St John of God Geelong Hospital celebrates 1000 open heart surgeries

8 Jul 2022

St John of God Geelong Hospital Cardiothoracic Surgeon Mr Cheng-Hon Yap performed the 1000th open heart surgery case at St John of God Geelong Hospital. 

St John of God Geelong Hospital CEO Stephen Roberts said the team of highly skilled doctors, nurses and allied health professionals were the back bone of the service and without their dedication and commitment the service would not have flourished. 

“The demand for open heart surgery has steadily grown since we opened the service in November 2017 and reaching this milestone reflects the hospital’s commitment to offering the Geelong community access to technology and services close to home,” He said. 

“It is fabulous to see so many patients benefiting from cardiac surgery at our hospital, without having to travel far from home.”

75-year-old Peter John Spurr was the 1000th patient to receive lifesaving open heart surgery at St John of God Geelong Hospital. 

Mr Spurr, who rides his bike three times a week, noticed he was a little more tired than normal during one of his recent rides and thought he should see his GP just to be sure. An exercise stress test and some further examinations showed he required bypass surgery. 

Peter headed home earlier this week after the surgery to continue his recovery and rehabilitation and is looking forward to getting back on his bike when he gets the all clear from his doctors.

“St John of God Geelong Hospital is the only private hospital in regional Victoria to offer cardiac surgery and has long been recognised as a surgical centre of excellence. It is dedicated to delivering the safest possible program of the highest quality to its patients and this is a significant milestone in cardiac surgery,” Mr Roberts said.