15 November 2006

CT scanner provides new hope for bypass patients

A new $2.2 million, "dual source" 64 slice CT scanner, will be delivered to Concord Hospital later this month, NSW Minister for Health John Hatzistergos announced today.

Mr Hatzistergos said Concord will be the first NSW public hospital to have the hi-tech scanner installed - delivering a new direction in how doctors treat bypass patients.

"Nearly 16,000 coronary bypass operations are performed in Australia every year. While the majority of grafts last for 10 to 15 years, up to 10 per cent close within the first year, putting the patient at risk of further heart attacks," he explained.

"By using CT technology, doctors are able to identify how veins adapt to surgery, and to identify factors putting patients at risk of the graft failing."

Mr Hatzistergos said the CT scanner has two x-ray tubes instead of one, which makes it twice as fast, doubling the 64 slice capacity to 128 slices.

"This allows cardiac scanners to be completed quicker over the space of fewer heart beats leading to less movement, therefore better pictures."

Results of a recent study - of 80 patients who underwent bypass surgery at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital - shows that CT scanners are improving the care of coronary artery bypass patients.

Mr Hatzistergos said the main clinical benefit of using CT scanners is they are 95 per cent accurate - and are much less invasive than conventional coronary angiography.

"Until now it has been difficult for doctors to take reliable pictures of the heart using scanning technology because of the heart's rapid movements, one beat per second," he said.

"These new CT scanners enable doctors to take extremely detailed pictures of the heart's vessels, taking up to 400 pictures per second."

Member for Drummoyne Angela D'Amore welcomed the announcement that Concord Hospital will receive the new "dual source" CT scanner.

"This is good news for bypass patients being treated at Concord Hospital," she said.

"As well as taking incredibly detailed pictures of the heart, the scanners will also be benefit stroke patients as they can take equally detailed pictures of arteries to the brain."

Mr Hatzistergos said Liverpool Hospital recently installed a 64 slice scanner - which will be upgraded to "dual source" in early 2007.

For a range of health information, go online to www.health.nsw.gov.au