Local hospitals see increase in patients with heart problems
Dr Shen Chengxing (center) and Dr Ge Junbo (right) performing surgery on a patient with myocardial infarction today.
Leading local hospitals said they have received 20 to 30 percent more patients suffering from myocardial infarction than last year.
Unhealthy diet, a lack of exercise, plus smoking and poor control of diseases like hypertension are all risk factors for myocardial infarction.
“Local hospitals are establishing chest pain centers in order to regulate medical processes for people with urgent cardiac conditions, and to streamline the procedure of offering efficient and effective treatment,” said Dr Shen Chengxing, director of Shanghai No.6 People’s Hospital’s cardiology department. “The international standard says that a patient should receive surgery within 90 minutes of the first medical contact.”
To further enhance treatment, local hospitals have also introduced the most advanced equipment.
Shanghai No.6 People’s Hospital performed a special surgery today utilizing the new digital subtraction system at its cardiac catheterization lab. The new machine is the most advanced of its kind in China, offering real-time 3D renderings of blood vessels while injecting patients with much less contrast agent, reducing the risk of kidney problems.
“During trial use yesterday, it only took 19 minutes to open the blocked cardiac vessels of a 40-year-old patient with emergency myocardial infarction,” Shen said.
Medical experts warned that patient numbers will further increase after cardiovascular disease enters its peak season along with the cold weather.
Cardiovascular disease is preventable and controllable. About 80 percent of the instances of myocardial infarction can be prevented if people better control their unhealthy habits and receive timely checkups if they are part of the high-risk group, doctors said during World Heart Day on September 29.
“Good control of blood pressure, cholesterol level, blood sugar, weight, and quitting smoking can reduce deaths caused by cardiovascular diseases by three quarters,” said Dr Ge Junbo, a leading cardiologist and the leader for chest pain center establishment in the nation.
