The Cause

The Odd Down Circuit, Bath

Sunday 29th September 2019

…

Statistics suggest that one in four of us

may die from a heart attack

’The Big Hearted Bike Day’

will raise money to buy much needed medical equipment for the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at the

Bristol Heart Institute

Most seriously ill patients from Bristol, Bath and the

surrounding areas needing open heart surgery

are taken to The Bristol Heart Institute

To see the work we are doing and find out more about

The Big Hearted Charity go to our main website:-

www.bigheartedvalentinesball.co.uk

Operating on the heart is a delicate and precise surgery but teaching and learning this art is made difficult because it is hard to observe clearly, even for those actually assisting the surgeon. This ‘state of the art’ camera system allows the surgeon to work unhindered whilst providing everyone the same level of detail displayed on a big screen in the theatre or, using the internet, simultaneously anywhere in the world. Specialist techniques, such as beating heart surgery, can be taught in real time or recorded for later analysis to emphasise learning points. Improving the effectiveness of learning new techniques will enhance patient care in Bristol and further afield.

The surgeons at the Bristol Heart Institute have asked us to raise the funds for the purchase of this specialist equipment which can be used in all adult and paediatric procedures.

Our Patron

Professor Raimondo Ascione, one of Bristol’s top heart surgeons (pictured here with his team) told us that they needed a modern Video Fibre Optic Intubation Unit for the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) and we raised that money. On the 18th April we presented it to the Team at The Intensive Care Unit of the Bristol Heart Institute (see picture above)

We are now working to raise the money to buy the next piece of specialist medical equipment which the surgeons at The BHI have asked for.

It’s a High Definition video head camera and one of the doctors explains how that will help to save lives

(see para opposite)

Bristol Heart Institute is a world-leading

for translational cardiovascular research and the leading academic cardiac surgery centre in the UK.

Professor Raimondo Ascione

M.D.(Naples), MSc, Ch.M (Bristol), FETCS, FRCS ad eundem

Professor of Cardiac Surgery and Translational Research and Director of TBRC

Professor Ascione is the Chair of Cardiac Surgery & Translational Research and the Founder and Director of the Translational Biomedical Research Centre (TBRC) at the University of Bristol. He is also a Consultant Adult Cardiac Surgeon at the Bristol Heart Institute (BHI) University Hospital Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, UK.

He has a long standing academic interest in translational cardiovascular research, clinical trials in adult cardiac surgery, global cardiovascular leadership, and more recently in the preclinical development/testing of new cardiovascular drugs and biomedical devices at NHS standards. The ultimate goal of his research is impact, patient benefit, and commercialisation.

He has been an active NHS Consultant Cardiac Surgeon since August 2002 (>3500 cardiothoracic procedures as Chief Surgeon; survival 98.7%) with national and international expertise in beating heart coronary artery bypass grafting, mitral valve repair, aortic valve replacement and redo cardiac surgery.

He was appointed Consultant Senior Lecturer in Cardiac in 2002, promoted to Reader in 2006, and to Professor in 2010. He has held senior leadership roles in both University and NHS Institutions and internationally. Examples include: 1. Chair of the University BHI Research Board (2010-13 elected); 3.Clinical Director of BHI NHS Hospital (2013-15); 4. Founder and Director of the advanced TBRC preclinical research facility since 2013; 5.Member of the Nucleus of the Cardiovascular Working Group of the European Society of Cardiology (2010-15); 6.Member of the Academy of the European Association of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery since 2009; 7. Member of the Foundation for Polish Science International Interdisciplinary Panel of Experts; 8.Member of the Novel and Emerging Technologies (NET) Grants Committee (Heart Research UK); 9. Member of Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Associate Peer Review College.

He has been the recipient of the NHS Clinical Excellence Silver Award since 2013 (renewed for 2018-23), Clinical Excellence Bronze Award for 2010-13, the Garfield Weston Trust Senior Lectureship in Cardiac Surgery (2003-08), the Fellowship ad eundeum by the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 2004, the Master of Surgery with University of Bristol in 2002, the John Parker Gold Medal by the UK Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons in 2001, and he was part of the Bristol team awarded the “Surgical Team of Year” Prize by UK Hospital Doctors in 2005.

Prof Ascione has grants and capital bid awards as PI or co-PI in excess of £49M based on an extensive national and international network. Of these, £8.5M are BHF grant awards he holds as PI or co-PI since 2012. In addition, he has > 240 publications including 183 Google Scholar-censed publications in peer-reviewed Journals, 7 book chapters, 28 refereed Conference Contributions, 21 Reviews and Editorials, > 40 publications reports in the international media/internet. His publications have inspired others with > 6950 citations; H-Index: 44. He have trained >35 clinical and basic scientists globally.

Research interests

Pre-Clinical Research to develop and test new Drug and Devices

Prof Ascione is developing and testing new cardiovascular drugs and biomedical devices in preclinical models operated at NHS standards. This work is carried out at TBRC, a GLP MHRA accredited research facility that he founded in 2013 and that he now leads as Director (http://www.bristol.ac.uk/health-sciences/research/tbrc/). He is the academic Clinical Lead of >10 collaborative national/international developmental projects translating the following novel treatments: two CV drugs to treat heart attack, four new stem cell types for cardiac repair, a new heart valve, 4 configurations of tissue engineered vascular constructs for coronary, carotid, femoral, and aortic applications, a new platelets analyser and an innovative smart robotic instrumentations to enhance keyhole surgery. Prof Ascione’s portfolio of developmental CV research on new drugs and devices is based on total grant award as PI or co-PI of £11.7M, of which £3.1M is for working packages he leads directly at TBRC.