Wessex Cardiothoracic Unit
The unit currently has 5 cardiac and 1-2 thoracic operating rooms and a hybrid theatre. There are four dedicated digital cardiac catheter laboratories, all of which have bi-plane facilities with 2 routinely set up for general anaesthesia procedures. Trans catheter aortic valve replacements are performed in the hybrid lab and the unit have an extablished program of some subspecialist procedures including MTEER edge-to-edge mitral repairs and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair. The 5 all day thoracic lists cover all thoracic surgical and endoscopic procedures with the exception of lung transplantation.
We have consultants providing adult cardiac anaesthesia services, and consultants who specialise in both adult and children’s cardiac anaesthesia. We provide anaesthesia services for approximately 1500 operative cases per year (of which around 450 are paediatric), cardiac catheters, cardiac MRI, cardiac electrophysiology and medical cover for the cardiac intensive care unit. Transoesophageal echo is used as routine both in theatres in the intensive care unit.
There is a 16-bedded adult cardiac intensive care unit (staffed by critical care) and a 10-bedded cardiac recovery / surgical high care area. There is also a 16 bed dedicated paediatric intensive care unit where paediatric cardiac patients recover postoperatively, a five-bed cardiology high care area and a 20-bed coronary care unit.
| Dr Francois Wessels (CICU lead) | Dr David Hett |
| Dr Andy Curry (congenital lead) | Dr Mike Herbertson |
| Professor Charles Deakin | Dr James Montague (Education & training lead) |
| Dr Paul Diprose | Dr Peter Wicks (Governance lead) |
| Dr Alisha Allana | Dr Steve Sandys (Cardiac Anaesthesia Lead) |
| Dr Nick Goddard | Dr Kirstin Wilkinson (Fellow Program Director) |
| Dr Jonathan Huber (Fellow program director) | Dr Zdenek Matloch |
| Dr Chris Groves | Dr Neda Bakalova |
| Dr Omar Al Azzawi |
The cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) admits about 1200 patients each year, handling a diverse range of cases, including complex postoperative adult cardiac patients and ECMO excluding transplants. Occasionally, postoperative thoracic patients are also admitted. The unit collaborates closely with nearby Paediatric and General ICUs, as well as the Neurosciences Intensive Care Units onsite. In total this is around 74 ICU beds. CICU has strong support services, including clinical pharmacy, physiotherapy, dieticians, and a technical support team shared with other ICUs. Staffing consists of rotating anaesthesia trainees, senior fellows, and ACCPs.
Southampton Cardiac Anaesthesia 