Cardiothoracic Surgery Unit
We provide a range of cardiothoracic surgical services.
What we do
Cardiothoracic Surgery provides high-quality, patient-centred, evidence-based care to ensure the best ourcomes from surgery.
We provide surgical management of a variety of adult cardiac and thoracic conditions, including a wide range of elective and urgent adult procedures, including:
- coronary artery bypass grafting
- valve repair and replacement, including:
- standard and complex aortic valve replacement (Ross procedure)
- conventional and minimally invasive mitral valve repair and replacement
- surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation
- aortic surgery
- congenital heart surgery
- video assisted (VATS) and robotic-assisted (RATS) surgery for lung cancer and mediastinal tumours
- surgical treatment of pneumothorax, chest wall deformities and fractures and hyperhidrosis.
Where to find us
Outpatient Clinics, Level 3 (ground floor), Royal Adelaide Hospital.
Check appointment information and screens on arrival at the RAH, for the specific location.
Who we are
Consultants
- Mr Ashutosh Hardikar - Head of Unit
- Mr Hugh Cullen
- Mr James Edwards
- Mr Craig Jurisevic
- Mr Jerome Soquet
- Mr Jason Varzaly
- Mr Fabiano Viana
Nursing team
- Adrian De Luca - Nursing Unit Manager, ICU
- Daisy Venning - Nursing Unit Manager, Cardiothoracic ward
- Dianne Thompson - Nurse Consultant
Education and training
The Cardiothoracic Surgery Unit is accredited by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) for training in the Surgical Education and Training (SET) program. We also welcome applications for unaccredited registrar roles.
The unit supervises MBBS Year 6 medical students from the University of Adelaide and also offers elective placement for international students.
For more information regarding training opportunities, contact the Head of Unit.
You need a referral from a GP or medical practitioner to access this service.
Once your referral has been received it will be triaged according to clinical urgency.
If your referral is accepted, you will receive a letter, phone call or text message confirming your outpatient appointment time, date and location.
If the referral is declined, your GP or referring medical practitioner will be notified.
Do you have an emergency?
Phone 000 (triple zero) immediately and ask for an ambulance if you, or someone you know, is having a heart attack.
Common symptoms to look out for include:
- severe and crushing chest pain
- difficulty breathing
- heart palpitations
- sweating.
If symptoms get worse or last longer than 10 minutes, get help immediately.
Your outpatient appointment
Contact us to:
- change your appointment time
- cancel your appointment
- find out triage status
- general outpatient enquiries.
If you need to cancel or change your appointment time, let us know as soon as possible.
Outpatient services
Find out information about specialist outpatient appointments, how to be referred, plus information when attending an outpatient clinic.
Preoperative assessment
If you are recommended for surgery, you will be contacted to organise a date. The Cardiothoracic Unit Coordinator will also contact you to arrange a time for your preoperative assessment.
Preoperative assessments typically occur a few weeks prior to surgery, and can be conducted in person or as a telehealth consult on the phone, depending on your clinical needs.
- medical or concession cards, e.g. Medicare, Veteran, Private Health, Pension or PBS Safety Net card
- completed patient questionnaire
- any medications being used, prescription and non-prescription, in their original containers if possible
- personal aids, e.g. glasses, hearing aid, walking frames.
Preoperative assessment clinics are held on Tuesday and Thursday, Level 3F (ground floor) Area 4, Royal Adelaide Hospital.
During your preoperative assessment you will have consults with a variety of cardiothoracic team members, to assess you for and discuss your surgery.
- Preoperative assessment nurse
- coordinates the preoperative process
- provides education about the surgery
- completes the nursing assessment
- Cardiothoracic anaesthetist
- explains the anaesthetic process
- talks about what to expect on the day of surgery
- discusses pain relief options
- Pharmacist
- discusses current medications
- advises if any medication changes are required prior to surgery
- Cardiothoracic Medical Officer
- complete a medical examination
- answers any questions about surgery
Depending on the type of surgery you are having you may also see an intensivist (ICU) doctor, physiotherapist or diabetes nurse consultant.
You are also required to have tests and investigations prior to surgery, including:
- height and weight measurements
- urine test
- chest x-ray
- ECG
- blood test
- nose swab.
Some patients may require additional tests such as lung function test and CT scans.
Preparing for surgery
The healthier you are going into surgery, the stronger you will be coming out. Find tips and resources to help you get ready for surgery.
Resources for patients
We accept GP and specialist referrals to this service.
Emailed referrals are preferred.
Use the Clinical Prioritisation Criteria (CPC) as a referral guide. The service triages referrals according to clinical urgency.
To ensure timely triage, include all demographic and clinical details:
- patient demographic details
- relevant clinical history
- reason for referral
- referrer details
- any relevant reports, e.g. ECHO, angiogram, CT, PET, PFTs.
Urgent and serious referrals
For urgent referrals, phone the Cardiothoracic Unit Coordinator to discuss.
Emergency cases can present to the Emergency Department at any time.
Discharge guidelines
Patients whose medical condition has stabilised or resolved, and where no further appointment has been made, will be formally discharged.
If medical assessment is required again, a new referral should be made explaining the reason.
The Cardiothoracic Surgery Unit contributes to the Australia and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons (ANZSCTS) Database, which aims to monitor and improve the results of cardiac surgery.
The hospital and our unit are actively involved in research, and patients will be asked to anonymously contribute to the ANZSCTS Database by default when consenting for surgery.
If you are a patient and prefer not to contribute to the Database, let your surgeon know. This will not affect the care provided to you.
Patients may also be contacted to participate in research on a specific topic before or after surgery. If your disease and/or procedure is unusual, you may be asked to consent for your story and/or procedure to be anonymously published as a case report or video.