CANBERRA patients who have undergone open heart surgery in the last five years are being warned about a low risk of infection from “Mycobacterium chimaera” known as M. chimaera. 

The advise follows international reports that heater-cooler units made by Sorin (now LivaNova), which are widely used around the world, are thought to have been contaminated suring manufacture.

ACT Health has alerted clinicians and general practitioners (GP) to the potential for M. chimaera infections in their patients who have undergone open heart surgery in the last five years.

ACT Chief Health Officer Dr Paul Kelly says the specific brand of heater-cooler unit has been replaced in the ACT.

“Here in the ACT we had three of the units, two at Canberra Hospital and one at National Capital Private Hospital,” says Dr Kelly.

“While there has been no reported patient infections in the ACT, as a precaution these units have been replaced with new alternative units, providing the latest technology for patients requiring this kind of life-saving surgery.

“The risk of M. chimaera infection to an individual patient is very low. It is estimated that approximately one in every 10, 000 patients that have open heart, valve replacement surgery can acquire an infection. The risk appears to be much lower in those who only had coronary artery surgery.

“While the risk of infection is very low, the safety of our patients is our number one priority and it’s important that people are provided information which will help them manage their health.”

This issue is an international and national issue with over 60 cases identified worldwide, including one case in Australia.

M. chimaera is a slow growing bacterium that can be difficult to diagnose in patients as symptoms may only develop months to years after the patient’s cardiac surgery.

Further information about M. chimaera is available via health.act.gov.au/mchimaera