100 stroke reducing devices implanted at GPH GPHnews 5 Greenslopes Private Hospital celebrated the 100th implant of the WATCHMAN™ Left-Atrial Appendage Closure technology on 22nd September as 100 at-risk Queenslanders now live with a significantly lower risk of stroke. Cardiologist, Dr Karen Phillips has been working at Greenslopes Private Hospital since 2008 after doing extra training in cardiac electrophysiology in the USA. In 2009 she introduced to Greenslopes radiofrequency ablation for atrial fibrillation in conjunction with implantation of a WATCHMAN™ device. Dr Phillips does this in conjunction with Dr Julie Humphries, a non-invasive cardiologist, with expertise in transoesophageal echo. Transoesophageal echocardiography is invaluable in helping to profile the anatomy when the WATCHMAN™ device is implanted. To date only 350 of these devices have been implanted in Australia with 100 of those having been implanted at Greenslopes Private and all 100 have been successful. The small, implantable device was designed to prevent stroke in patients with a common cardiac arrhythmia called Atrial Fibrillation (AF). Sufferers of AF have a five times greater risk of stroke. Research shows that over 90 percent of strokes in patients with AF are caused by blood clots forming in a thumb-sized pouch on top of the left side of the heart called the left atrial appendage (LAA) that dislodge and block blood flow to the brain. “We still have few effective treatments to reverse the catastrophic effects of stroke so prevention remains our best hope,” explains Dr Phillips. Patients who are eligible for anti-coagulant drugs like Warfarin and have other risk factors like congestive heart failure, high blood pressure, diabetes, or previous stroke may be suitable for a WATCHMAN™. Following implant many patients may see improvement in their quality of life due to avoiding the burden and complications of daily medication. Dr Phillips and her team at Greenslopes is the most-experienced implant centre in Australia. ...following implant many patients may see improvement in their quality of life... Cardiologists, Dr Julie Humphries (L) and Dr Karen Philips (R) following the 100th watchman implantation Radiation Oncology confirmed for Greenslopes From late 2015, patients will be able to access radiation therapy onsite at Greenslopes Private Hospital. Plans are well underway for the construction of the state of the art facility that is expected to be operational by this time next year. The facility will be run by Radiation Oncology Queensland (ROQ). ROQ Greenslopes has been in the pipeline for several years and will be a state of the art facility that will include: • Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) • Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) • Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) • Respiratory Gating (RPM) • Stereotactic Ablative Body Radiation Therapy (SABR) • Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) This world class technology will be delivered by a team of highly trained professionals including radiation oncologists, radiation therapists, medical physicists, nursing and administrative staff.
GPH News Spring 2014
To see the actual publication please follow the link above