On World Heart Day Heart Patients Visited BIOTRONIK Singapore to Learn More About Cardiovascular Therapy

More than 120 participants accepted BIOTRONIK’s invitation to the first ever Patients Day at the company’s manufacturing site in Singapore. On occasion of World Heart Day, patients and their families met with both physicians and BIOTRONIK specialists to gain insights into heart disease and treatment options.

According to figures released by the Singaporean Ministry of Health, cardiovascular diseases including stroke are the country’s number one cause of death. In 2017 they accounted for more than 30 percent of all deaths in Singapore.¹

The Patients Day helped familiarize patients with three main topics. During the clinical part, physicians explained various cardiovascular diseases, including symptoms, diagnosis, therapy options and the corresponding devices for optimal diagnostics and treatment. In the technology segment, guests learned about the development of cardiovascular medical devices over the last 50 years: from the early days of cardiac pacing to today’s intelligent devices; from the first balloon dilatation to resorbable scaffolds. Later, BIOTRONIK’s engineers and manufacturing team provided insights into the design and production of today’s devices. During facility tours, visitors found out what it takes to manufacture long-lasting high-tech products, including stents and pacemaker leads.

“It was good to learn so many new facts about heart conditions and the different ways technology can help patients like me,” stated Tan Beng Kwang, who has had an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) for four years. While most adults followed the official program, younger participants enjoyed the day in the kids’ corner, complete with a bouncy castle.

Besides the patients and their families, physicians also benefited from the BIOTRONIK’s Patients Day. ”Events likes these provide valuable information about our patients’ needs,” said Dr. Derek Yong, cardiologist at Restore Heart Centre at Mount Alvernia Hospital in Singapore. “Thanks to the exchange between patients, clinicians and industry, we can improve our understanding of cardiovascular therapy from different points of view. This helps us to constantly improve treatment.”

BIOTRONIK Singapore’s Patients Day marks the two-year anniversary of the Asia Pacific manufacturing facility’s opening on September 29, 2016, which made Singapore the company’s fourth manufacturing site. The site includes a large ISO class 7 cleanroom that supplies the global market with products for the Vascular Intervention and Cardiac Rhythm Management businesses.

“It makes me very proud that we welcomed so many visitors here at our site, exactly two years after opening,” said Erik Trip, Managing Director, Asia Pacific Manufacturing, BIOTRONIK. “As we continue to grow, we dedicate our work not only to providing high-quality medical devices, but also to get in touch with patients and others who are interested in cardiovascular therapy. This event was a great opportunity for BIOTRONIK employees to connect with patients and to raise awareness of how we improve patients’ quality of life through our daily work.”

References:

^{1 Ministry of Health. Total deaths by broad causes. 2018. doi: https://bit.ly/2POoYAE}