Big benefit for Barbara
New cardiac procedure helps locals
THE introduction of a new advanced cardiology procedure at a Toowoomba hospital means patients like Barbara McClune can get better, while staying close to home.
Mrs McClune, 63, saw results straight away after having the cardiac ablation procedure at St Andrew’s Hospital for her abnormally fast heart rhythm.
She had been experiencing an increase in the frequency of her heart palpitations, something she had on and off for more than 10 years.
“I had this really racing heart and I had no energy,” Mrs McClune said.
“I felt really tired all the time and it was starting to make me feel a bit anxious because I had family history of heart problems. So I decided it was time I did something about it.”
She was diagnosed with a cardiac condition called Supra Ventricular Tachycardia, which causes an abnormally fast heart rhythm due to malfunctioning electrical activity in the upper part of the heart.
Mrs McClune met Dr Shameer Ahmed, an electrophysiologist and cardiologist, last year and was one of his first patient to have the new procedure in November.
Dr Ahmed joined St Andrews from the Princess Alexandra Hospital in April last year, having also worked in the US and England. With a $250,000 investment from the hospital to purchase specialised equipment, the procedure was brought to Toowoomba for the first time.
“I think this venture helps us bring the technology to the people in the region so they don’t have to go for the simple diagnostic purposes or for the treatment purposes they don’t have to travel to Brisbane,” Dr Ahmed said.
“When I started this service I thought it would be at least about 100 to 200 patients in about a year or two that we may be able to get them treatment here locally.”
The procedure modifies tissue in the heart causing abnormal heart rhythms. It is performed by inserting catheters into the heart and applying radio frequency to the abnormal tissue.