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Heart patients at Epworth Eastern now have two more weapons on their side when dealing with severe coronary artery disease: brand-new technology, and a couple of special medical professionals.
The Melbourne hospital has recently introduced updated Rotapro technology, which supports the targeted treatment of heavily calcified and complex coronary artery disease (CAD).
Associate Professor Kean Soon and Dr Chris Lim collaborated to perform the first procedure at Epworth Eastern using the new system.
"This update helps us deliver highly-tailored treatments, significantly enhancing patient outcomes," A/Prof Soon said.
"The update device design represents a substantial leap forward to manage complex cases involving heavily-calcified coronary lesions.
"The system has drastically improved efficiency and safety to improve cardiac care."
Both interventional cardiologists were instrumental in advocating for the introduction of the updated Rotapro at the Victorian private healthcare group, and it is also used at Epworth Richmond.
The new device features a diamond-coated burr and streamlined delivery system, which helps modify heavily-calcified plaque that is normally resistant to standard coronary angioplasty procedures.
It helps achieve positive outcomes and stent results for patients with complex coronary conditions.
Dr Lim was enthusiastic about his firsthand experience with the device.
"This latest iteration of rotational atherectomy delivers improved system efficiency and reduces complexity that should benefit our patients," he said.
Epworth Eastern's Executive General Manager, Ashley Wheeler, said the support of donors and the Epworth Medical Foundation had been crucial in bringing the technology to the hospital.
"We are committed to delivering the great care to our patients and we are always looking to innovate to ensure we continue to improve patient outcomes," he said.
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