Current NHS and /or university posts
Consultant Cardiac Surgeon, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff & Vale University Health board
Honorary Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Cardiff
Current membership(s) of professional, national and regional bodies
Welsh Cardiovascular Society
European Association of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Society of Cardiothoracic Surgery of Great Britain & Ireland
Society of Thoracic Surgery – United States of America
South African Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons
Contact Details
Telephone number to make a private appointment
029 2073 6011
More about Prof Von Oppell
Prof Oppell's undergraduate and postgraduate training was completed at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. He then visited specialised centres in the U.S.A. to obtain additional surgical skills and completed a PhD on ‘protecting the heart during cardiac surgery’ at the University of Cape Town in 1992.
He was appointed to the Chris Barnard Chair of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Groote Schuur Hospital, University of Cape Town, South Africa in 1993. He then relocated to Cardiff, Wales in October 2001.
Prof Von Oppell maintained his academic research interests having published 22 book chapters and more than 80 original manuscripts in professional journals on multiple aspects of heart surgery.
Prof Oppell's clinical practice has a high percentage of heart valve as well as combined valve and coronary artery bypass graft patients. The independent Quality Care Commission of the UK monitors & reports surgical results in terms of risk stratified patient survival; which takes into account a patient’s other illnesses affecting other body organs, age, and lifestyle which affect a patient’s chances of surviving major heart surgery. They have reported that the actual survival of all patients I treated in the 3 years up to March 2007 was 98.5%, which was ‘higher than expected’ compared to European standards.
Recommended links:
www.heartsurgery.cqc.org.uk
www.scts.org
www.ctsnet.org