Oberwart Clinic

Busy times in the new cardiac catheterization laboratory

Andreas Ochsenhofer, Head of the Internal Medicine Department, and his team are in constant use at the new Oberwart Clinic.(Bild: Gesundheit Burgenland)

The infrastructure "that is now available to us in the new Oberwart Clinic" is "groundbreaking", says Andreas Ochsenhofer, Head of the Internal Medicine Department. The move to the new building went "professionally" and shortly afterwards the first "rush of patients" had to be dealt with. Acute heart attacks can now also be treated. 

Less than two weeks after the opening of the new Oberwart Clinic, patient operations are running at full speed. "The advantages of the new building have been particularly evident since day one in the cardiology department, which now has significantly more capacity than in the old building and can perform many procedures at the same time," says Andreas Ochsenhofer, Head of the Internal Medicine Department. Unlike in the past, for example, a team in the cardiac catheterization laboratory can perform an angiography of the coronary arteries while the latest generation of pacemakers is being implanted in the operating theatre.

More than 30 procedures in the cardiac catheterization laboratory in one week
In the old building, the cardiology department still had to share rooms with the radiology department; in the new clinic, each department has its own area. From next Monday, electrophysiological examinations will also start again in the cardiology department - eight examinations are planned for the coming week, as well as around 30 elective cardiac catheter procedures and several pacemaker implantations.

The cardiology department has significantly more capacity in the new Oberwart clinic and can carry out many procedures at the same time(Bild: Gesundheit Burgenland)

Acute care for heart attacks during the day 
Another new feature is that acute heart attacks can increasingly be treated in the Oberwart cardiology department during the day. From the evening hours and at weekends, the existing network consisting of the hospitals in Eisenstadt, Wiener Neustadt and Graz will be used. "From next year, however, we also want to make our contribution to the so-called STEMI network as an additional location and thus further improve the rapid treatment of heart attacks on a daily basis, including at night and at weekends throughout the region," announces Ochsenhofer.

Operations at the Oberwart Clinic started on May 7.(Bild: Schulter Christian)

In full operation ten days earlier than planned
Gesundheit Burgenland also emphasizes that it was possible to go into full operation ten days earlier than planned thanks to the great willingness of the nursing staff. The only difference is that dialysis will continue to take place in the old building until mid-June because the drying work was extended following a burst pipe in March.