The condition of Polish cardiology continues to improve, more and more procedures are performed, more and more doctors of this specialty, as well as interventional cardiology centers – assured prof. Grzegorz Opolski at a meeting with journalists in Warsaw.
National consultant in the field of cardiology, prof. Grzegorz Opolski said that in 2-3 years there will be over 4 jobs in Poland. cardiologists, because there are over 1400 doctors in the process of specialization (currently there are over 2,7 thousand). As a result, the number of cardiologists per 1 million inhabitants will increase from 71 to almost 100, which is above the European average.
Poland is one of the first places in the European Union in terms of the availability of interventional cardiology procedures that save the lives of patients with the so-called acute coronary syndromes (commonly referred to as myocardial infarctions – PAP). “We differ in the fact that in Poland they are less expensive than in Western Europe, compared to, for example, the Netherlands, they are even several times cheaper,” he said.
“These procedures are more and more often performed not only in patients with acute myocardial infarction, but also in patients with stable coronary artery disease” – emphasized Prof. Opole. A few years ago, every fifth such procedure of restoring the arteries of the heart muscle was performed in patients with stable coronary artery disease. Now, these patients account for 40 percent. these procedures.
These procedures, called angioplasty, are performed in more and more interventional cardiology centers located all over the country. In 2012, there were 143 such facilities, and by the end of last year their number had increased to 160. In 2013, over 122 thousand. angioplasty and 228 thousand. coronary angiography procedures to assess the condition of the coronary arteries.
There are also an increasing number of centers providing other procedures, such as the implantation of pacemakers, cardioverter defibrillators, and the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. The waiting time for all these procedures, including coronary angiography and angioplasty, in individual regions ranges from several days to several dozen weeks.
Ablation, a procedure used to remove arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation, is the least available. “You still have to wait even a year for it” – admitted prof. Opole. In 2013, over 10 thousand. of these treatments, by 1 thousand. more than two years ago, but still not enough.
There are no major differences in access to interventional cardiology treatments between urban and rural residents. The vast majority of patients with heart diseases (83%) are treated in hospitals in cardiology departments, not in the internal medicine department. Hospital mortality fell among them. It is the lowest in people under 65, among whom it does not exceed 5%; in older people over 80 years old it reaches 20 percent.
Prof. Opolski admitted that post-hospital care for patients with acute coronary syndrome and those with heart failure is still inadequate. However, it is to be systematically developed, because the aim is to ensure that as many patients as possible are diagnosed and treated on an outpatient basis, because it is cheaper than hospital treatment.
The organization of care in clinics should be improved – said consultant of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship in the field of cardiology, prof. Hanna Szwed. Patients sign up for a consultation at several clinics at the same time, and then do not cancel it when they are admitted earlier in one of the centers. “The preliminary findings of the outpatient care control commissioned by the Ministry of Health show that in some clinics in the voivodeship Mazowieckie as much as 30 percent. patients do not come to an appointment, ”she added.
Prof. Grzegorz Opolski argued that investing in cardiology can contribute the most to further extending the average life expectancy of Poles. Cardiovascular diseases are still the leading cause of death, he emphasized. Men in Poland still live 5-7 years shorter than in Western Europe. Better cardiac care can extend their lives the most.
Zbigniew Wojtasiński (PAP)