The latest indicators from cardiac care centres across the country show Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster is a leader in treatment people who have had heart attacks.
According to the RCH Foundation, the hospital’s cardiac catheterization lab performs more angioplasties than any other hospital in the country.
The foundation as citing new data released publicly by the Canadian Institute for Health Information. Angioplasty is a minimally-invasive procedure involving the use of catheters, balloons and stents to open clogged heart arteries. It is a key treatment for heart attacks.
“It’s a testament to the experience and efficiency of our cardiac team,” said RCH interventional cardiologist Dr. Gerald Simkus, who is also Fraser Health’s medical director for cardiac sciences, in a news release. “Royal Columbian performs almost as many emergency angioplasties for heart attacks as the rest of the province combined, and with some of the best survival rates in Canada. It’s very satisfying to take people who are sick, in pain and dying, and literally save their lives.”
In each of the cross-Canada comparisons released by CIHI since its inaugural report in 2017, Royal Columbian has been the busiest in the province and among the busiest in the country. With 2,935 angioplasties during the 2017-18 year, Royal Columbian now becomes Canada’s busiest cardiac cath lab for this life-saving procedure.
In addition, Royal Columbian Hospital is one of four centres in the country with statistically superior survival rates following angioplasty. The hospital also sees the highest proportion of high-risk cases in the province, involving patients who have suffered cardiac arrest or shock prior to the cardiac intervention.
Donor support for cardiac care at Royal Columbian includes a $3.3-million contribution for a full upgrade of the cath lab’s imaging and monitoring equipment. The upgrade was completed in the fall 2016.
