Our consultants at Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals are at the forefront of cardiac surgery. In addition to pioneering a range of minimally invasive procedures, our specialists look after the most complex cases.
Harefield Hospital was home to Europe’s first successful double heart and lung transplant and remains one of the top centres in the world for these transplant procedures.
World-leading expertise in cardiac surgery
Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals have been ranked as some of the world’s best for cardiac surgery by US Newsweek, the American weekly news magazine.
Keyhole heart valve repair and replacement
Our surgeons have recently developed new endoscopic (keyhole) surgical procedures to repair or replace a damaged aortic, mitral or tricuspid valve.
These procedures are an alternative to invasive open-heart surgery, allowing for quicker recovery time and less scarring.
Our keyhole heart valve repair and replacement service was the winner of the LaingBuisson ‘Innovation in technology’ award in 2023, recognising our advancements in this field.
‘Beating heart’ keyhole surgical procedures
We can also perform keyhole surgical procedures while the heart is still beating:
- Tendyne Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement (TMVR): An artificial mitral valve is inserted into the heart while it is still beating via a small incision in the chest. It offers a safe and effective option for patients that are older or high risk for traditional approaches.
- NeoChord beating heart mitral valve repair: This innovative keyhole procedure repairs mitral valve regurgitation and prolapse caused by damage to the chords that attach the mitral valve leaflets to the heart muscle wall.
Surgery for congenital heart disease
PEARS and ROSS-PEARS are complex surgical procedures for the treatment of congenital heart disease (birth defects of the heart) affecting the aortic valve and aorta. Both procedures were developed at our hospitals.
- PEARS (personalised external aortic root support) utilises innovative 3D printing and imaging technologies to create a mesh modelled on the patient’s aorta. This is used to treat connective tissue disorders, like Marfan Syndrome, where the aorta becomes dilated.
- Ross-PEARS is a combined surgical procedure to replace a damaged aortic valve with a patient’s own healthy pulmonary valve. A PEARS mesh is additionally added to provide support to the pulmonary valve in its new position.
Advanced coronary artery bypass graft procedures
We offer two advanced coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgical procedures at our hospitals.
Beating heart bypass
A beating heart bypass is an open-heart procedure that avoids temporarily stopping a patient’s heart and placing them on a heart-lung bypass machine during surgery (the traditional CABG approach).
A study on 10,000 patients at Harefield Hospital demonstrated improved surgical outcomes with a beating heart bypass procedure when compared to traditional CABG where the heart is temporarily stopped.
EndoACAB
This is a minimally invasive keyhole surgical procedure to perform CABG. It can reduce recovery times when compared to traditional open-heart CABG.
Treating complex heart and vascular diseases
With our specialist aortic team of cardiac and vascular surgeons, we are well-equipped to treat patients with complex conditions affecting both the heart and aorta (the body’s largest blood vessel). For example, we can care for patients with heart failure who also experience an abdominal aortic aneurysm.
Patients may sometimes experience vascular complications before or after heart surgery. Our vascular surgeons are readily available to treat conditions that arise such as compartment syndrome (where bleeding occurs within a compartment of muscle).
We can ensure the greatest safety before and after heart surgery with our multidisciplinary approach to care.
Ventricular assist devices (artificial hearts)
Our hospitals are also leading centres in the use of ventricular assist devices (VAD) technology. These devices work as an artificial heart pump to treat severe heart failure.
Conditions
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Aortic disease
Aortic stenosis is a narrowing of the aortic valve opening, restricting blood flow to the aorta.
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Aortic stenosis
Aortic stenosis is a disease that affects the main outlet valve of the heart and is the third most common cardiovascular disease.
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Aortic aneurysm
Aortic aneurysm occurs when a part of the aorta becomes weak and becomes enlarged.
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Aortic dissection
Aortic dissection is when the aorta tears causing blood to rush through.
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Aortic regurgitation
Aortic regurgitation is when the valve blood leaks back into the heart through the valve.
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Heart failure
Heart failure occurs when the heart stops being able to pump blood around the body in an efficient way.
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Left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO)
Left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO) is a recognised feature of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
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Mitral regurgitation
Mitral regurgitation is the most common heart valve problem worldwide. It is a dysfunction of the heart’s mitral valve.
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Myocarditis
Myocarditis: Symptoms, causes and treatments
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Tricuspid regurgitation
Tricuspid regurgitation is when the tricuspid valve of the heart doesn't close properly.
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Valvular heart disease
Heart valve disease occurs when the valves of the heart become diseased or damaged.
Treatments
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Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)
CABG bypasses the narrowed sections of your arteries to improve blood flow.
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Personalised external aortic root support (PEARS)
Personalised external aortic root support treats and manages aortic dilation and dissection in patients with Marfan syndrome.
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Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) procedure
TEVAR uses a stent-graft to reinforce and repair a weakened section of the aorta.
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Heart valve repair or replacement
Heart valve surgery can repair or replace a damaged valve.
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Ventricular assist device (VAD)
A ventricular assist device (VAD) is a heart pump that treats severe heart failure that takes over the role of pumping blood around your body
Investigations
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Cardiac catheterisation (coronary angiogram)
Cardiac catheterisation uses x-rays and a dye to take detailed pictures of the arteries.
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Cardiac MRI scan (CMR)
A cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) scan is non-invasive and shows detailed images of your heart.
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CT coronary angiography scan
A CT (computerised tomography) coronary angiography is a type of scan that shows the structure of the heart and the arteries which supply blood to the heart.
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CT scan
A CT uses X-rays and a computer to produce images of many structures inside the body.
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Echocardiogram
An echocardiogram – also known as an echo – is a scan that examines the heart and surrounding blood vessels.
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Electrocardiogram (ECG)
An electrocardiogram (also known as an ECG) is a test which is used to check your heart’s rhythm and electrical activity.
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PET-CT and nuclear medicine
PET-CT and nuclear medicine scans use small amounts of radioactive material to diagnose a variety of diseases.
Locations
Our cardiac surgeons provide care at these locations:
Discover our cardiac surgeons
Our consultants at Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals are at the forefront of cardiac surgery. In addition to pioneering a range of minimally invasive procedures, our specialists look after the most complex cases