A generous donation of $100,000 from Kinsmen Foundation is helping Royal University Hospital (RUH) provide a leading-edge alternative to traditional open-heart surgery for patients with life-threatening conditions affecting the mitral valve’s ability to pump blood through the body.
The gift used to purchase new state-of-the art laparoscopic equipment means patients not eligible for the standard midline chest incision open-heart surgery for various reasons now have access to a much less invasive surgical option in Saskatchewan.
“The generosity of Kinsmen Foundation gives new hope to our patients with a diseased mitral valve, which left untreated can lead to a leaky or stuck-shut valve resulting in serious conditions such as heart failure,” says RUH cardiac surgeon Dr. Aly Ghoneim. “The outcome for a patient receiving minimally invasive surgery is smaller less noticeable scars that heal much faster, reduced pain, shorter hospital stay, quicker recovery time, and a speedier return to normal activities.”
The ability to perform minimally invasive heart procedures in Saskatchewan spare patients the hardship of having to travel out of province to receive life-saving surgery. Dr. Ghoneim and his surgical team have done 15 minimal invasive mitral surgeries to date and expect to double that number in the coming year.
Part of Kinsmen Foundation’s mandate is to provide a better quality or quantity of service to Saskatchewan people by funding new and innovative equipment.
“Our Board is thrilled to be able to assist in funding this new cardiac equipment for RUH and patients who will benefit by having it here in Saskatchewan,” says Raelynn Nicholson, Chair of Kinsmen Foundation. “As a registered nurse, I fully recognize the value minimally invasive surgery provides to both patients and the health-care system.”
Kinsmen Foundation has supported health-care priorities at RUH for more than 30 years through its generous donations to Royal University Hospital Foundation.
“We are very grateful for the ongoing support from Kinsmen Foundation in advancing patient care excellence and innovation at Royal University Hospital,” says Jennifer Molloy, CEO, RUH Foundation. “Together, we are helping to save more lives of patients requiring the most complex of cardiac care in our province at RUH.”
Kinsmen’s past support also includes $1.5 million for cardiac electrophysiology in that has helped prolong and save lives across Saskatchewan. In honour of their generosity, in 2012, we named the Cardiac EP Lab at RUH the Kinsmen Telemiracle Foundation Electrophysiology Laboratory.
In more than 30 years, the Kinsmen Foundation has donated $2.8 million for health-care priorities at RUH.
Thank you, Kinsmen, from the bottom of our hearts!
