Adult Heart Surgery
- The Team
- Cardiac Disease
- The Normal Healthy Heart
- Coronary Artery Disease
- Heart Valve Disease
- Atrial Fibrillation
- Left Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstruction
- Heart Surgery
- Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting
- Valve Surgery
- Atrial Fibrillation Surgery
- Septal myectomy
- Other Operations
- Outcomes
- Research and Innovation
- Multidisciplinary team meetings
- Patient Journey
- The day of surgery
- Post-Operative Critical Care Unit POCCU stay
- Post-operative ward stay
- Discharge from LHCH
- Post-operative outpatient clinic review
- Frequently Asked Questions
The Team
Cardiac surgical procedures require a large team of health professionals to co-ordinate from the time of the diagnosis through to the end of cardiac rehabilitation following surgery.
The following pages concentrate on the surgical team in the operating suite, although there are countless other members of staff that patients may encounter to get them to - and through - surgery.
One of the key members of the team at the table are the Surgical Care Practitioners (SCPs) who come from either a nursing or Operating Department Practitioner background, SCPs are highly qualified and skilled operators who undergo years of specialist training.
The Royal College of Surgeons formalised the role of SCPs in 1994. They define the position as: “A registered non-medical practitioner who has completed a Royal College of Surgeons accredited programme , working in clinical practice as a member of the extended surgical team, who performs surgical intervention, preoperative care and post-operative care.”
Liverpool Heart and Chest currently employs 9 qualified SCPs and 2 trainees. Their chief responsibilities include:
- Conduit assessment – a detailed scan and tests carried out on the veins in your legs and arteries in your arm to ensure the consultant surgeon can make an accurate plan for surgery.
- Operating -removing arteries and veins from the arms and legs independently for use in coronary artery bypass surgery - called “conduit harvest”.
- First assisting - providing direct surgical assistance to the operating surgeon in order to facilitate the surgery.
- Training junior surgeons - facilitating the surgical experience of both new and experienced non-consultant surgeons
Many of the surgical care practitioners have specialist interests which enable them to provide dedicated support in theatre for operations from aorto-vascular surgery, minimally invasive procedures, robotics, off-pump through to adult congenital heart disease procedures.
Why do we use Surgical Care Practitioners?
SCPs are experienced in their roles - many will have harvested of times more arteries and veins from arms and legs than even the most experienced consultants. This experience and specialisation means they are the best enabled to ensure that an operation is performed to the very highest standard. All conduit harvest is ultimately the responsibility of the consultant in charge.
Our Surgical Care Practitioners
- Celia Ireland - Lead
- Dan Burns
- Alistair Marshall
- Amy Walton
- Emma Whittle
- Salomae Sandra
- Michael Bell
- Ruth Wheldon
- Rachael Latham
- Alice Williams
- Louise Harris