Visiting Cardiac Surgeon from New York

Professor Mario Gaudino of Cornell University Medical Centre in New York visited the department of surgery at Royal Melbourne in the lead up to the TPC conference in Sydney later in the week. He initially trained in Italy.

He has a special interest in the use of arteries rather than veins as bypass graft conduits for coronary bypass surgery. His presence and talks were well received, as the Royal Melbourne hospital is one of the leading centres for arterial bypass graft usage internationally. Royal Melbourne, and other Melbourne hospitals are leaders in the use of arterial conduits for coronary bypass surgery. Exclusive use of arterial grafts is referred to as total arterial revascularisation and is used in about 5% of operations worldwide. At Royal Melbourne the rate approximates 75%.

Professor Gaudino addressed a combined meeting of cardiac surgeons and cardiologists.