Annual Report 2023-2024 available

Advancing Tick-Borne Disease Research: Insights & Progress Event 30 April

Support Interventional Neuroradiology at Royal North Shore Hospital

Join us in transforming lives by supporting interventional neuroradiology at Royal North Shore Hospital—together, we can enhance recovery options and restore independence for stroke patients in our community.
Royal North Shore Hospital
9 Projects
View Facility
20%
$5,000,000
$1,000,060
$3,999,940

Through the use of interventional neuroradiology (INR), Royal North Shore Hospital (RNSH) can provide stroke patients with a new lease of life.

Strokes are sudden and devastating events that can be accompanied by life-changing outcomes. They occur when a blood vessel supplying blood to the brain either becomes blocked or ruptured, both of which result in a loss of neurological function. Ultimately, this can lead to impairment that might affect a range of activities such as speaking, thinking, or moving. 

However, thanks to the incredible work of RNSH, the Northern Sydney Local Health District (NSLHD) has access to groundbreaking treatments that can drastically improve a stroke patient’s quality of life

INR is an incredibly sophisticated procedure that can enhance recovery and even restore independence. With enough funding and community support, we can make it more accessible and obtain significantly better outcomes for stroke patients across the district. 

Why support our Interventional Neuroradiology project?

stroke

occurs every 11 minutes in Australia

stroke-related

fatalities are happening every day across the country

+

Australians are living with the effects of a stroke 
What is interventional neuroradiology?  
INR was developed by combining expertise from three different medical disciplines and allows consultants to target vascular diseases localised in the brain, neck, head and spine.  

INR represents an extraordinary medical breakthrough as it utilises a high-resolution video feed to guide consultants to where treatment is urgently needed.  

Stroke patients have much better outcomes with INR as: 

  • Intrusive surgery can be avoided in most cases 

  • The risk of treatment complications is significantly reduced 

  • Recovery times are shortened dramatically 

  • The financial cost of recovery is lowered 

What is Endovascular Clot Retrieval? 
When it was first performed back in 2009, Endovascular Clot Retrieval (ECR) was a landmark moment for Australian stroke patients. Its introduction meant that hospitals could now remove potentially lethal brain clots with speed and precision.  

ECR involves sophisticated imaging technology guiding a microtube to the clotting site in the brain, where it is captured and removed.  

The success rate for the procedure has been nothing short of phenomenal, with more than 70% of patients not suffering from any long-term health consequences stokes can cause. RNSH has helped patients regain their ability to eat, speak, and walk, allowing them to re-emerge from the hospital with their lives intact. 

Why is interventional neuroradiology so crucial?

Stroke continues to be one of the most significant societal challenges facing Australia today, being one of the country’s four leading causes of death, a harrowing statistic which highlights that effective treatments are needed now more than ever.

Approximately four in every five strokes can be classified as ischaemic, which is characterised by a reduction in blood flow to the brain. Any significant damage can be minimised by early treatment, but if a hospital doesn’t have either the facilities or expertise to carry out INR, these strokes can have life-altering consequences.

However, advancements in modern medicine mean that our hospitals can do more for stroke patients than ever before. With the right funding in place, stroke patients can be provided with a clear road to recovery and a return to their normal lives.

Donate to Interventional Neuroradiology

How Royal North Shore Hospital has led the way with INR/ECR treatments 

For more than thirty years, RNSH has been at the forefront of stroke treatments, pioneering new research and championing the latest technology. Prominent researchers from all over the world have relied on their knowledge to advance the field.  

However, this celebrated healthcare facility is having to make do with a limited amount of resources, so these treatments are currently being carried out in shared facilities. As a result, patients are having to wait longer to receive the treatment they urgently need.

At the start of 2023, RNSH made the incredible decision to make their ECR treatments a 24/7 facility. They did this in the knowledge that early treatment is the key to minimising the damage caused by stroke, serving as the ultimate showcase of their commitment to serving the NSLHD community. 

The stroke treatment team have a concrete plan in place for the expansion of their INR facilities. They know exactly what they want to do and how they want to do it. By harnessing the goodwill of the local community, we hope to create a healthcare facility that we can all be proud of.  

“The unit that took out my clot out is only working from 9am to 5pm. There are a lot of patients that couldn’t get here in time to get their clots out. So that’s why I decided to help out, so that other patients can get here 24/7 and be able to get the treatment they deserve.”

– Paul Salteri, grateful patient

INR Suite
Why support this project?

New INR facilities would create new possibilities

As a result of the inadequate resources available, it’s simply not sustainable for RNSH to carry out INR procedures on a 24/7 basis. The hospital is in need of two bespoke INR suites that are equipped with everything needed to effectively manage and treat stroke patients.

Donating to this project means be giving back to the community in the following ways:

  • Ensuring that life-saving treatments will be available to anyone who needs them
  • Reducing the waiting time that can be the difference between life and death
  • Freeing up healthcare staff to look after more patients
  • Increasing capacity for the most severe cases

Having these two units available would give the NSLHD an incredible boost, allowing us to provide a second chance to thousands of stroke patients in the years to come.

Download Case for Support

Frequently Asked Questions

You can shape the future of healthcare for all

Give a gift that makes a real difference to our healthcare staff and facilities so they can deliver the best patient care.
Skip to content