Blood, heart and circulation
Our cardiovascular and thoracic service diagnoses and treats conditions affecting organs inside the chest (the thorax), mainly the lungs and heart, and the major blood vessels that affect circulation.
The Wessex Cardiac Unit is one of the largest and most reputable cardiac centres in the UK. Established in 1972, it serves a population of around 2.8 million, and is mainly based in the £60m state-of-the-art North Wing at Southampton General Hospital. Opened in 2007, it includes cutting edge catheter labs, a specialist cardiac intensive care unit| and a dedicated cardiac MRI scanner.
The range of services available include cardiac surgery| and thoracic surgery|, cardiac rhythm management| (which focuses on heart rhythm disorders) and a congenital cardiac service| (which treats disorders that can affect the heart or major blood vessels). We also provide vascular services| focusing on disorders of the blood vessels.
Our hospitals also treat blood disorders with a dedicated haematology| centre, and Southampton's Piam Brown unit is the regional paediatric oncology and haematology centre| for the central south coast.
The Wessex Cardiac Unit benefits from the generous support of charitable fundraising|.