​The University of Cape Town (UCT) Department of Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine provides a 24-hour dedicated anaesthesia service to the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at both Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH) and the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital (RCWMCH).​

A Legacy of Innovation

Our department has a storied history of pioneering achievements in cardiac surgery:​

  • First Human Heart Transplant (1967): Performed at Groote Schuur Hospital by Professor Christiaan Barnard, with Professor Ozinski as the pioneering anaesthetist.​

  • First Paediatric Open-Heart Surgery in Africa (1958): Conducted at RCWMCH by Professor Walter Philips, with Dr. Christiaan Barnard managing the bypass pump.​South African Health Review

  • First Paediatric Intensive Care Unit in Africa (1965): This was Established at RCWMCH to provide specialized post-operative care for cardiac patients.​South African Health Review

  • First Child Heart Transplant in Africa (1990): Successfully performed at RCWMCH.​

Building on this remarkable legacy, our team now provides anaesthetic care for over 300 adult and 300 paediatric cardiac cases annually.​

Comprehensive Cardiac Surgical Support

We offer anaesthesia services for a wide range of cardiothoracic surgeries, including:​

  • Complex paediatric cardiac procedures​

  • Grown-up congenital heart disease​

  • Rheumatic, ischaemic, and degenerative heart diseases​

  • Minimally invasive valve repairs and replacements​

  • Transcatheter and transapical aortic valve replacements (TAVI)​

  • Heart transplants​

Research and Innovation

Our department is actively engaged in research focused on developing less invasive procedures, which is particularly relevant to resource-limited settings. We also collaborate closely with cardiologists in areas such as electrophysiology and pacemaker insertion and extraction.​

Expertise and Training

Our dedicated team of adult and paediatric anaesthetists possesses extensive expertise in both cardiac anaesthesia and peri-operative echocardiography.​

Educational Initiatives

We offer a variety of practical and interactive training opportunities throughout the year:​

  • Transoesophageal Echocardiography (TOE) Courses: Two hands-on sessions annually.​

  • Annual Thoracic Anaesthesia Course: Focused on thoracic procedures.​

  • Point-of-Care Ultrasound (FATE) Courses: Multiple sessions each year.​

Our department also provides access to a Heartworks Simulator, a comprehensive video library of notable cases, and hosts weekly tutorials and echocardiography ward rounds open to all interested parties.​

Training Opportunities

Anaesthesia trainees undertake a three-month rotation in cardiothoracic anaesthesia, gaining exposure to:​

  • Adult and cardiac surgery

  • Major vascular surgery

  • Focused echocardiography techniques​

This rotation is demanding yet highly rewarding, offering invaluable experience in a challenging field.​