Twenty-one years and many lives saved.
Mediclinic Nelspruit recently celebrated its catheterisation laboratory’s (cath lab) coming of age.
During the function, Coreen McLuckie, cardiac radiographer at the hospital, said the first procedure done at the cath lab was on September 11, 2003. “We would like to acknowledge the late Dr Eamon Maree, under whose auspices the cath lab was established, for his unwavering support and commitment to both his patients and the cath lab team and Mediclinic,” she said.
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She also thanked Dr Fanie Fourie, cardiologist, and Dr Hannes Naudé, a cardiothoracic surgeon, for their continued dedication and support to not only the Lowveld community, but also to the staff of Mediclinic.
The cath lab also welcomed Dr James Fortein as the newest specialist to become part of the team of cardiologists. Fortein, a cardiologist, is currently busy with a fellowship in transcatheter aortic valve implantations (TAVIs), and will join the Mediclinic Nelspruit team at the end of September. He studied medicine at the University of the Free State and went on to specialise in internal medicine. In 2016, he completed this specialisation and finally completed this specialisation in cardiology in 2020.
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Fortein is enrolled in a MPhil in interventional cardiology (IC) through the University of Cape Town. IC is a heart medicine subspecialty that provides minimally invasive, image-guided diagnosis and treatment of cardiac conditions.
According to Linda Semmens, doctor relationship manager at Mediclinic, Fortein’s future plans for the cath lab include bringing rotational atherectomy, coronary lithotripsy, patent foramen ovale closure and TAVIs to the Lowveld.
