Wythenshawe surgeon gives public talk on heart operation successes (From Messenger Newspapers)

Wythenshawe surgeon gives public talk on heart operation successes

3:29pm Wednesday 11th November 2009 in News

A NEW national report written by Wythenshawe surgeon Ben Bridgewater shows that health outcomes for adult cardiac patients have improved dramatically in the past five years.

This is despite the fact that more elderly and high risk patients are being treated.

On November 17 as part of ‘Health Matters’, free monthly talks hosted by the hospital which look at different topics, Mr Bridgewater will be discussing this study and his work.

The talk, which is free, will take place at 12 – 1.30pm (refreshments provided) in the Education and Research Centre at Wythenshawe Hospital, and is open everyone - no need to book.

Mr Bridgewater’s report, entitled Demonstrating Quality: The Sixth National Adult Cardiac Surgical Database Report, is a comprehensive study of more than 400,000 cardiac operations and provides compelling evidence that, since national publication of death rates in cardiac surgery began in 2001, the quality of care for patients has improved.

The full analysis of so many operations shows how cardiac surgery is developing and highlights areas for future improvement including postcode variations in access to cardiac surgery. It also shows that the gap between the survival of male and female patients may be getting bigger and women heart patients now face twice the risk of male patients.

Mr Bridgewater says: “One of the benefits we are now seeing from public reporting of outcomes is not just about bringing poor performers ‘into the pack’ but improving the performance of the pack as a whole. The very act of auditing services brings about improvements as centres learn from one another. I hope my Health Matters talk will really help people understand these issues further.”