Unbelievable way cows, pigs saving Queensland lives

Common farmyard animals are routinely saving Queenslanders’ lives in a very unexpected way.

The majority of Queenslanders who have heart valve replacement surgery in the public system are fitted with prostheses from a cow or pig amid a significant increase in the number of structural heart disease interventions.

A new health report released today has revealed the animal valves are one of the many medical advances benefiting patients, with procedures to treat conditions such as heart valve disease, congenital disease like holes in the heart chambers on the rise.

The Queensland Cardiac Clinical Network’s (QCCN) 2022 Cardiac Outcomes Registry (QCOR) annual report has highlighted how health initiatives and access to regional and remote clinics have boosted care and kept the state’s hearts pumping.

Through the Networked Cardiac Services program which provides cardiac services to regional and remote areas,a total of 500 clinics and more than 6300 consults were undertaken in 2022.

Almost 14,700 coronary procedures were undertaken in the Queensland public health system in 2022 along with thousands of pacemaker implants, hundreds of surgeries to repair heart valves and almost 9500 referrals to rehabilitation services.

Queenslanders are routinely being fitted with prostheses from a cow or pig when undergoing heart valve replacement surgery.

As part of these procedures, there was an increase of 27 per cent in structural heart disease

interventions and a 40 per cent increase in transcatheter aortic valve replacements compared to 2021.

QCOR is the largest clinical quality registry of its kind in Australia and is a clinician-led

quality and safety program.

Princess Alexandra Hospital Director of Cardiology Dr Sudhir Wahi said the greatest increase in structural heart disease interventions from 2021 to 2022 had been in trans-catheter aortic valve replacements (TAVR).

“The reasons for the increase are diverse, which include an ageing population but more importantly an awareness of this procedure amongst referring physicians and patients in the population,” Dr Wahi said.

“There is now good scientific data internationally showing comparable outcomes between TAVR vs. surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR).”

Heart Foundation Board Member and Brisbane based Cardiologist Prof. David Colquhoun said Queensland had made great progress in cardiac care over the last few decades.

“The Networked Cardiac Services program means people can access the high-quality care they need, without the need to travel into the larger cities,” Prof Colquhoun said.

“We know that these procedures and interventions save lives, so it is important to continue finding ways that improve access to heart healthcare, especially for those living in rural and remote parts of the state.

“My message … is for Queenslanders to continue caring for their heart’s health by seeing their GP, taking care of their mental health, and keeping their cholesterol under control.”

Queenslanders are routinely being fitted with prostheses from a cow or pig when undergoing heart valve replacement surgery.

The Queensland government is investing in healthy habit initiatives including 10,000 Steps, A Better Choice and Growing Good Habits to support state’s cardiovascular health.

According to the report, 10 per cent of people with coronary heart disease smoked daily, 4.5

per cent had diabetes and two in three were overweight.

Most cardiac patients were aged between 61 and 80 years of age, while the median age of people undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions – the most common type of cardiac procedure – was 66 years. Almost 75 per cent of people receiving this procedure were male.

Dr Wahi said the PA Hospital Cardiology department provided many outreach services to rural and regional population centres, particularly to the south west of the state, which improves the continuity of care for those patients.