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Assessing right ventricular function after cardiothoracic surgery
Coronary artery bypass has come a long way since the 1960s, when this life-saving procedure was first performed. St Mary’s Hospital was one of the first centres in the UK to launch the da Vinci® robotic minimal invasive cardiothoracic surgery programme, which permits surgeons to perform ‘key hole’ coronary bypass and valve repair by operating three robotic arms using joysticks and a console.
With the support of the British Heart Foundation, Beth Unsworth, senior cardiac physiologist, is working alongside cardiothoracic surgeons to research the effects of cardiothoracic surgery on right ventricular function using echocardiography imaging techniques (a non-invasive ultrasound scan of the heart).
‘We are assessing the immediate benefits that this novel, minimally invasive approach provides in the preservation of right ventricular function compared to traditional surgical techniques. We are also interested in the role that the pericardium plays in the preservation of right-sided heart function.’
Beth Unsworth
