Annual Report 2017-18 | Monash Health

24/7 Endovascular Clot
Retrieval service saving
stroke patients
Victorian stroke victims now have a
better chance of survival, with a new
clot retrieval service improving stroke
survival rates.
Monash Medical Centre joined The
Royal Melbourne Hospital as the
state’s only 24/7 Endovascular Clot
Retrieval hospitals. The service enables
consumers to be transported for rapid
treatment no matter where the patient
is located.
In 2017/2018, 112 patients received
endovascular clot retrieval compare
to 70 patients in 2016/2017. In 2017 we
performed 91 retrievals. In the first
seven months of 2018 we had already
performed 83 cases and we estimate
about 130-150 cases will be performed
in 2018.
First published by Nine News,
17 September 2017.
A 30-minute heart disease
test is being trialled by
MonashHeart doctors
A 30-minute test for coronary
artery disease aims to cut the
number of invasive investigations
consumers have to undergo to get
their diagnosis confirmed.
The single test, which uses a patient’s
CT scan to make a 3D model of the
heart arteries and simulate blood
flow, is designed to be faster with
less potential side effects than
current techniques.
MonashHeart Interventional Cardiology
Fellow, Dr Abdul Rahman Ihdayhid
said when a patient was suspected of
having clogged arteries, they usually
had a CT scan. While it could highlight
narrowing in these small tubes, he said
that without further invasive tests, the
cardiac CT could not say how blood
flow to the heart was affected.
Not all clogged arteries require a stent
or bypass surgery and in some cases
medication is sufficient.
“The current gold standard for
measuring blood flow is an angiogram,”
Dr Ihdayhid said.
“It’s done in the catheter lab where
we put a specialised pressure wire
down someone’s coronary artery
and measure the blood flow. It’s an
invasive procedure associated with
potential side effects, discomfort to
the patient, and considerable cost
to the health system.”
New generation bone
scanner first in Australia
A new generation scanner to assess
musculoskeletal disease was made
available to Monash Health consumers
in March.
The XtremeCT-II measures bone
density and quantifies the threedimensional
microarchitecture
of bones (including 3D bone
microstructure, tendons, cartilage,
joints, muscle, fat and vascular
calcification) at the highest resolution
and precision currently available.
“The XtremeCT-II is the only one of its
kind in Australia and will allow cutting
edge musculoskeletal research both
domestically and internationally,”
Research Fellow, Dr Ayse Zengin said.
There are only two of these scanners
in the world—the other is in China.
The XtremeCT-II will be available as
a research platform for researchers,
clinicians and surgeons, ensuring
collaboration between health
care professionals.
Head, Department of Medicine, School
of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health,
Professor Peter Ebeling, AO, heads up
the Bone and Muscle Research Group
at Monash University. Prof Ebeling
anticipates using a low-radiation
method for high-resolution imaging of
bone, muscle and joints will enhance
understanding of musculoskeletal
conditions, enabling effective
preventative and treatment strategies.
Virtual reality to distract
children during medical
procedures
Clinicians at Monash Children’s Hospital
and Monash University are conducting
a research study using virtual reality
— an interactive computer system that
can be ‘seen’ when wearing a headset
and smartphone — to help distract
consumers from procedures in our
pathology and emergency departments.
Current pain management techniques,
such as local anaesthetic cream or
distraction is inadequate for some
children and may result in the need for
restraints and/or sedation.
Young consumers can now explore a
virtual ocean and interact with friendly
sea life, all while a doctor is performing
medical procedures, including
venepuncture or the inserting an
intravenous cannula. These procedures
can often be upsetting for children and
family members.
14 Monash Health Annual Report 2017-18