Heart Disease Impacts Over Half a Billion People by Island Hospital

According to the World Heart Report 2023, over half a billion people across the globe are affected by cardiovascular diseases, which claimed the lives of more than 20 million people in 2021.

But did you know that up to 80% of premature heart attacks and strokes can be prevented? As cardiovascular disease may manifest differently in each patient due to an array of factors such as genetics, lifestyle, comorbidities and socioeconomic status, personalised care allows for customised treatment plans that take into account the patient’s medical history, values and goals.

Island Hospital stands at the forefront of this, adopting pioneering advancements and redefining standards in cardiac care.

Transformative Advancements for Better Outcomes

At the heart of Island Hospital’s cardiology department lies its advanced diagnostic facilities, which serve as the cornerstone of accurate and timely patient assessment. Among its more recent acquisitions are the Philips Azurion monoplane and biplane systems that stand out for their unparalleled capabilities in cardiac catheterisation. These state-of-the-art technologies enable precise imaging and navigation during intricate procedures, ensuring optimal outcomes for patients undergoing cardiac interventions.

“Looking ahead, we will continue to pursue medical excellence by embracing person-centred care as well as opportunities to expand the scope of our cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery services for the better care of our patients,” said Dr Yeoh Joon Kuan, Head of Cardiology at Island Hospital.

Dr Yeoh is part of a team of over 90 specialists available at Island Hospital, who are able to provide support across the spectrum of preventative to chronic and critical care. This interdisciplinary expertise enables comprehensive and personalised treatment plans that are tailored to each patient’s unique needs.

“At Island Hospital, we offer everything from A to Z – from a comprehensive health screening programme for early detection and interventional and non-interventional options that include cardiac and valve surgery, to minimally invasive options complemented by the interventional radiology team,” explained Dr Yeoh.

Integrative Approaches to Patient Care

Patients benefit from the early identification of cardiac risks, facilitating timely intervention and prevention of serious complications. They will also have access to cutting-edge therapies and personalised pharmaceutical regimens delivered by skilled practitioners.

Among others, the hospital has advanced screening options for the risk of sudden cardiac death due to arrhythmia, led by a cardiologist with a subspeciality in electrophysiology, as well as advanced diagnostic and therapeutic cardiac interventions, such as intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), optical coherence tomography (OCT) and fractional flow reserve (FFR).

“We take pride in being current with the latest in medical innovations. The IVUS, for example, assesses soft tissue, capturing real-time images from inside the blood vessels, while the OCT has a 10-fold higher resolution to examine the coronary arteries. The FFR, on the other hand, is a minimally invasive procedure to figure out the degree of stenosis in the coronary arteries. These advanced modalities help us to accurately personalise the placement of stents to ensure better and longer-lasting clinical outcomes,” said Dr Yeoh.

Besides that, the hospital is one of the first to offer a new class of gene-silencing medicines which are able to ‘silence’ selected genes to lower the cholesterol levels in the patient. This precision-targeted approach represents a new era in the realm of personalised medicine and holds promise for tailored treatment strategies to improve outcomes for patients who are at risk of cardiovascular episodes.