From Crisis to Cure: Innovative Care at OTMH

Our patients rely on lifesaving care. Our doctors do too.

It was abdominal pain beyond anything Shui Luo had ever experienced before.

Finally, in the middle of the night, Shui asked his wife to take him to the Emergency Department at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital (OTMH). The 42-year-old had no idea his stomach pain was the beginning of a health crisis that would last for weeks.

Shui’s pancreas was badly infected – the result of gallstones blocking his bile duct. Using a special scope, a gastroenterologist at OTMH, operated once and then again to remove the dead tissue causing the infection. “It was very scary. My wife cried almost every day,” Shui admits.

Unfortunately, the minimally-invasive, but difficult, procedure still wasn’t successful in clearing the infection. The medical team would need to try one more to remove the dead tissue using the scope. If it didn’t work, Shui would need to be transferred to a specialty hospital for a much bigger operation.

Thankfully, the third procedure was a success. “I’m grateful OTMH had the device needed to bring me back from a desperate situation,” says Shui. “The hospital saved my life”

I’m not surprised Shui’s story had a positive outcome. After all, OTMH is a place of innovation, where patients have access to talented doctors, cutting-edge equipment and world-class care.

Thanks to your support, thousands of patients like Shui have access to advanced equipment at OTMH, including Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) to advance their diagnosis and treatment.

These handheld devices are used to scan the entire body, right at the bedside. The digital images they produce provide real time information, enabling caregivers to assess patients quicker and make decisions about treatment.

It’s no secret our community is booming. I’ve seen tremendous growth since I started practicing at OTMH 27 years ago – both in population and in the number of patients turning to us for help. We’re also seeing patients, many of them older, with more complicated or multiple issues.

Some of these patients will need lifesaving care in the ICU. They deserve access to the best and latest technology for their best chance to recover and go home to their families.

That’s why we have two Arctic Sun Temperature Management Systems on our equipment needs list. They’re used to bring down the temperature of critically ill patients, reducing the risk of brain damage. We also need a new PrisMax Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy Machine. This machine provides dialysis on a continuous basis which is easier for very sick patients to tolerate than regular dialysis.

Technology is constantly evolving which is great news for patients and the doctors who care for them. But, it also means we must continuously replace outdated equipment so patients like Shui can get the cutting-edge treatment they need close to home.

Sincerely,

Dr. Laurence Chau
Respirologist and Chief of Medicine
Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital