Barwon Health’s Cardiothoracic Unit has reached a milestone of 10,000 surgeries after 26 years of operations.
The Cardiothoracic Surgery Unit commenced service on 29 July 1997 and cardiothoracic surgeon Mr Michael Seitz performed the 10,000th heart operation on 14 June, a surgical aortic valve replacement on Warrnambool resident Jenny Ashworth.
“The Service has evolved since 1997 and above all the most significant change is the improvements in the safety of the cardiac surgery, with a mortality risk of less than one per cent for a valve surgery,” Mr Seitz said.
“We now perform nearly 500 major heart procedures a year. The number of patients being treated has increased and patients are also becoming more complex, but our complication rate is consistently reducing. This is a reflection of the skills and commitment of the whole team.
“We provide outreach programs in Ballarat and Warrnambool, while also servicing communities some metropolitan areas including Werribee, Melton and Sunshine.
Cardiothoracic Surgery Director Mr Michael Rowland said the team was thankful to colleagues from diverse areas across Barwon Health for the support in delivering a high-quality service.
“The Cardiothoracic Surgical Unit will continue to deliver the service to the community and hopes to complete the next 10,000 operations in under 20 years,” he said.
“Expanding our service into rural areas of the Barwon South West region allows us to make the service more accessible for patients who prefer to stay closer to home.”
