Lake Macquarie Private Hospital Media releases

1 SEPTEMBER 2010 - reported in the Newcastle Morning Herald

‘Hanan’s Story- A journery of Courage and Hope
A young Lebanese woman, Hanan Zowayhed, can open her mouth for the first time in nearly 20 years thanks to the life-changing surgery at Lake Macquarie Private Hospital.  Hanan’s jaw became fused to her skull as the result of an injury sustained at the age of four.  Dr Michael Bowler, Maxillo-facial surgeon, performed a series of operations including the insertion of two titanium custom joints in the side of Miss Zowayhed face that were screwed to what was left of her jaw bone.  A happy and grateful Hanan left Australia for Lebanon in January 2010

Click on the above picture for a larger version

AUGUST 2010

Car Parking
We apologise to patients and visitors for the disruption to car parking during the redevelopment of our existing Hospital and Specialist Medical Centre for the period 19th August 2010 to March 2011.

The Hospital has introduced a Car Park Management System and is providing free car parking close to the hospital, accessed from Hughes Street (see map below). Valet parking for disabled drivers is also available, either via a valet during office hours or security officers after hours. The valet is situated at the hospital entrance to assist with patient and visitor drop offs, luggage, and with traffic flow. If you require assistance and the front entrance is unattended please see Reception inside the front foyer.

Access to the hospital, safety and security is of paramount importance to us and we ask for your understanding and patience during this time.

JANUARY 2008 - reported in the Newcastle Morning Herald.

“SECOND CHANCE OF LIFE” - ANOTHER FIRST FOR AUSTRALIA PERFORMED AT LAKE MACQUARIE PRIVATE HOSPITAL
The Herald article reported on a custom made stent being placed in a patients previously untreatable three abdominal aneurisms. World wide the procedure had been performed only one week earlier in Hong Kong. Professor Paul Myers supported by the hospital theatre team performed the operation.
The patients aneurisms were not treatable by any of the available endovascular stenting methods – hence the custom made stent manufactured in Brisbane
Professor Myers said, “The new procedure means about 95 per cent of patients are now stentable”

DECEMBER 2007 - REPORTED IN THE Newcastle Morning Herald

HEARTY MILESTONE FOR SURGEON AND HOSPITAL.
Lake Macquarie Private Hospital notched up a milestone on December 14th 2007 as senior Cardiac Surgeon, Dr Alan Boyd together with the theatre team performed open heart surgery on the hospital’s 5,000th heart patient. Dr Boyd was also the Surgeon for the first Coronary By Pass patient in 1994, as was the theatre team of 2007.
To celebrate the occasion, the hospital plans to hold a “Picnic with a Heart – a Celebration of Life” inviting previous cardiac patients.

FEBRUARY 2007 - reported in the Newcastle Morning Herald

A WORLD LEADER IN TEMPOROMANDIBULAR JOINT SURGERY PROFESSOR LOUIS MERCURI OPERATES AT LAKE MACQUARIE PRIVATE HOSPITAL
In February 2007, Lake Macquarie Private Hospital became the first Private Hospital in Australia to reconstruct a jaw joint using a custom-made prosthesis. The patient suffered from a condition called ankylosis where the movable part of the joint becomes fused to the base of the skull, causing restricted movement of the jaw. The patient had been unable to open her mouth more than a centimetre for the past 10 years.
Professor Mercuri inserted the prosthesis during a three hour operation.
Dr Michael Bowler, the patient’s local Maxillofacial Surgeon had removed the affected joint six weeks earlier and inserted a temporary silicone “spacer”. The jaw was immobilised by wire awaiting stage two of the operation. Dr Bowler had facilitated Professor Mercuri’s visit.