The Cardiac Care Program at LHSC serves patients and families in London, Southwestern Ontario and Northwestern Ontario providing care for more than 21,000 inpatients and serving over 5,000 cardiac patients annually. In a typical year, the program performs more than 110,000 diagnostic tests, 1,400 cardiac surgeries and 3,900 cardiac catheterizations.

A cardiac catheterization takes place in a specialized examination room (referred to as a cath lab) with diagnostic imaging equipment used to visualize the arteries and chambers of the heart and help treat any issues or abnormalities found.

The fluoroscopy units – which use X-rays to obtain real-time moving images – in the cath labs are in need of replacement, as they are subject to frequent repairs and downtimes that affect the cost of operations, patient scheduling, and patient care.

Recognizing the age of the equipment and their importance to patient care, donors to LHSF have helped to begin the process of replacing the fluoroscopy equipment. Their generous support will improve patient care by providing higher-quality diagnostic images, keep LHSC staff and physicians safe by meeting current standards for radiation exposure, and make the entire process faster and more efficient.

“LHSC has a strong tradition of developing innovative heart tests to better understand various heart diseases and using that knowledge to develop new treatments or better ways to deliver those therapies. The future in heart therapies now lies in developing new heart imaging techniques and using them to deliver the therapy precisely to where it will achieve the greatest benefit for the patient.”
– Dr. Raymond Yee, Interim Chair/Chief Division of Cardiology

Read about other donor-supported projects London Health Sciences Foundation's 2017 Annual Report.