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Cardiothoracic Unit

The Cardiothoracic Surgery Unit at Barwon Health is the major tertiary provider of adult cardiac surgery and major thoracic oncologic surgery in the Geelong and South West Region. The scope of work covers wide range of operations on heart and lungs with the exception of transplantation.

The Cardiothoracic Surgery Unit was established at University Hospital Geelong in 1997. It is one of six tertiary hospital cardiothoracic surgical units in Victoria and is the only regional unit of its kind.

The unit is a founding member of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons (ANZSCTS) cardiac surgery database project, which is funded by the Victorian Government. Strict performance monitoring is undertaken in Victoria and University Hospital Geelong has consistently produced excellent outcomes for the patients treated in the unit. The ANZSCTS database project annual reports are readily available from their website.

With the development of a unified Thoracic Oncology Tumour Stream, the unit collaborates with Medical and Radiation Oncology units and Respiratory Medicine unit to offer a single point comprehensive lung cancer surgery service.

The Cardiothoracic Surgery Unit is a highly valued accredited training centre for Cardiothoracic SET trainees from the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) and since 2017 has also offered post fellowship training in both cardiac and thoracic surgery.

Staff

Services

Cardiac Surgery

Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

  • Total arterial bypass graftingOff pump bypass surgery
  • Heart Valve Surgery
  • Conventional aortic valve replacement
  • Minimally invasive aortic valve replacement
  • Sutureless aortic valve replacement
  • Conventional mitral valve repair and replacement
  • Minimally invasive mitral valve repair and replacement 
  • Tricuspid valve surgery

Surgery for infective endocarditis

Surgery for Atrial Fibrillation

  • Conventional and minimally invasive Cox Maze and modified Maze procedures
  • Minimally invasive epicardial pacing lead insertion

Aortic Surgery

  •      Surgery for Aortic dissection and aneurysms
  •      Valve string aortic root replacements
  •      Aortic arch replacement including FET
  •      Hybrid procedures with TEVAR

Surgery for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Thoracic Surgery

Video assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) procedures

  • Lung resections
  • VATS pleurodesis for recurrent pneumothoraces or effusions
  • VATS sympathectomy for axillary or palmar hyperhydrosis

Mediastinal Tumour Resections (VATS / Sternotomy)

Bronchoscopy

  • Endobronchial Ultrasound guided procedures
  • Endobronchial procedures (eg Argon laser, Airway stent placement)

Correction of chest wall deformities

Last Modified: Wednesday, 16 February 2022

Contact

Address: Kardinia House, Level 4, Bellerine Street, Geelong, 3220

Contact Hours: 9am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday

Car Parking: Metered parking available

Phone Number: 03 4215 1969

After Hours: 03 4215 1969

Fax: 03 4215 1989

Email: [email protected]