Heart Surgery Masterclass

Cardiac surgeons from across the UK have taken part in a national Masterclass to learn a new surgical technique that could save the lives of their patients who need aortic surgery.

Led by Miss Deborah Harrington and Mr Aung Oo, Consultant Cardiac Surgeons at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, the Masterclass provided a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience of total aortic arch replacement.

Deborah Harrington, Consultant Cardiac Surgeon said: “It was fantastic to have such an eminent European faculty. We had lively debates and excellent presentations from Professor Roberto Di Bartolomeo and Professor Malakh Shrestha. I am sure the opportunity to perform such complex surgery will benefit future generations of patients.”

The Masterclass, which was funded by national charity Heart Research UK, took place in the Human Anatomy Resource Centre at the University of Liverpool.

The topic of the Masterclass was ‘aortic arch surgery’ – a specialist area which the majority of heart surgeons rarely come into contact with. It is difficult to train in this type of surgery 
because the operations are complex and the numbers of patients are small.

The event was the fourth in a series of Masterclasses, aimed to give clinicians the opportunity to learn about the best techniques and the latest treatments so they can be used 
at their own centres around the UK.