Pictured at his home, HHS patient Dave Whatmore was the first person in Canada to undergo a new lifesaving cardiac valve repair procedure this month as part of an international study.

2020 Celebrations: Cardiac Care

As the designated cardiac centre in our region, the cardiac program at Hamilton Health Sciences’s (HHS) Hamilton General Hospital (HGH) provides advanced care for patients from across Central South Ontario. We specialize in the diagnosis, treatment and care of people with conditions relating to the heart and vessels of the body, and we’re also home to one of Ontario’s largest heart surgery centres.

This year, an HHS patient became the first in Canada to undergo a lifesaving cardiac valve repair procedure. Another patient would almost certainly have died from heart failure if not for the hospital’s new, life-saving Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) Program introduced earlier this year. A third patient who underwent aortic valve replacement surgery took part in the PVC-RAM study to test virtual care and remote monitoring technology once he returned home. These are just some of the celebrations in patient care.

There were also successful partnerships and research studies in cardiac care. Physicians saved a man’s leg by using a procedure normally reserved for looking at blockages in the heart, thanks to the innovative partnership between vascular surgeons and interventional cardiologists. A study of more than 160,000 people led by the Population Health Research Institute (PHRI) found that women are less likely to have cardiovascular disease, and die of it, than men.

As we close out 2020, these are just a few examples of stories highlighting exceptional cardiac care at HHS.

Watch for more 2020 celebration stories this month.

Man regaining movement after major heart tear Global study finds women less likely to have heart disease – and die of it – than men Virtual care allows patient to recover at home after heart surgery Imaging technology for the heart guides procedure to save patient’s leg COVID-19 and the heart Saved by a hair’s breadth thanks to ECMO