London Health Sciences Centre

London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) is a multi-site facility located in southern Ontario in the city of London - known as the forest city. LHSC is an acute care teaching hospital and is home to many medical breakthroughs, such as Canada's first heart transplant with positive outcome, Canada's first heart-lung transplant, and Canada’s first totally endoscopic closed-chest robotic beating heart coronary artery bypass surgery, just to name a few.  Most recently, Perfusion participated in a combined Cardiac/Vascular surgery for a complete aortic replacement from aortic valve down to femorals in one procedure (a non-staged frozen elephant trunk with replacement of entire descending aorta).  The teamwork at LHSC between perfusion, surgery, anesthesia and nursing is unmatched by no centre across the country both clinically in the operating suite and academically outside of the OR. 

LHSC has now completed over 600 heart transplants, more than any other Canadian centre. LHSC is an accredited clinical training site for the Michener Health Institute.

Our perfusion team is responsible for two hospital sites, Victoria hospital, and University hospital. University hospital is the primary cardiac centre with up to 4 cardiac OR's, including a hybrid OR. On a yearly basis our perfusion team performs approximately 1550 cardiac cases, 550 cell savers, 115 balloons, as well as ECMO's, VADS, V-V bypass for liver transplants and isolated visceral perfusion. As well as the usual assortment of CABG and valve procedures our cardiac cases also include TAVI's, Robotic Surgery, multi-level perfusion for aortic arch reconstruction cases, minimally-invasive surgeries, heart transplants and laser lead extractions. Victoria hospital is London’s primary urgent care centre.  Here, we are responsible for running cell salvage for vascular, and orthopedic surgeries in pediatric and adult patients, as well as providing coverage for balloon pumps, and ECMO initiation. It is also fully equipped for emergent cardiac procedures.

Currently in the OR we are running the Maquet HL20 with both roller pump and the Maquet Rotaflow centrifugal pump, Quest Microplegia system, CDI-500 blood-gas monitoring system, Actalyke ACT machine, GEM 4000 and the Maquet HCU30 and LivaNova 3T Heater-coolers. Oxygenators in use are the Quadrox, and the Terumo FX 25 and 15. We have both small and large tubing sets to customize our circuit to each patient's needs. We use the Datascope Intra-aortic balloon pump and the Fresenius CATS auto-transfusion system for cell salvage, and component therapy. Equipment for ECLS currently includes both the Maquet Rotaflow, and the Centrimag, both used with the Quadrox D oxygenator, and the Maquet HU35 heater unit. VADS we currently support are Centrimag, Heartware, Heartmate, and the Impella.

LHSC currently employs a department of 10 FTE positions, plus a clinical coordinator and 3 casual positions for a total of 14 perfusionists. Our department actively participates in research and education. Since LHSC is committed to supporting both education and research, funding for meeting attendance is available with participation at the proposed meeting.  There is also upcoming involvement in both mini-bypass circuit research and hydrogen peroxide studies.

 Our perfusion team has a long standing history of participation with both the OSCP and the CSCP.