Hospital introduces new, life-changing procedure closer to home
Peterborough, ON – Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) is very pleased to announce that it has performed its first-ever Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) procedure in the hospital’s Cardiac Catheterization Lab.
Dr. Heather Cox, PRHC’s Deputy Chief of Surgery and Section Lead for Vascular Surgery, successfully performed Peterborough’s first ICD procedure in March 2026. She was supported by peers from University Health Network (UHN), who also provided training for nursing staff leading up to PRHC’s first patient procedure.
PRHC is now the only hospital between Kingston and Scarborough to offer this surgery.
An Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) is a small, battery-powered device surgically placed under the skin to monitor for and treat life-threatening, fast heart rhythms, or arrhythmias, that can cause sudden cardiac death. It uses wires to deliver low-energy pacing or high-energy shocks to restore normal heart rhythm. If a life-threatening change occurs in the heart’s rhythm, the ICD automatically shocks the heart back into rhythm, even if the patient is unconscious and alone.
“It’s a life-saving procedure to receive a defibrillator,” says Dr. Cox. “The patient will have the safety of knowing that they’re being monitored carefully, and that the defibrillator will treat them if they run into an unsafe heart rhythm, and restore the heart into a normal, safe rhythm.”
“These patients were previously having to travel to sites in Toronto and Kingston to have an ICD implanted. To be able to provide this advanced procedure closer to home at PRHC is an important step forward for the hospital’s regional cardiovascular care program and for patients across our community and region,“ added Dr. Cox.
Peterborough resident Ron, the first patient to undergo the ICD procedure at PRHC in March, reports that he is doing very well and feeling fantastic.
The addition of the ICD procedure is one of a number of planned expansions to the cardiac program as we work toward a future where PRHC offers full-service cardiovascular care for patients across the region. Our thanks to the PRHC Foundation and through them, the many generous donors who have contributed in support of cardiac care during the Campaign for PRHC.
“It’s extremely exciting to see another example of how donor generosity coupled with PRHC’s vision and the skills of its doctors, nurses and staff can so significantly transform patient care,” says Lesley Heighway, President & CEO of the Peterborough Regional Health Centre Foundation. “Donor investment in building PRHC’s capability and capacity to transition to a comprehensive cardiac care program has enabled the introduction of ICD insertion right here, close to home. This will impact so many patients who would otherwise have to travel to Kingston or Toronto for the procedure to insert this life-saving device. We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who’s been a part of this ongoing journey. Thank you!”
“The new life-saving treatments coming to PRHC will once again change the face of cardiac care in our region,” says Jim Neill, the philanthropist after whom the hospital’s James B. Neill Cardiac Centre was named in 2021. “I’m glad that my commitment is helping ‘keep our hearts here’ as PRHC builds on a donor-funded cardiac care foundation, on its way to a third cardiac lab and ultimately a full-service heart centre. I’m honoured to be part of the tradition of philanthropy that has supported this hospital since the beginning. I hope that my donation and what it’s helping to make possible will encourage and inspire others, as the donors who have come before have inspired me.”
