The Saint John Regional Hospital now has the top heart equipment in North America, thanks to the $775,000 raised from The Give 2012.
Between selling anything from pizzas to t-shirts, to private and company donations, the foundation exceeded it’s original goal by $25,000.
Dr. Marc Pelletier, department head of cardiac surgery, says he wouldn’t be surprised if the equipment runs longer than 15 years, since there’s less moving parts in the machine and more magnets. Pelletier says this equipment will make a world of difference for more complex surgeries and for more vulnerable patients like seniors.
Thanks to the donations, the heart centre now has 13 pieces of new equipment that will make operations safer and better. The top-notch equipment consists of new heart-lung machines, machines that monitor blood levels better, machines that keep the heart strong during operations, and keep watch of oxygen levels.
The New Brunswick Heart Centre performs over 750 open-heart surgeries, sees 13,000 patients annually, and only 20% of those patients are from Saint John.
