EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Within the next 18 months, Surrey Memorial Hospital will have two cardiac catheterization labs (cath labs), where cardiac specialists will perform minimally invasive tests and advanced life saving cardiac procedures.

WITH EVERY BIRTHDAY, YOUR RISK OF HEART DISEASE INCREASES

Heart disease is already the No. 1 cause of death among people 65 and older and is poised to become even more common in the years ahead, exacting an enormous toll on the health and quality of life for older Canadians.

NOWHERE WILL THE BURDEN OF HEART DISEASE BE FELT MORE ACUTELY THAN IN THE FRASER HEALTH REGION

In the Fraser Health region, the growth in the aging population will be the fastest and the largest of all health authorities in the province. Surrey also boasts one of the largest concentrations of South Asian residents in North America and studies have shown that people of South Asian descent can have four times the risk of heart disease compared to the general population and can develop the disease up to a decade earlier.

HOW WILL A CARDIAC CATHETERIZATION LAB HELP?

Interventional cardiologists will be able to diagnose and treat problems in your heart and blood vessels before they cause larger issues, such as a heart attack or stroke. And in the case of a completely blocked coronary artery (STEMI), urgent intervention in a cardiac cath lab could mean the difference between life and death.

HOW CAN I BE PART OF THE SOLUTION?

Along with our cardiology team, Surrey Hospitals Foundation has been actively advocating for cardiac catheterization for the last year or so. And now, we are proud to partner with the Fraser Health Authority and the Provincial Government in supporting and fundraising for our cardiac catheterization labs.