| 02 Dec 2009 |
| New heart procedure to reduce risk of stroke in high risk patients with irregular heart rate |
The National Heart Centre Singapore (新加坡国家心脏中心) performed Asia's first percutaneous closure of the left atrial appendage using the Watchman device on 12 October 2009. The device, which looks like a mini parachute, is permanently implanted in high-risk patients with atrial fibrillation, to prevent them from having a stroke caused by blood clots in the heart.
Click to read media release.
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| 19 Nov 2009 |
| Singapore's First "Ambient Experience" Cardiac Catheterisation Lab Opens at NHCS |
With the new Ambient Experience cardiac catheterisation lab, patients can choose a room ‘theme’ using a wireless TouchScreen prior to the procedure. When the selected theme is activated, the room
is transformed into a multi-sensorial experience through dynamic lighting, sound and projections. Walls appear to fade away, calming sounds and accompanying images (on the ceiling) wrap the patient in a relaxing ambience. This creates a comforting atmosphere for the patient and reduces anxiety.
Click to read media release.
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| 20 Oct 2009 |
| National Heart Centre Singapore sets new standard of care with hybrid cardiovascular procedures, first in Singapore |
Heart patients can look forward to a new standard of care as the National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS) introduces hybrid cardiovascular procedures with its hybrid operating theatre (OT). The first in Singapore, the new facility combines the capabilities of a full operating theatre with imaging abilities that allows both the interventional procedure and cardiovascular surgery to be performed in the same setting. This greatly enhances patient safety as the patient just needs to undergo the surgery once. Hybrid procedures can also lead to faster recoveries and shorter hospital stays, saving time and money for the patients.
With its patient-centric setup, the hybrid OT eliminates the hassle of moving the patients to multiple locations, putting them at greater ease and comfort.
Click to read media release.
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| 30 Sep 2009 |
| National Heart Centre Singapore introduces new pulse-free artificial heart for heart failure patients |
Patients with end-stage heart failure now have a much-improved option for left-ventricular support of the heart. The new device, known as Heart Mate II has a much smaller pump, making it fully implantable within patient’s body regardless of patient’s chest cavity size. Hence, this is suitable for adults with smaller build, for example, Asians and female patients. The new device is also built to last, possibly for years. This means that the device can potentially be used for chronic long-term support of patients with irreversible heart failure.
Click to read the media release.
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| 27 Aug 2009 |
| National Heart Centre Singapore introduces new safer and faster treatment for patients with abnormal heart rhythms |
The National Heart Centre Singapore (新加坡国家心脏中心) introduces a new magnetic navigation system for electrophysiological procedures to treat patients with complex abnormal heart rhythms such as rapid or irregular heartbeats. Using computer-aided magnetic guidance, cardiologists can more precisely and accurately navigate the catheters and guidewires within the complex heart anatomy, reducing the procedure time by 50 per cent from 4 – 6 hours to 2 – 3 hours. This in turn reduces radiation exposure, enhancing patient safety. In addition, the magnetically-enabled catheters are softer and more flexible, hence reducing the chance of distorting or damaging the heart wall to less than 1 per cent from 2 - 3 per cent.
Click to read the media release.
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| 10 Jul 2009 |
| NHC offers heart patients minimally invasive robot-assisted mitral valve repair surgery |
National Heart Centre Singapore (NHC) performs about 120 isolated valve surgeries a year of which two thirds are mitral valve repairs, using the conventional and minimally invasive procedure. Its mortality rate was only 1.92 percent, well below the international STS benchmark of 6 percent for mitral valve surgeries. NHC is currently the only centre in Singapore that performs robot-assisted mitral valve repairs.
Click on media release to read more.
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| 24 Apr 2009 |
| Asia's first combined heart and liver transplant |
A multi-disciplinary team from the NHC's Heart and Lung Transplant Unit and SGH's Liver Transplant Service successfully performed the first-ever combined heart and liver transplant in Asia in early April 2009.
Click here to read the joint media release.
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| 28 Mar 2009 |
| National Heart Centre Singapore Unveils New Building Design at its Groundbreaking Ceremony |
The National Heart Centre Singapore breaks ground for its new building at its future site at Hospital Drive on 28 March 2009. The ceremony graced by Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan, together with some 150 guests from the healthcare fraternity, patients and staff, sees the centre unveils the design and plan for its new building.
Click here to read the media release.
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| 27 Feb 2009 |
| National Heart Centre Singapore Unveils New Techniques for Heart Patients at its Annual Cardiology Conference |
Heart patients with small, difficult to treat vessels requiring stenting procedures may soon have another viable option to treat coronary artery disease. Known as the CardioMind® SparrowTM Drug-Eluting Coronary Stent System, this stent is 70% smaller in diameter than any other currently approved stent and targets at blood vessels smaller than 2.75mm in diameter. The centre estimates that 10% - 30% of the patients requiring percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) may benefit from this revolutionary stent. The Sparrow Stent is currently being evaluated in a clinical trial.
At its annual cardiology conference, the Singapore LIVE 2009, NHC also introduces a novel technique, the retrograde approach for chronic total occlusion (CTO). CTO is a condition whereby an artery has been completely blocked for more than three months. It is present in 20% - 30% of patients diagnosed with coronary artery disease who undergo diagnostic coronary angiography.
Approximately 5% - 10% of all percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) are CTO interventions. Generally, success rates with CTO using the conventional ‘front’ or ‘antegrade’ approach have been unsatisfactory, with only about a 50% success rate, and up to 70% at very good centres.
The retrograde approach raises the success rate to more than 90%, a marked improvement of 20% - 40%. This success is more significant when seen in the context of cases that have already failed a prior antegrade attempt, as it will have the same high success rate, when done via the retrograde approach.
Click here to read the media release.
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