Patients requiring life-saving cardiac intervention are now accessing a new procedure that’s the first of its kind in Australia and improving cardiac care in regional areas.
The Shockwave Coronary Intravascular Lithotripsy (IVL) Catheter Balloon improves the accessibility and care of patients requiring intervention to treat heart and blood vessel conditions.
Following a successful trial in partnership with the Mackay Institute for Research and Innovation, Mackay Base Hospital Cardiologist Dr Michael Zhang and his team have now performed 35 IVL procedures since August 2021.
“Prior to this technology, we had to send patients to a tertiary hospital such as Townsville or Brisbane,” Dr Zhang said.
“These days, we are able to keep our patient locally, treat them with the shockwave balloon, and the patient will be discharged the next day.
“This technology is probably going to replace up to 50 to 60 per cent of operations previously done by rotablation or bypass surgery.”
The technology works by delivering ultrasound energy through an inflating balloon catheter - a long, thin tube with a small balloon on its tip.
The energy breaks down calcium in blocked or narrowed arteries, improving blood flow to the heart.
With heart disease being the number one cause of death in Australia, Dr Zhang said he was proud that his team’s work which led to the clinical study confirming IVL can be performed safely and effectively in a regional centre as an alternative technique for intervention of heavily calcified lesions.
The technology has been approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and is beginning to be implemented in hospitals across the state and throughout Australia.
“We certainly will be able to communicate to our colleagues at other centres, share our experience, and that will improve community care locally, improve their patient flow and also patient satisfaction in any regional centres.”
Principal Research Fellow of the Mackay Institute of Research and Innovation (MIRI), Dr Matthew Hiskens, said the IVL technology has been an amazing opportunity to uplift care at Mackay Base Hospital.
“Compared with traditional techniques, there's a reduction in some of the adverse events for this particular technology and also there's more effective outcomes in terms of the long-term benefit to the patient,” Dr Hiskens said.
“The exciting thing about this project has been the first-in-Australia aspect to it. But I guess what drew Dr Zhang to this technology was both the additional safety and also the more effective outcomes for the patient.
“It's all about making sure that the technology is as widely available for patients wherever they are.”
After having an angiogram, local patient Kevin John Casey was found to have a partial blockage in one of his arteries.
“(Dr Zhang) explained to me that there was going to be a trial and he was going to have a number of patients that he'd like to trial, and he asked me if I'd like to be one of those. I said, ‘well, if it’s going to help him out and it's going to help me out, yes, I’m quite happy to do that’,” Mr Casey said.
“I felt good straight away. My experience with Dr Zhang and the cardiac unit has been excellent.
“It's been a great success, the pure fact, we can do it here locally is good for the community because there's not that much disruption to family life.”
Dr Zhang said he was encouraged by Mr Casey’s progress and for the future of the technology.
“He's just come into Mackay Base Hospital, the day of the procedure and is discharged next morning,” Dr Zhang said.
“The feedback from the patient certainly is that highly satisfactory for this procedure. So that is a very attractive option for Mackay, (and) I believe will be for other regional centres as well.”