Cardiology

The Cardiology Department includes the Coronary Care and Step-down Unit, the Cardiac Catheter Laboratories, a Cardiology ward, a Cardiology day ward, and the non-invasive and diagnostic service.  
 
It provides care to emergency and elective patients with heart disease including ischaemic heart disease, heart failure and valvular heart disease.

Major areas of activity include the treatment of cardiac arrhythmia patients, and patients with adult congenital cardiac disease.

In the 12-month period to December 2005, approximately 4000 inpatients were treated, and approximately 2700 patients underwent diagnostic or therapeutic procedures in the Cardiac Catheter Laboratories. Approximately 12,500 patients attended for outpatient consultations or outpatient investigations, and approximately 2200 attended for cardiac rehabilitation.

Coronary angioplasty
The department provides a 24-hour acute coronary angioplasty service and carries out coronary angiography, angioplasty and stenting, electrophysiology, pacemaker and implantable defibrillator procedures.

Outpatient clinics
Cardiology (includes arrhythmia and valvular heart disease), Cardiomyopathy (heart failure), Coronary Follow-up, Adult Congenital Cardiac, Pacemaker and Implantable Defibrillator Clinics.

The department run a general cardiac rehabilitation program and a specific cardiomyopathy (heart failure) rehabilitation program.

Recent clinical initiatives

• Consolidation of the 24-hour acute myocardial infarction service with direct angioplasty and management of acute coronary syndrome.
• Expansion of the pacemaker service, including biventricular pacing for patients with heart failure.
• Development of the heart failure service including outpatient rehabilitation: 'the big-hearted people'.
• Evolution of 3D mapping and cool-tip catheters from research to clinical service for radiofrequency ablation of atrial re-entry tachycardia and atrial fibrillation.
• Expansion of implantation and follow-up of patients requiring implantable defibrillators.
• Expansion of the adult congenital cardiac service.

Cardiology Department
Royal Melbourne Hospital
City Campus
Grattan Street, Parkville 3050
Victoria Australia

Telephone      (03) 9342 7133
Facsimile        (03) 9347 2808
Director         Dr Leeanne Grigg

Senior staff

Dr Leeanne Grigg	Director	9342 7589
Dr John Dowling	Assistant Director	9342 7133
Ms Karen Halloran	Nursing Unit Manager, CCU/2B
Ms Andrea Hutchinson	Nursing Unit Manager, 2 East Day Ward
Ms Mary Wong	Nursing Unit Manager, Cardiac Catheter Laboratory