Cardiothoracic Surgery (Statewide)

The Department will periodically contact patients waiting for an outpatient clinic appointment via SMS, with a link to an electronic form.  This is part of routine waitlist auditing to ensure patient details are up to date.  If you receive this SMS, please update your details.

ConditionsConditions

There is no condition information for this clinic

The clinic provides timely response for the assessment and management of people with a wide range of cardiothoracic problems

Availability

North South North West Statewide

Scope

The Tasmanian Cardiothoracic Surgical unit is the tertiary referral unit for the Tasmanian population to provide a wide range of adult cardiothoracic surgical services.

The clinic provides timely response for the:

  • Assessment and management of people with a wide range of cardiothoracic problems
  • Provision of preoperative workup, operative facility, postoperative management
  • Cardiac rehabilitation services including nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, dietician, cardiology and Cardiothoracic surgery follow up
  • Long term record keeping and registry records

There is an array of surgical procedures provided by the unit as mentioned separately in the conditions section below. The scope of practice involves:

  • Adult cardiac surgery: CABG, valve repairs and replacements, aortic aneurysms, dissections and other complications, cardiac tumours, pericardial procedures. We can offer minimally invasive incisions, off pump surgery, maze procedures, all sorts of redo procedures. All patients except those needing transplantation/ventricular assist device or those paediatric patients needing heart surgery.
  • A wide range of procedures including pacemaker, defibrillator, loop recorders, CRT devices; implantation, explantation and generator box changes are performed.
  • Thoracic problems: a wide variety of thoracic surgery procedures including surgery for lung cancer, empyema, mediastinal tumours, thymic problems including myasthenia gravis, both open and VATS approach.
  • Chest wall procedures: pectus excavatum, fractured ribs, diaphgragmatic eventrations
  • Adult congenital procedures: ASD, VSD, patent ductus, coarctations, redo surgeries for Tetralogy of Fallot are all performed.
  • Miscellaneous procedures: VATS sympathectomy, pericardial window, mediastinoscopy, cervical rib excision, sternal rewiring/plastic procedures, VATS biopsies, pleurodesis etc.

Emergency conditions

  • Please report to the Emergency Department of the RHH in case of emergency. The surgeons work on a 1:2 rota to provide 24 x 7 cover.
  • The cardiothoracic surgical registrar could be contacted through RHH switch (03) 6166 8308.

Referral process

A referral (preferably faxed) is required for all new appointments and must conform to the Referral Standards as outlined on For Clinicians.

Specific requirements are detailed in the individual clinic and condition referral guidelines.

Please fax referral for RHH clinic to (03) 6231 3055.

Emergency

Proceed to Emergency Department (ED).
LGH ED Reception  – Phone: (03) 6777 6405  Fax: (03) 6777 5201
MCH ED* – Phone: (03) 6478 5120  Fax: (03) 6441 5923
NWRH ED* – Phone: (03) 6493 6351 Fax: (03) 6464 1926
RHH ED Reception – Phone: (03) 6166 6100  Fax: (03) 6173 0489

Advice for medical practitioners can be given by the Medical Officer In Charge (MOIC) - see HealthPathways Tasmania for contact information.
*MCH and NWRH MOICs request GPs call them prior to referring a patient to ensure the patient is being sent appropriately to a safe destination.

Urgent / category 1

We will endeavour to see urgent referrals within one to two weeks.  If you have any trouble obtaining an urgent appointment please contact our secretary on (03) 6166 8999

Semi-urgent / category 2

Patients will be given an appointment between – one to six weeks depending upon reason for referral

Referral template

For use by health professionals only

Additional information

www.heartfoundation.org.au

www.cancer.org.au

Primary conditions treated include:

  • Adult congenital heart disease
  • Aortic diseases including dissections, aneurysms etc
  • Atherosclerotic coronary artery disease
  • Cardiac tumours
  • Cervical rib
  • Chest trauma
  • Chest wall deformities
  • Degenerative valvular heart disease
  • Disease associated with syndromes e.g. Marfan's, bicuspid aortic valves
  • Electrophysiological problems needing pacemaker, defibrillator etc
  • Heart failure
  • Hyperhidrosis
  • Mediastinal tumours
  • Myasthenia gravis related thymic surgery
  • Pericardial diseases
  • Pleural/lung infections and complications
  • Pleural/pericardial effusions
  • Rheumatic valvular heart disease
  • Thoracic malignancies

For more information please see the Tasmanian Health Pathways website.