Follow two cardiac surgeries LIVE during Heart Week at Catharina Hospital

During the Heart Week organized by the Cardiac and Vascular Centre of the Catharina Hospital in Eindhoven, interested parties can witness two different cardiac interventions in a live broadcast. Both interventions involve the replacement of a heart valve.

People that are interested can follow these interventions on the websites of AD.nl, ED.nl, BD.nl and BN/De Stem.nl. The morning broadcast will start at 11 am, while the interventions will commence at 2.15 pm. These interventions can also be viewed online on social media channels of Catharina Ziekenhuis, Hartstichting and Harteraad.

App de Expert

Viewers can “App the Expert” during both interventions, allowing them to reach out and ask questions via WhatsApp and Facebook. Questions can be sent to the mobile number 06-17 50 81 00 on the day of the broadcast. In this way, “App the Expert” allows the hospital to answer questions from the audience and take away anxieties from patients in an easily accessible way. During earlier live broadcasts of interventional procedures the hospital has received many positive responses, both from the audience and from patients. Many patients like to see what awaits them when listed for an intervention.

Open heart surgery and TAVI

As mentioned, both procedures will involve a heart valve replacement. Dr. Guus Brueren, cardiologist, will perform this procedure by means of a catheter intervention entering the body via the femoral – a so called TAVI intervention – while dr. Ka Yan Lam will perform the valve replacement via surgery, opening the chest to get direct access to the heart. Dr. Lam: “Surgical heart valve replacement has been done for over 50 years and has been the only option for a very long time. In this procedure, the sternum is cut open and during the procedure a heart-lung machine takes over the function of the heart and lungs. Most patients will have fully recovered after a six-week period.” The TAVI-procedure is much less invasive and offers a good alternative for patients for which the surgical procedure would be too big of a burden, for example because of age. “This technique has meanwhile developed so much that a valve can be replaced without the need for anesthesia. A local anesthetic at the groin can be sufficient. The implantation of the valve and the closure of the entry site is usually done within an hour, and some patients can already leave the hospital the next day”, dr. Brueren explains.

Heart Week at Catharina Hospital

Het Catharina Cardiac and Vascular center is the largest one in the Netherlands and has developed into a nationally and internationally renowned and respected specialist center. From November 4th until November 7th, the 13th edition of the Heart Week will take place. During this week, more than 800 nurses and specialists from all over the Netherlands will visit the Catharina Hospital. The Heart Week provides an opportunity to get informed about the newest developments in the field of cardiology and cardiac surgery. The aim is indeed to share knowledge and experiences, inform each other and inspire to learn with and from one another.

During the clinical intervention that will be broadcast in a theatre at the hospital, LifeTec Group will be present on the stage of that theatre with a live beating heart platform. Clinical specialists present will use this platform to demonstrate the procedures and actions that are ongoing at the same time in the operating room. Catharina Hospital and LifeTec Group collaborate closely in research on new forms of treatments for cardiac patients.


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