According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the number one cause of death globally, contributing to 31 per cent of all global deaths. In Hong Kong, the Centre for Health Protection states that CVDs accounted for one in every five registered deaths in 2017, and is the third leading cause of death in the city.
Fortunately, technological advances have enabled hospitals such as Hong Kong Adventist Hospital – Stubbs Road to provide cutting-edge treatment to CVD patients, allowing many to live full and active lives after surgery. For example, our hospital now has a 24-hour primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention service.
Furthermore, our hospital established a new Hybrid Cardiac Catheterization and Interventional Operating Room with a biplane imaging system last year - the first private healthcare facility in Hong Kong to do so - greatly improving the timeliness of treatment and minimizing surgical risk.
As a hospital committed to whole-person healing and wellness, Hong Kong Adventist Hospital – Stubbs Road also places significant emphasis on aftercare, a critical component of the recovery process for patients who have undergone heart procedures. After being discharged, patients are regularly monitored to ensure their blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels are within an acceptable range, while drug dosage and side effects are also continuously assessed.
The hospital’s
Lifestyle Medicine Clinic is available to patients seeking a more personalized approach to rehabilitation, guiding them through lifestyle interventions in areas such as nutrition, exercise, and stress management. Dr Jason Ko, a cardiologist at Adventist, highlights that maintaining a “healthy heart lifestyle” is key to recovery and protecting against relapse.
“Heart patients who are smokers must stop immediately, otherwise the disease may progress and then all previous treatment efforts will be wasted. This is one of the most crucial commitments a patient can make following a heart procedure,” says Dr Ko, adding that adopting a diet low in salt, sugar, and fat, and getting enough exercise are also essential. Finally, emotional support is of critical importance as well and must not be overlooked.
The American Psychological Association states that failing to address the emotional and psychological well-being of a patient following a heart attack reduces the chances of a successful recovery, and that accepting social support can help patients make lasting behavior changes, build resilience, and reduce the risk of experiencing feelings of depression, anxiety, or isolation.
As part of embracing a healthy heart lifestyle, Dr Ko highly recommends regular check-ups for both post-surgery heart disease patients as well as those of us who are health conscious. “It is often those who do not undergo regular health check-ups that end up having heart attacks and being sent to the emergency department with severe coronary artery disease,” he says. “In the case of CVD patients who have undergone surgery – if cardiac risk factors are not regularly monitored, the disease is likely going to progress.”
For further information on this condition, or to be tested, please contact the team at Adventist Hospital in Hong Kong.