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PRESS RELEASE: 8 September 2005

Don’t go breaking my heart … an invitation to hear about a pioneering surgical technique being used at Addenbrooke’s

On Thursday 15 September, award-winning Consultant Vascular Surgeon, Mr Michael Gaunt will be presenting a ‘Medicine for Members’ talk, entitled Aortic aneurysm surgery: ‘Don’t go breaking my heart’. The talk will start at 1830 hours in the William Harvey Lecture Theatre in the Clinical School at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Hills Road, Cambridge and is open to all Foundation Trust members.

The talk will offer a fascinating insight into a pioneering technique that makes surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysms safer. Mr Gaunt and his team were recently acknowledged at the Vascular Society of Great Britain and Ireland Annual Meeting where they picked up the society’s highest research award, the Founder’s Prize. The award was for their research investigating whether a technique called ‘remote ischaemic preconditioning’ could be used to reduce damage to the heart in patients undergoing major surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysm, an enlargement of the lower part of the aorta that extends through the abdominal area.

The results of the work at Addenbrooke’s carried out by vascular surgeons, anaesthetists, a cardiologist and other researchers showed that the technique dramatically reduced the amount of heart damage and the incidence of heart attacks at the time of surgery, so making the operation safer.

To hear more about this amazing surgical development, just phone and book a place. Tickets are free of charge and can be reserved by phoning the NHS Foundation Trust Membership Office on 01223 256 256. If you are not a member, but would like to find out more about NHS Foundation Trust status and membership, please call 01223 256256 or log on to www.addenbrookes.org.uk/foundation

For further press/media information contact: PR & Communications Department, Box 53, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QQ; Tel: 01223 274 433; Fax: 01223 257 143; Minicom: 01223 274 604.