Residents of the Northwest will now be able to receive angioplasty (PCI) without traveling to Southern Ontario. This is particularly important for heart attack victims and those experiencing a type of angina called Acute Coronary Syndrome because treatment will be available quickly. TBRHSC’s Angioplasty Program is built upon principles to ensure the best possible patient outcomes and every patient will be screened by experts to ensure they are suitable for PCI in Thunder Bay. The University of Ottawa Heart Institute (our Mentor) is one of the premier cardiac institutions in Canada.

Angioplasty is a medical procedure where a balloon is used to open a blockage in a coronary (heart) artery narrowed by plaque. When plaque builds up on the inner walls of the arteries, it can reduce blood flow to the heart and cause heart disease. The angioplasty procedure effectively treats the symptoms which result from the narrowing of arteries: symptoms such as extreme fatigue, chest pain (angina) and shortness of breath. Over the past 25 years, the technology and techniques used for PCI have advanced significantly. Images are clearer, catheters are made to suit specific vessel problems and stents help maintain the patency of newly opened arteries.

Click here for Angioplasty Frequently Asked Questions

Here in Northwestern Ontario, there is a greater chance that you or someone you love is at risk for heart disease.

The Thunder Bay District has:

• 50% higher rate of heart disease than the rest of the province.
• The highest death rate from heart disease in Ontario.
• The highest rate of heart disease in Canada!
• Over 70% of adults in Northwestern Ontario have at least one major risk factor for heart disease: High blood pressure, high cholesterol, unhealthy weight, inactivity, smoking, high levels of stress.

Program Development:

Healthcare professionals at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre have performed more cardiac catheterizations over the past 20 years than any other centre with a diagnostic-only laboratory. In recent years, approximately 1,500 patients per year received catheterization procedures here, saving them the need to travel for diagnosis. The high volume of these procedures, combined with the positive outcomes for patients, led to the development of the first visiting cardiac surgical clinic model in Ontario. Through this model, surgeons from larger centres assess cardiac patients here at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. Virtually every effort has been made to maximize the resources available to Northwestern Ontario patients to reduce or eliminate the need for them to travel. The positive impacts of these efforts on patients attracted the interest of other healthcare facilities throughout the country. Many have adopted our delivery models and now offer cardiac programs based on those offered here.

On October 10, 2007, the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre began to provide angioplasty procedures, in addition to 1750 catheterizations per year. Now, Northwestern Ontario patients in need of angioplasty to treat the symptoms of heart disease may turn to healthcare professionals in their own community for help.

During the program's first year, approximately 250 angioplasties will be performed at our Health Sciences Centre. Our program will continue to develop and expand. Subsequently, the government has committed to provide additional funds to support the operating costs of a program to provide service to over 500 patients per year. Additionally, the TBRHSC angioplasty program is expected to provide emergency service 24/7 as early as March 2009. Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre will become a regional interventional cardiac centre.

For further information, please contact:

Arlene Thomson
Manager PCI & Cardiac Catheterization
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre
980 Oliver Road
Thunder Bay, Ontario
P7B 6V4
Email: thomsona@tbh.net

Claude Robichaud
Manager Cardiology
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre
980 Oliver Road
Thunder Bay, Ontario
P7B 6V4
Email: robichac@tbh.net

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