Welcome to Cardiothoracic Surgery!
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Cardiothoracic Surgery is a surgical speciality concerned with treating pathology associated with thoracic organs, primarily the heart and lungs. It is a very delicate and intense surgical speciality that has binary outcomes - life or death. However, technological advancement has resulted in the development of minimally invasive procedures which carry a significantly lower risk of death and the development of equipment such as the cardiopulmonary bypass machines to aid procedures.
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This speciality has seen numerous technological advancements including cardiopulmonary bypass to perform complex surgeries with greater visibility, CardioMEMS heart failure coin-sized device in situ in the pulmonary artery for real-time monitoring of heart rate and pulmonary pressure, to LVAD and BiVAD devices to support effective ventricular ejection of blood.
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​Cardiothoracic surgery is a very challenging and competitive field but this is what makes it exciting and fun! It is a rewarding career as you have the opportunity to witness immediate life changing outcomes as a result of your work. The constantly evolving use of technology and introduction of innovations, which you will have the opportunity to use in your own practice, makes this a very dynamic career so you will not find yourself bored. If you appreciate practical work involving a high degree of manual dexterity, you will not be disappointed by a career in cardiothoracic surgery! Cardiothoracic surgery also provides the opportunity to explore your own interests further within the field through allowing sub-specialisation within adult cardiac surgery, thoracic surgery or congenital surgery.
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