John Flynn expands Cardiac services LAKE MACQUARIE PRIVATE HOSPITAL IS THE LEADING PROVIDER OF PRIVATE VASCULAR SURGERY SERVICES IN THE HUNTER REGION, WITH OVER 700 CASES PERFORMED PER YEAR. Mr Jack Dickson with nurses from Lake Macquarie Private Hospital. The Ramsay Way - 2014 | 01 7 JOHN FLYNN PRIVATE HOSPITAL HAS FURTHER EXPANDED THEIR CARDIAC SERVICES WITH THE $1 MILLION EXPANSION OF THE CORONARY CARE UNIT. The expanded Coronary Care Unit (CCU) now boasts 7 individual rooms, 5 with ensuite and is complete with Philips MX700 monitors and state of the art telemetry with built in screens. The MX40 Telemetry allows for patients rhythms to be viewed on the device, regardless of where they are in the unit. The CCU unit is very well supported by over 20 cardiologists, two cardiac catheter labs (including EPS ), and a dedicated cardiac theatre with specialist cardiac surgeons and works closely with the 27 bed Cardiology Unit and 28 bed Cardiac surgical Unit. “The new CCU provides superb facilities for patient care, allowing for more comfort and privacy than ever before. Truly a world class unit!”, said cardiologist Dr Guy Wright-Smith. Hospital CEO, Mr Greg Jenke also said, “The expansion of our coronary care unit is a further demonstration of our commitment to providing an excellent, comprehensive cardiac service to the Gold Coast and Northern NSW. The expanded unit will ensure that our coronary patients receive the appropriate care in a dedicated, modern, well equipped unit and staffed by our specialty trained medical and nursing staff. In addition the new patients rooms are now much larger and with ensuites giving both the patients a much more comfortable, bright and open environment in which to recover whilst giving our staff a more workable space to provide the optimum level of care.” The expanded CCU will continue to keep John Flynn at the forefront of cardiac services on the Gold Coast, Tweed and Northern Rivers for years to come. New stem cell technique offers hope THERE IS NOW GOOD EVIDENCE THAT AUTOLOGOUS STEM CELLS (FROM THE PATIENT’S OWN BODY), MAY BE OF USE IN THE TREATMENT OF CHRONIC LEG ULCERS. Leg ulcers affect around one per cent of the Australian population with the most common cause being poor circulation. Treatment options include compression bandages, various dressings and surgery. Mr John “Jack” Dickson, a lively 88 year old from Armidale, was admitted to Lake Macquarie Private Hospital last year for surgical treatment of severe peripheral vascular disease to try to improve circulation to his gangrenous toes. Lake Macquarie vascular surgeon, conjoint Associate Professor Paul Myers, operated to open a blocked artery in Mr Dickson’s pelvis. However, he also had three blocked arteries in the lower leg which were not able to be cleared or bypassed. Subsequent to that surgery, Mr Dickson had a forefoot amputation due to gangrene in the foot which was very slow to heal. In December 2013 Dr Myers harvested bone marrow from Mr Dickson’s pelvis under general anaesthetic. That bone marrow was specially prepared in the theatre at Lake Macquarie Private, so that only Jack’s stem cells were remaining. These stem cells were then injected along the course of the blocked arteries in his lower leg and into and around the forefoot amputation site. Since then, there seems to have been a significant acceleration of healing of the foot. Mr Dickson reports he is feeling better, he has better pain control and is looking forward to the possibility of returning home. “While I am grateful for the marvellous care I have received here at the hospital, my aim is now to get back home. For quite some time it looked like I might not be able to” Mr Dickson said. Dr Myers said this procedure has only previously been performed very recently in Sydney and Melbourne and that he is pleased with the results so far. “Autologous stem cell infusions seem to be a very significant advance in the treatment of people with, as in Jack’s case, chronic leg ulceration. This treatment may offer hope for many people who are suffering the debilitating effects of vascular disease.” Lake Macquarie Private Hospital is the leading provider of private vascular surgery services in the Hunter region, with over 700 cases performed per year.
The Ramsay Way - Autumn 2014
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