We care for patients who need advanced cardiothoracic surgery. Our Cardiothoracic Surgery service is the largest in Victoria and second largest in Australia.
Key points
- Our focus is cardiothoracic surgery
- We specialise in thoracic surgery and lung cancer
What we do
We care for people who need:
- Coronary bypass surgery
- Cardiac valve repair and replacement
- Reconstruction of the aortic root and David procedures
- Reconstruction and replacement of the thoracic aorta
- Electrophysiology surgery for life-threatening arrhythmias
- Correction of congenital cardiac abnormalities in adults
- ROSS procedures for aortic valve replacement
Thoracic surgery involves exploratory and diagnostic procedures, many through non-invasive techniques, including:
- Lung and oesophageal tumours
- Management of thoracic trauma
Our clinics
| Clinic name | Location | Options |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiothoracic Review Clinic | The RMH Parkville | Telehealth |
| Cardiothoracic Clinic | The RMH Parkville | Telehealth |
| Thoracic Aortic Clinic | The RMH Parkville |
Our clinics
Referrals
We accept GP and specialist referrals:
- Use the RMH referral form or a template from your own system
- Complete and fax your referral to Specialist Clinics (Outpatients) on (03) 9342 4234
We do not accept email referrals.
What to include in your referral
As outlined by the Department of Health, referral requests should include:
- Patient demographic information
- Referrer demographic information
- Reason for referral
- Presenting problem
- Service(s) requested
- Required referral information specified by statewide or local referral criteria
- Current patient management
- Impact of the problem on the patient
- Name of the consultant and provider number (for Medicare clinics)
- Investigation reports related to the referral
Urgent and after-hours support
Referrals are triaged based on priority. In an emergency, patients can go to the Emergency & Trauma Service at any time.
For advice, urgent referrals and out of hours support, call The RMH Switchboard on (03) 9342 7000 to page our registrar on call.
HealthPathways Melbourne provides guidance on best practice assessment and management of common medical conditions, including when and where to refer patients.
Parkville Connect is a secure web-based portal providing GPs, specialists and other health professionals with information in the Parkville electronic medical record (EMR).
Clinical overview
The Cardiothoracic Surgery service at the RMH is a recognised world leader in patient care, innovation and patient safety. It is the largest service in Victoria and second largest in Australia, and has excellent results. A hospital mortality of 1.5% for all patients including emergencies with less than 1% for coronary bypass and heart valve operations.
We provide 24 hour emergency cover and availability with eight cardiothoracic surgeons and five registrars. We use three operating rooms, have up to 10 postoperative intensive care beds and a 20 bed ward.
Need to change or cancel your appointment?
Do one of the following:
- Access Health Hub to change the appointment yourself
- Complete our online form and we'll change it for you
- Call Specialist Clinics (Outpatients) on (03) 9342 7393 and we'll help you over the phone
What to bring
Every time you come
Every time you come in for a test, day procedure, surgery or treatment, you should bring:
- Medicare card
- Health Care card (if you have one)
- Concession card (if you have one)
- Adverse drug alert card (if you have one)
- Medications you are currently taking, including any that you have bought without a prescription
- X-ray films, scans, ultrasounds or any other test results you have which are related to your procedure
- Private health insurance card (if you want to use it)
- Aids (glasses, hearing aid, walking frame)
For a clinic appointment
If you come for a clinic appointment, you should also bring:
- Your appointment letter
- Any special items listed on your letter
- Your appointment book (if relevant)
- TAC or WorkCover claim number
For an overnight or longer stay
If you come for an overnight (or longer stay), you should also bring:
- A dressing gown and slippers, or comfortable day clothes and shoes
- Your toiletries
- Your iPad or tablet and phone, provided you are happy to take responsibility for them
Do not bring (for overnight or longer stay)
And if you're staying overnight or longer, do not bring:
- Your handbag, wallet, purse or large amounts of cash. Just bring a small amount for items such as newspapers, magazines or coffee
- Valuables, such as jewellery, watches or other items of value to you
Interpreters and cultural support
We provide qualified, professional interpreters to help you communicate with us at any time during your stay and at your clinic appointments.
- Μάθετε περισότερα γιά διερμηνείς & υποστήριξη κουλτούρας
- Scopri di più sugli interpreti e sul supporto culturale
- Tercümanlar ve kültürel destek hakkında daha fazla bilgi edinmek için
- Tìm hiểu thêm về thông dịch viên và hỗ trợ văn hóa
- 找出更多翻译与文化支持的信息
- لمزيدٍ من المعلومات عن خدمة الترجمة الشفهية والخدمات الثقافية
Links & documents
Level 2 North
300 Grattan St, Parkville, Victoria
Level 3 East
300 Grattan St, Parkville, Victoria