Waikato heart surgeon Nishith Patel to research catastrophic condition

Cardiothoracic surgeon and researcher Nishith Patel.

Cardiothoracic surgeon and researcher Nishith Patel has been awarded the 2023 Foundation100 Fellowship from the Heart Foundation.

Foundation100 is a philanthropic movement which aimed to discover and nurture the future leaders of heart health by funding innovative fellowships to provide New Zealanders with world-class cardiac care.

During the tenure of the fellowship, Nishith planned to better understand a life-threatening condition known as aortic dissection, which was believed to be more common in New Zealand than other countries.

Aortic dissection is a medical emergency caused by a tear in the lining of the aorta that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body.

Fifty per cent of patients who experienced an aortic dissection died before reaching a hospital, and of those who made it to the hospital 50 per cent died within 30 days.

The two-year Foundation100 Fellowship awarded to Nishith, a Waikato Hospital surgeon, could lead to new techniques to manage risk and predict dissection in people with thoracic aortic disease, the precursor to aortic dissection.

Aortic dissection is a rare and under-researched condition globally, and data was particularly limited in New Zealand where the incidence was thought to be higher than in other countries – an evidence gap that Nishith hoped to fill.

“Aortic dissection can be such a devastating event with a huge impact on people, their families and careers, and requires intensive healthcare resources,” Nishith said.

Improving outcomes for people has always been of interest to Nishith. Being a cardiothoracic surgeon and performing cardiac operations provides immediate benefits to patients and gives them satisfaction.

“But being involved in clinical research allows me to help a much wider group of people at once hopefully.”

Heart Foundation medical director Dr Gerry Devlin said Nishith was an impressive recipient of the Foundation100 Fellowship and an academic leader of the future in heart health.

“His proposed studies will lead to a better understanding of the burden of aortic dissection in New Zealand and potentially lead to earlier diagnosis and management of at-risk individuals.”

“I’m immensely grateful to the Heart Foundation and the Foundation100 alumni for funding this fellowship,” Nishith said.

“I hope we can use the insights and advanced technology to benefit patients and prevent catastrophic events in the future.”

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