The Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center

The Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center (OCSC- http://www.onasseio.gr) is a non-profit public welfare institution, specialising in cardiovascular surgery and diagnostic and intervention cardiology. The Center was designed, built, equipped and furnished, by the Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation. In 1992 the hospital was donated to the Greek State. Ever since the running cost of the Center is being covered by the Ministry of Health and the Social Insurance Funds.

The Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center is a modern medical facility, equipped with state-of-the-art technology. It provides high quality specialised services to patients with acquired and congenital heart disease, it conducts in-house training and continuous medical and professional development educational programmes to all personnel and it performs research directed toward the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart disease. Furthermore, the OCSC is committed to quality in the services it provides and it is in the process of certification according to the ISO 9001:2000 standard.

The OCSC's Biomedical Engineering Department

The Biomedical Engineering Department (BMED) of the Onassis Cardiac Surgery Centre (OCSC) has been established since 1992. Staffed with three (3) Biomedical Engineers, three (3) Biomedical Technicians and two (2) Medical Physicists, the BMED is responsible for the independent management and technical support of all the OCSC’s medical equipment.

Over the years of its operation, BMED has acquired significant know-how on technology assessment as far as medical devices is concerned. Moreover, the BMED has been involved as a partner in four (4) research projects in the broad area of Biomedical Engineering :

- NIKA (Development of a Generalised System for Processing and Management of Medical Images), 1995-97

- BIOTECHNET II (Development of Products/Services Supporting of Biomedical Technology), 1995-97

- BEAM II (Biomedical Equipment Assessment and Management), 1996-98

- DIMOND III (Digital Imaging :Measures for Optimising Radiological Info. Content and Dose), In progress

The OCSC's Contribution to PatiMon NoE

1. OCSC will be responsible for the JPA D2 (Conferences, Meetings and Workshops).

2. OCSC's research team (see below) will also contribute, towards :

- Definition of users' requirements

- Technology/Medical devices' assessment

- Clinical evaluation of methods and medical devices (developed by PatiMon consortium)

Being the only clinical site among the participant to PatiMon partners, OCSC will become the test bed for all applications to be developed by the NoE.

The OCSC's PatiMon Research Group

The Onassis Cardiac Surgery Centre will participate to the PatiMon NoE with two specialists' teams :

I. The Medical team will be comprised by :

Dr. E. Iliodromitis, Dr. K. Marathias, Dr. G. Stavridis, Dr. P. Flevari,.

II. The Engineering team will be comprised by :

Dr. G. Haloutsos, Mr. T. Popov

CURRICULUM VITAE

Dr. Efstathios Iliodromitis, MD, FESC

Born in 1953.

Deputy Director of the OCSC's 2^nd Department of Cardiology, Head of the OCSC's Coronary Care Unit and Researcher in the OCSC's Cardiovascular Research Unit.

Education

1977 Diploma in Medicine, Athens University, Greece

1985 Specialty in Cardiology

1990-91 Postgraduate studies in Experimental Myocardial Infarction (University College Hospital, UK)

1996 Postgraduate studies in Experimental Myocardial Infarction (University of South Alabama, USA)

Memberships in Scientific Bodies

Nucleus of the Working Group of Cellular Biology in the European Society of Cardiology, International Society for Heart Research, New York Academy of Science, American Association for the Advancement of Science, International Union of Angiology, Hellenic Society of Cardiology, Working Group of Experimental Cardiology of the Hellenic Cardiology Society (Past President), Hellenic College of Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery

Participation in Multicenter Trials

ΕΜΙΡ (European Myocardial Infarction Project, granted by EU), ΕΜΙΡ-FR (European Myocardial Infarction – Free Radicals Project, granted by EU), FRAXIS, EUROPA trial, BIOMED II

International Collaboration

University of London (Prof. D.J. Hearse), University College (Prof. D.M. Yellon), St. Thomas’ Hospital (Prof. M.V. Marber), University of Alabama (Prof. J. Downey), University of Brescia (Prof. R. Ferrari)

Dr. Katerina Marathias, MD, DS

Born in 1961.

Deputy Director of the OCSC's Cardiothoracic Surgical ICU

Education & Professional Certification

1984 Diploma in Medicine, Patras University Medical School, Patras, Greece

1987 F.L.E.X., Permanent Medical License in Massachusetts, USA

1989 Diplomat in the Specialty of Internal Medicine, The American Board of Internal Medicine

1991 Certification of Fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Mass. General Hospital, Boston, USA

1992 Certification of Specialty of Pulmonary Medicine in Greece

1995 Doctor of Science, Patras University Medical School, Patras, Greece

1995 Certification of the subspecialty of Critical Care Medicine in Greece

Additional Clinical Experience

1. CNS Neurophysiology. Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, U.S.A. (1984-1985)

2. Lung Immunopathology-Cancer Immunotherapy. Harvard Medical School (1988-1991)

3. Instructor of Basic and Advanced Cardiac Life Support. Greek Society of Cardio-pulmonary Resuscitation.

4. Metabolic support of the critically ill patient. Metabolic Support Service, Brigham and Women’s Hospital,

Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. (21/7/98-21/8/98)

Dr. George Stavridis, MD

Born in 1960.

Senior Cardiac Surgeon (1st Cardiac Surgical and Transplantation Dept.)

Studies & Professional Certification

1984 Diploma in Medicine, Athens University, Greece

1990 MD thesis Athens University-Medical School (In vitro interactions of Aminoglycosides with the new b-lactams)

1993 Hellenic Cardiothoracic Board Certified

1997 General Medical Council’s (UK) Specialist Register

2001 European Board of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons

Memberships in Scientific Bodies

Greek Society of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeons, Greek Medical Association, Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland, British Medical Association, European Club of Young Cardiac Surgeons, International Society of Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery, European Club of Young Cardiac Surgeons

Research Experience & Interests

Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery and off pump CABGs (1995-to date), Arterial Revascularisation Therapies Study (stents or surgery). Multicentre International (1996-1999), Prospective study comparing conventional long saphenous vein harvesting with minimally invasive technique using a laryngoscope (1998-1999), Development of a cardiac surgical patient identification database software (Cardio-Pro 1998-2001), Integrating reflexology to cardiac surgical practice (1998-to date), Comparison of cost-effectiveness between off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting and conventional coronary artery bypass grafting.(1999-2001), Molecular control of factor V in Greek population (2000-2002), Clinical Evaluation of the Edwards MIRA Ultrafinesse Heart Valve(2001-to date), Cariporide -Expedition trial (2001-interim analysis 2002)-discontinued.

Dr. Panagiota Flevari, MD

Born in 1963

Electrophysiologist at Onassis Cardiac Surgery Centre, since 1998