Doctor discussing health issues with patient

County’s heart attack rate at significantly lower level than national average

The number of people dying from heart attacks across Kent and Medway has fallen dramatically by almost half in the last decade.

And in the last 20 years, mortality rates have reduced by a staggering 70 per cent, putting this county’s heart attack rate at a significantly lower level than the national average.

Health chiefs are celebrating the achievement in a county which is dogged with high obesity levels and smoking rates in several districts.

The massive drop is being attributed to major advancements in medicine and pioneering services, such as the new percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) treatment – primary angioplasty – at the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford.

The groundbreaking treatment, used on Prince Philip at Christmas after he suffered a blocked coronary artery, involves interventional action while the heart attack is still ongoing.

Doctors inflate a small balloon into the clogged artery to relieve pressure and then insert a small stent to keep the artery inflated to prevent further attacks.

Consultant interventional cardiologist Dr Konrad Grosser said: “A patient who is suffering an acute heart attack benefits most from angioplasty if it is given as soon as possible after symptom-onset. With the primary angioplasty service here at the William Harvey Hospital patients will not have to wait, but the ambulance will bring patients straight to the catheter lab where coronary angioplasty can be performed immediately.

“The previous standard treatment for acute heart attacks involved medication used to dissolve blood-clots, which takes much longer and is less effective in restoring normal blood flow. We are therefore very happy to be able to offer this service to our patients.”

Recovery time for patients is quicker than with the older style treatment, where patients can be in hospital for up to a week. Now most are discharged after 72-96 hours.

Dr Grosser said: “Interventional treatment for acute heart attacks is fast, safe and involves only local anaesthetic treatment. I perform this procedure through the arm in 90 per cent of cases. This helps reducing access site bleeding and also allows a faster recovery of patients. Usual procedure times are approximately 30-60 minutes.”

He said advances in medication, such as statins, had also helped in treating heart attacks, where in the past there was only aspirin.

Community cardiac nurse specialist Helen Donnelly said aftercare had also improved.

“One of the most important things is to make contact and give that person reassurance,” she said.

“It’s a terrifying experience for someone and they tend to feel every slight twinge in their heart.

“I offer support and make sure people can access the right services, such as helping to quit smoking.

“I’ll go through medication with them; sometimes if a drug is making someone feel ill they’ll stop taking it, so I will talk them through it.

“Aftercare is so important and I work in a brilliant team. I’ve been doing this job for 10 years and patients are coming out of hospital so much quicker, which helps with recovery.”

She added: “I dealt with a man who was very anxious, he would phone me up with the slightest twinge.

“At the end of his rehab his daughter came in with a photo of him on a bicycle freewheeling down a hill with a big grin on his face – that sums up how important cardiac rehab is.”

Geoffrey Stickler, from Deal, underwent PCI treatment when he suffered a heart attack last November.

The 52-year-old said: “The ambulance crew arrived in minutes and they gave me a spray under my tongue and some aspirin.

“I walked out to the ambulance and they connected me up and gave me an ECG. I could hear they were in contact with someone which turned out to be the specialist centre at William Harvey Hospital.

“I went straight through A&E and up to the cardiac unit where the surgical team was waiting.

“They removed a thrombosis (clot) and fitted a stent to re-open the blocked artery that was causing the heart attack.

“It was done under local anaesthetic and it was all over in about an hour and a half.”

He underwent cardiac rehab and is now recovering from his ordeal.

“All heart attack victims should take up the offers of help from of the cardiac nursing team.”