Page 7 - An Innovation Spirit ...
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HiSToRy firsts
“We’re moving excellence…Everyone wants to profoundly affecting – indeed, in facilities such as the Multi-
from big be part of a successful story.” revolutionizing – the diagnosis Purpose Operating Room, named
and treatment of cardiovascular for the late R. Fraser Elliott, who
incisions to Dr. Rubin says the centre’s disease. left a generous gift supporting
small incisions vision to provide the best its state-of-the art imaging
to no incisions cardiovascular care in the world Linda Flockhart, Clinical equipment. Three times the size
is shared and supported by Director of the PMCC, who of a traditional operating room,
at all.” the “staggering generosity” of began as a bedside nurse in the the multipurpose operating room
philanthropists such as Peter Cardiovascular Intensive Care can handle complex chest, heart
Dr. Barry Rubin, Munk, founder and chairman Unit in the late 1980s, says that and vascular procedures and
Medical Director, emeritus of Barrick Gold “surpassing the boundaries” in other types of surgery, and it was
Peter Munk Cardiac Centre Corporation, who, with a history complex areas such as stem the first of its kind in Canada.
of heart disease in his family, cell research, heart failure,
approaches. Highlights for him made his first gift of $5-million sleep studies, aneurysms The family of Ted Rogers has
include the PMCC’s brand-new in 1993. Mr. Munk and his wife, and arrhythmia is “part of our donated $130-million to establish
facilities, the development of care Melanie, established the Peter identity.” Staff take pride in the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart
maps for cardiac conditions and Munk Cardiac Centre in 1997; each startling advance and “get Research at the Hospital for
its imaging technologies. “Before their donations to the centre have restless if it’s been awhile since Sick Children, UHN and the
the patient leaves the operating totalled $65-million. something new has happened.” University of Toronto. It will allow
room, you know how the heart the PMCC to do collaborative
is working. Talk about quality Such contributions allowed the Patients are “offered a lifeline” groundbreaking research in
assurance.” centre to develop its unique co- by the centre, but are also critical technologies, processes and
ordinated, team-based approach to its success, she explains, with strategies to fight heart failure,
Dr. David would like to see and a structured way to manage those in areas such as the adult with a goal of reducing hospital
advances in areas such as innovation, Dr. Rubin says, congenital heart program, the admissions for the condition by
genetics and molecular changes supporting research initiatives by largest in Canada, “advocating 50 per cent within a decade.
in heart disease, noting that staff at all levels and studies that for care and pushing us forward.
the PMCC encourages young evaluate new technologies and We’re going through this journey Such external partnerships
researchers to use creativity, procedures outside the Ontario together.” It’s especially gratifying “expand our brand outside the
which attracts the donor Ministry of Health and Long-Term to see patients who were gravely four walls of the centre,” Dr. Rubin
community. “Excellence breeds Care. The funds have helped ill return for follow-up visits, says.
the PMCC “attract superstars “walking down the hall with their
from around the world,” creating families, looking totally normal.” The centre is “ideally
endowed chairs and establishing positioned to be a world-leader
Centres of Excellence, where More and more patients are in cardiovascular care,” Dr. Rubin
clinicians and scientists are undergoing minimally-invasive says, but that requires constant
surgery using advanced imaging vigilance and reinvestment.
1988 The first aortic valve sparing operation to 1990 First 2007 First analysis of the 2010 First CorMatrix
treat an aortic root aneurysm (known as the David practical genetic fatal heart rhythm ventricular Regenerative Tricuspid Valve
operation). young patients with aneurysms of the test for viral fibrillation in explanted human implant The tricuspid valve
aortic root, the main blood vessel that comes out infection of the hearts Ventricular fibrillation is a allows blood flow from the main
of the heart, are frequently associated with specific heart Drs. Michael leading cause of sudden death veins in the chest into the right
genetic syndromes. Previously, these Sole and C.C. worldwide, and it could not atrium of the heart. CorMatrix is
patients were treated with a synthetic Liew were the previously be studied in humans. a regenerative medicine product
graft that had a mechanical aortic first to use gene With this program, Dr. Kumar that provides a scaffold for
valve, which required lifelong anti- amplification to Nanthakumar’s group was able the body to recreate a natural
coagulation or a tissue valve with identify Coxsackie to study the hearts of patients tricuspid valve. More than 100
limited durability. This operation virus infection of who had died from ventricular CorMatrix implants have now
preserved the patient’s own aortic the heart. fibrillation. This led to the been performed worldwide to
valve, improved the quality of life discovery of why some patients repair the tricuspid valve since
and is now the established worldwide develop this lethal heart rhythm. PMCC first used this technique.
standard for treating this condition.
1990 2000 2010 2015
1987 First prospective study of 1991 First aortic valve 2008 First demonstration 2012 First completely intraoperative
iliac and femoral artery balloon replacement using the Toronto that sleep deficiency can stem cell transplantation for cardiac
angioplasty Narrowing or SPV bioprosthesis St. Jude cause heart disease This repair Previous efforts at stem cell
blockage of the arteries to the Medical (in St. Paul, Minn.) explains why chronic lack of transplantation for heart repair after
legs may cause disabling pain acquired the rights to manufacture sleep or shift work is not just a heart attack required processing
and may lead to amputation. The the Toronto SPV valve, and the associated with an increased of the cells over days to weeks. The
PMCC was the first to establish Toronto General Hospital was the risk of cardiovascular disease, PMCC was the first to harvest, process
that balloon dilation (angioplasty) main site to train surgeons from but can actually cause heart and transplant a patient’s own stem
was a minimally-invasive around the globe to learn this new disease by preventing the cells during heart bypass surgery
approach that could effectively technique of valve replacement. daily repair and renewal of directly into the damaged area of
treat impaired circulation. This valve proved to be better tissues that happen in the the heart, with cell processing taking
Worldwide, angioplasty is now hemodynamically, but not as heart. place completely within the operating
used much more than open durable as stented valves room environment (in a dedicated
bypass surgery to improve the and was discontinued in regenerative medicine facility).
circulation to the legs. 2005.
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Winter 2016
