When Kevin Gardiner developed chest pains in June, his wife, Sharyn, drove him to Guelph General Hospital’s Emergency Department, where the doctors and nurses immediately went to work.
“The team was fabulous,” she recalls. “They never left our side for one moment.”
A CT scan revealed a small aneurysm on Kevin’s aorta, so vascular specialist Dr. Mah admitted him for monitoring. That decision proved critical.
Everything was stable for a few days. Then a follow-up scan showed that the aneurysm had suddenly doubled in size. Without surgery, Kevin could die.
The best option was an emergency thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) — a minimally invasive surgery that allows doctors to access the aneurysm using a tiny incision near the groin instead of cutting open the patient’s chest.
Why Kevin had to leave Guelph for emergency vascular care
Dr. Mah knew how to perform it. But because Guelph General didn’t have the facilities, he was forced to send Kevin to Hamilton General Hospital.
As the ambulance raced down Highway 6, Sharyn followed with their two adult children, who had dropped their long weekend plans to rush back. She knew Kevin would be in excellent hands in Hamilton. But every minute he spent in transit delayed the surgery, increasing the risk he wouldn’t make it.
Travelling to an unfamiliar city at 9:30 at night only added to the stress. “You can imagine the emotions,” she says.
Thankfully, Kevin’s surgery was successful. Today, he’s back on the golf course, cheering on his grandson at baseball games and celebrating milestones — including his 70th birthday this fall.
Bringing advanced vascular care closer to home
But the Gardiners didn’t want other families to experience what they went through. After a discussion with their children, they pledged, this holiday season, to match donations for Guelph General’s upgraded vascular surgery suite until December 31st, up to a total of $100,000.
The state-of-the-art facility, including precision X-ray technology, will allow Dr. Mah and his colleagues to perform TEVARs and other advanced procedures right here in Guelph.
How a new vascular surgery suite will benefit patients across the region
That creates benefits for an entire region. The province has designated Guelph General as a regional vascular surgery provider, serving more than a million residents in an area that covers Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Orangeville, Stratford and north to Owen Sound.
For patients like Kevin, the upgraded vascular surgery suite will mean they can get the advanced care they need closer to home — and closer to the people who matter most — instead of being transferred to London, Hamilton or Toronto.
The lower-dose X-ray equipment will reduce exposure to radiation, creating a safer working environment for the surgical team. And in the face of a national shortage of vascular surgeons, the new facilities will also help the hospital retain and recruit top talent.
“We have such incredible surgeons and staff [at Guelph General] that can make a difference to families,” says Sharyn. “We just need to be able to give these capable people the ability to do it here.”
Help expand access to advanced vascular care at Guelph General
If you would like to support this upgraded vascular suite and give your friends and neighbours greater access to advanced vascular care you can do so securely online below.