used
to open a blockage in a coronary (heart) artery narrowed by
plaque. When plaque builds up on the inner walls of the arteries,
it can reduce blood flow to the heart and cause heart disease.
The angioplasty procedure effectively treats the symptoms
which result from the narrowing of arteries: symptoms such
as extreme fatigue, chest pain (angina) and shortness of breath.
Over the past 25 years, the technology and techniques used
for PCI have advanced significantly. Images are clearer, catheters
are made to suit specific vessel problems and stents help
maintain the patency of newly opened arteries.
Angioplasty may be used to:
- Reduce symptoms of heart disease.
- Reduce damage to the heart muscle from a heart
attack (Angioplasty is used during a heart attack
to open the blockage and restore blood flow through
the artery).
- Reduce the risk of death in some patients.
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 Click
here for Angioplasty Frequently Asked Questions
Here in Northwestern Ontario, there is a greater chance that
you or someone you love is at risk for heart disease.
The Thunder Bay District has:
- 50% higher rate of heart disease than the rest of
the province.
- The highest death rate from heart disease in Ontario.
- The highest rate of heart disease in Canada!
- Over 70% of adults in Northwestern Ontario have at
least one major risk factor for heart disease: High blood
pressure, high cholesterol, unhealthy weight, inactivity,
smoking, high levels of stress.
 Healthcare
professionals at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences
Centre have performed more cardiac catheterizations over the
past 20 years than any other centre with a diagnostic-only
laboratory. In recent years, approximately 1,500 patients
per year received catheterization procedures here, saving
them the need to travel for diagnosis. The high volume of
these procedures, combined with the positive outcomes for
patients, led to the development of the first visiting cardiac
surgical clinic model in Ontario. Through this model, surgeons
from larger centres assess cardiac patients here at Thunder
Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. Virtually every effort
has been made to maximize the resources available to Northwestern
Ontario patients to reduce or eliminate the need for them
to travel. The positive impacts of these efforts on patients
attracted the interest of other healthcare facilities throughout
the country. Many have adopted our delivery models and now
offer cardiac programs based on those offered here.
On October 10, 2007, the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences
Centre began to provide angioplasty procedures, in addition
to 1750 catheterizations per year. Now, Northwestern Ontario
patients in need of angioplasty to treat the symptoms of heart
disease may turn to healthcare professionals in their own
community for help.
During the program's first year, approximately 250 angioplasties
will be performed at our Health Sciences Centre. Our program
will continue to develop and expand. Subsequently, the government
has committed to provide additional funds to support the operating
costs of a program to provide service to over 500 patients
per year. Additionally, the TBRHSC angioplasty program is
expected to provide emergency service 24/7 as early as March
2009. Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre will become
a regional interventional cardiac centre.
In addition to the ability to provide this
life-saving procedure to Northwestern Ontario patients
in need, the expanded angioplasty program will:
- Provide emergency treatment to heart attack patients
within hours of the onset of symptoms, “the
gold standard of treatment”.
- Reduce the need to travel extreme distances for
service.
- Double the number of cardiologists at our Health
Sciences Centre.
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Arlene Thomson
Manager PCI & Cardiac Catheterization
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre
980 Oliver Road
Thunder Bay, Ontario
P7B 6V4
Email: thomsona@tbh.net
Gwen Third
Manager Cardiology and General Medicine
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre
980 Oliver Road
Thunder Bay, Ontario
P7B 6V4
Email: thirdg@tbh.net
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