A German patient in Shanghai recently had a heart procedure with an unusual member of the medical team: a doctor who was 8,000km away in Germany.

The patient had been seeing Dr. Joey Loh at Parkway MediCentre Xintiandi for ongoing cardiac care. When further tests showed that he needed coronary intervention, Dr. Loh referred him to the Pan-vascular Center at Parkway Shanghai Hospital for further assessment and treatment.

On the day of the procedure, coronary angiography showed around 90% narrowing in the patient's left anterior descending (LAD) artery. While the procedure was taking place in Shanghai, Professor Ge Junbo — Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a cardiovascular specialist and Chief Scientist at Parkway Shanghai Hospital — joined remotely from Germany.

Using a live high-definition connection, Professor Ge was able to follow the procedure and discuss key decisions with the team in Shanghai. Dr. Li Yanlin, Director of Cardiology and the Catheterisation Laboratory at the Pan-vascular Center, coordinated the case and communication, while Dr. Dai Yuxiang, Chief Physician of Cardiology at Zhongshan Hospital, performed the intervention.

The team reviewed the angiography and other measurements during the procedure, including the positioning of the stent and fractional flow reserve, before completing the treatment. A follow-up angiogram showed no significant residual narrowing.

For the patient, the important part is fairly straightforward: he could continue his care with the doctor he already knew, then be referred to a hospital with the facilities and specialists needed for the next step. And when an additional expert was needed, the fact that he happened to be in Germany didn't necessarily mean he had to sit this one out.

That kind of continuity can be particularly useful for international patients in Shanghai, who may already have an established doctor but need more specialised treatment as their care progresses.

The Pan-vascular Center at Parkway Shanghai Hospital was established under the leadership of Professor Ge Junbo and brings together doctors from cardiology, cardiovascular surgery, neurosurgery, endocrinology, vascular surgery and rehabilitation. Instead of sending patients from one department to another as separate problems arise, the center takes a more joined-up approach to vascular conditions, covering everything from screening and diagnosis to treatment and follow-up.

The center says it has so far provided more than 100 outpatient consultations for international patients, as well as interventional treatment for patients from the US, Germany, Australia and other countries.

In this particular case, the most memorable detail may simply be the distance. The patient was in a catheterisation lab in Shanghai, while one of the senior experts guiding the procedure was sitting in Germany — with the two sides connected by a screen.

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