NZ-First Procedure a Success at Waikato

NZ-First Procedure a Success at Waikato

Waikato Hospitals Cardiology team have successfully performed a New Zealand-first hybrid coronary revascularisation on a 54-year-old Tokoroa man.

Michael Lucas is the first New Zealand patient to undergo this procedure in Waikato Hospitals new purpose built hybrid cardiology theatre part of Waikato District Health Boards $500m building programme.

Hybrid coronary revascularisation is an internationally emerging procedure and an alternative to traditional coronary bypass surgery, which merges bypass surgery (creating new routes for blood flow when one or more arteries in the heart become blocked) and angioplasty (opening blocked arteries by inflating a tiny balloon and insertion of stents) during the same operation.

Waikato DHB Cardiology clinical director Adam El Gamel performed the bypass surgery, while Waikato DHB interventional cardiologist Madhav Menon performed the angioplasty.

If for anatomical reasons we arent able to perform a full bypass, for example, if the patient doesnt have enough healthy blood vessels in the body for us to use, we would only be able to do half the job, which can leave the patient very unwell and struggling, because you have left half of the heart struggling, Mr El Gamel explains.

This was the case for Mr Lucas who is a diabetic and amputee. He suffers from coronary artery disease due to his condition.

So instead of doing the whole job using one procedure, we were able to bypass what we could with the blood vessels his body had available, and finish the job by putting stents in.

Mr El Gamel said Mr Lucas, his Cardiology team and prospective patients could thank hospital management for having the vision to spend the money and allow construction of the hybrid cardiology theatre the only one of its kind in New Zealand.

We are very lucky to have this suite at Waikato Hospital, he said.

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NZ-First Procedure a Success at Waikato