George Woods (left) was the first Canadian recipient of a new wireless defibrillator. Dr. Atul Verma, who performed the implant procedure, and advanced practice nurse Marianne Beardsall, show off the lifesaving device.
Health
October 10, 2008 03:15 PM
beingwell magazine Fall 2008
With one small device, Southlake Regional Health Centre took a big step forward in cardiac care this summer.
In July, Dr. Atul Verma, electrophysiologist – a doctor who specializes in treating irregular heart rhythms – implanted George Woods, 73, of Midland, Ont. with a wireless defibrillator that allows specialized health care professionals to monitor his condition and the lifesaving device remotely. He was the first person in Canada to receive the new Vision 3D device, which medical technology developer Medtronic Inc. introduced to North America this summer.
“With this innovation, patients no longer have to book check-ups every three to four months at specialized cardiac centres – which often involves hours of driving and wait times – to have their implanted devices tested,” says Marianne Beardsall, advance practice nurse at Southlake. “Everything can now be done via Internet and patients need only come to Southlake if the transmitted reports show a problem that can’t be fixed remotely. This means that, if all is well, patients potentially never have to come to the hospital concerning their implanted devices, and can see their regular heart specialist closer to home.
“This translates to significantly better patient care and gives patients increased peace of mind about their health and safety,” she adds. “Since everything can be done remotely, the new technology also decreases hospital wait times, and frees doctors and nurses up so they can treat a greater number of patients in a shorter amount of time.”
The defibrillator is a stopwatch-size device implanted in the chest area with thin wires (leads) extending to the heart that administer electrical shocks to stop irregular heart rhythms that can cause sudden cardiac arrest.
The device is the first to not only remotely monitor the patient but also its own mechanisms to ensure it is working properly. Information is sent over the web through a transmitter at the patient’s home.
Mr. Woods had suffered multiple heart attacks and had twice undergone bypass surgery, but his heartbeat was still at risk of dangerous rhythms – which made him a candidate for the implant, explains Dr. Verma.
According to the International Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists, 123 Canadians die from sudden cardiac arrest every day. Heart failure affects more than 22 million people worldwide, including about 500,000 Canadians. Studies show the management of chronic heart failure costs the Canadian health care system more than $2 billion each year, with 79 per cent of costs spent on emergency room visits and hospitalization.
The wireless defibrillator can improve these statistics – for both patients and the health care system.
“With the new technology, we will be able to provide a better quality of care and we hope that it will reduce the financial impact on the health care system at the same time,” says Dr. Verma.
The doctor predicts this will be the future of cardiac care in Canada: “It’s very possible within the next few years that every qualified patient in Canada may benefit from this kind of automated device,” he says.
Southlake’s regional cardiac program is the fourth largest provider of cardiac services in Ontario and one of the top centres for treating arrhythmias or irregular heart rates. In February 2007 it became the first program worldwide to introduce a new, groundbreaking technology to treat patients suffering with life threatening arrhythmias and, since April 2008, has had the capability to perform minimally-invasive laser lead extractions on patients requiring their leads to be removed from the heart due to infection or other risk issues. The sophisticated equipment required to perform this intricate procedure is only available in two other Ontario hospitals, both of which are teaching centres.
With files from Teresa Latchford, Newmarket Era-Banner