1953 - 1966

This era is marked by the appointment of the hospital's first cardiothoracic surgeon (James Baird, Nov. 1952) and the prospect of surgery for patients with mitral stenosis.   In the first four years, 1953-1956, 47 patients with mitral stenosis underwent cardiac catheterisation.  The investigators were Drs Hallwright, Prior and Weston.  Of these 47 patients, 33 went on to have a closed mitral valvotomy.

The commonest reason for cardiac catheterisation in this period was congenital heart disease (59% of all studies).   Apart from patients with PDA, surgery was not an option for these patients until the early 1960s.
James Baird and Tim Savage operated on 38 patients with secundum ASD during the period 1962 - 1966, in the early stages using hypothermia and inflow occlusion, but later cardiopulmonary bypass.
Ten patients with pulmonary stenosis were investigated and operated on during this time.

Peter Leslie joined the staff in 1963 and there was a significant increase in cardiac catheterisation numbers.