In an Australian first, doctors at Royal Children’s Hospital are now able to repair the commonest holes in the heart without performing open-heart surgery.
Children are able to go home 24-hours after the procedure rather than remaining in hospital for a week as they would following conventional surgery.
Four year-old Brandon Connelly’s hole in the heart was repaired using this new method of treatment on Tuesday and he was able to go home today, Wednesday.
This new procedure is performed using a minimally invasive technique using a catheter. Whilst some ‘holes’ have been repaired previously using a similar technique, the commonest ‘holes’, ventricular septum defects (VSDs) have not been amenable to this and have required open-heart surgery.
Specialists at Royal Children’s Hospital were trained in this new technique by paediatric cardiologist Dr Ziyad Hijazi from Chicago Children’s Hospital.
Media is invited to meet Brandon and his parents at Royal Children’s Hospital tomorrow to see the results of this new method of treatment.
- DATE Thursday 19th December 2002
- T IME 11.30AM
- PLACE Board Room, 5th Floor Front Entry Building (directions from enquiry desk)
Available for interview
- Brandon, Tammy and Darren Connelly
- Dr Jim Wilkinson, Paediatric Cardiologist RCH
- Dr T H Goh, Paediatric Cardilogist, RCH
- Dr Ziyad Hijazi, Paediatric Cardiologist
Vision of the procedure will be available.
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This story gained coverage in:
- The Age December 20th
- Herald Sun December 20th
- Radio coverage Australia wide
- Television coverage on all networks, Australia wide