Football legends Denis Law CBE and Sir Alex Ferguson have paid tribute to the medical care they have received at BMI The Alexandra Hospital, by cutting the ribbon to officially open the hospital’s new hybrid theatre.
Sarah Whittaker (Imaging unit manager), Denis Law, Sir Alex Ferguson and Simon Shepherd (executive director)
The new unit provides people with suspected heart, circulation or neurological conditions with a more precise diagnosis, quicker recovery time from operations and less exposure to x-ray radiation. The unit is also able to offer the transcatheter valve implantation (TAVI) procedure, a lifesaving procedure for those suffering from narrowing of the aorta, but who are not suitable for open heart surgery.
Both Sir Alex and Denis have been treated at BMI The Alexandra Hospital for cardiac problems in recent years, and Denis – who played football for both Manchester City and Manchester United in the 1960s and 70s – was the first patient to be treated at The Alexandra’s new ‘cath lab’ when he was fitted with a pacemaker in February this year.
Sir Alex said: “BMI The Alexandra celebrated its 35th anniversary last year and is held dear in the hearts of many people living in the region. Yet again, The Alex is leading the way, with the first private hybrid theatre in the north west. It’s a fantastic facility for people with heart problems, with wonderful staff.”
Denis Law said: “The cardiac staff and facilities here at BMI The Alexandra are excellent. I am so grateful to them for looking after me so well – they really make the effort to ensure that you, as the patient, are number one.”
The investment in the new facility at BMI Healthcare’s flagship hospital in Cheadle creates the north west’s first private hybrid cardiac suite, with high quality imaging equipment in the operating theatre.
Simon Shepherd, Executive Director at BMI The Alexandra Hospital said: “We are very proud of the fact that BMI The Alexandra Hospital continues to set the bar for other private hospitals in the region. This fabulous facility will help us continue providing excellent care, by allowing patients with more complex conditions receive treatment and care at our hospital.
“This substantial investment demonstrates BMI Healthcare’s on-going commitment to patients, continuing to provide them with the very best health care possible.”
The suite is one of the most advanced facilities in Europe. It provides both high quality diagnostics for cardiac, vascular and neurological problems and a sterile theatre in which procedures can be carried out. The advanced technology and software used was delivered by Philips Healthcare. It allows hospital staff to use less invasive techniques to treat patients, resulting in quicker recovery times. Special ‘Echo’ navigator software also enables staff to use images from different imaging techniques and superimpose them on each other, to provide more precise diagnosis, planning and treatment. The advanced software provides top quality images but exposes the patient to far less radiation than older equipment, because it uses new ‘dose awareness’ technology