Cardiac surgery unit
At The Wesley Hospital in Brisbane, our cardiac surgery unit includes cardiac post-operative Intensive Care Unit, cardiac catheter theatres and a specialised cardiac operating theatre. We provide elective and emergency surgical services for patients requiring advanced cardiac and thoracic surgical care.
The experienced cardiac surgery team at The Wesley includes cardiothoracic surgeons; anaesthetists who are specialists in the field of cardiac and thoracic anaesthesia; and nurses who are advanced practitioners with specialty training in cardiac care. Our cardiac surgery service operates 24 hours, seven days a week, with 24-hour consultants and registrars available.
Not all heart problems require major surgery – they can be treated with lifestyle changes, medications or non-surgical procedures. But sometimes heart surgery is required to address problems such as heart failure, blocked arteries, faulty heart valves, diseased major blood vessels and heart rhythm disturbances.
Types of heart surgery at The Wesley
Heart bypass surgery, also known as coronary artery bypass grafting, uses a healthy blood vessel from the chest or leg area to create a new pathway for blood to flow around a blocked artery in the heart.
Traditionally, open-heart surgery has been used for heart valve replacement or repair. A large incision is made in the chest and heart stopped for a short time so the surgeon can repair or replace the valves. Newer interventional cardiology techniques are less-invasive, where clinically appropriate.
During this surgery, the aneurysm is exposed through dissection of the chest, and the damaged portion of the aorta is removed and replaced with a synthetic tube or graft.
Maze surgery treats electrophysiological problems such as atrial fibrillation by creating a pattern, or maze, of scars in the upper chambers of the heart. The scar tissue effectively blocks the faulty electrical signals that cause irregular heartbeats.
Pericardectomy is the surgical removal of the pericardium, the membrane that surrounds the heart. It is used to treat constrictive pericarditis, which is when the pericardium becomes stiff.
Meet our cardiothoracic surgeons
Note: The information here is for general reference only. To understand the benefits and risks specific to your condition and overall situation, please discuss any procedure with your treating doctor.
Your next step
To access cardiac surgery services at The Wesley Hospital, you will need a referral from your doctor to one of our cardiothoracic surgeons.