Take a front-row seat for a cardiac procedure that's the first of its kind

Step into an operating theatre at Mackay Base Hospital with Dr Zhang and his team for an Australian first. 🫀👨‍⚕️
Shockwave Coronary Intravascular Lithotripsy (IVL) Catheter Balloon, is a new technology that sends shockwaves to break down calcium in blocked or narrowed arteries.
Prior to the development of this technology, patients in regional areas who needed cardiac intervention had to be sent to tertiary hospitals in Townsville or Brisbane.
This could mean long wait times and significant travel costs. With the Shockwave IVL Catheter Balloon, patients can now be treated locally, with a much shorter recovery time.
Dr Zhang and his team have already treated 22 patients with the Shockwave IVL Catheter Balloon, with all patients experiencing exceptional clinical outcomes.
With heart disease being the number one cause of death in Australia, Dr Zhang is proud of his team’s work leading in this space. In addition, the team are excited about the potential of this technology to improve cardiac care in regional areas and is working to roll it out across Queensland and Australia.
#InnovationSpotlight #HEALTHQ32 #CareInHospital #HealthHero #QldHealth