2022 Celebrations: Cardiac, Stroke and Trauma Care
Knowing the warning signs
Many people don’t realize that any abnormality of the heart’s valves that affects blood flow is considered a form of heart valve disease. Karen Timmerman learned of her heart valve disease when doctors discovered a heart murmur caused by a defective valve. In its early stages, she was monitored over many months.
One day after feeling faint and unwell, her health didn’t improve. She knew something wasn’t right and visited her care team. It was time to have her heart valve replaced. This was when she was referred to our regional cardiac centre. Thanks to her quick action, our team replaced the valve through a minimally invasive procedure before the heart valve disease reached more serious stages.
Our year in review
Hamilton Health Sciences’ Hamilton General Hospital is a regional centre for cardiac, stroke and trauma care, which means our patients are from across the province. This year we featured patient stories about our Aortic Valve Clinic, the unique work underway for diagnosing coronary artery disease, the creation of a tool to navigate stroke recovery, and the experience of a trauma patient. Check out these stories and more below.