Clubs of NSW was acknowledged for their overwhelming support with the official opening of The Interventional Neuroradiology Unit (INR) on August 11th at Westmead Hospital.

The unit uses cutting edge technology allowing surgeons to perform lifesaving procedures on conditions such as aneuryms without performing invasive open skull surgery.

Instead a catheter is inserted into the artery of a patient’s groin which is then guided through the body to where the aneurysm is located. Once there metal coils are fed through the catheter and ‘packed’ into the aneursym therefore effectively disconnecting it from normal blood flow and removing the risk of the vessel bursting.

In most cases patients can be home within two days and and resume their everyday activities almost instantly.

The Clubs of NSW raised over $700,000 at a gala event in November 2006 to assist in the purchase of the INR unit.

‘Clubs have been financial contributors to many elements of the NSW health system for decades. Now through this latest support the surgeons at Westmead have the opportunity to perform this critical surgery which will literally save tens of thousands of lives’. said David Costello ClubsNSW CEO.

The unit performed its first procedure in early August on a woman who had a history of aneursyms in her family. She was disgnosed with an large aneursym and chose to have surgery a few days later. The surgery was successful and she was out of hospital the next morning and drove her car to work the following day.

Thank you to all the clubs that pledged their support to this lifesaving piece of equipment.