About us

The Department of Cardiology cares for adults with all forms of heart disease. We have special expertise in managing heart attacks.

We perform procedures using long thin tubes called catheters to enter your heart. We guide the catheter through your blood vessels and into your heart by looking at x-ray images on a large screen.

We also put in cardiac devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators and provide all of the follow-up checks for these devices.

Our procedures take place in the cardiac catheterisation laboratories at Austin Hospital.

Other types of heart surgery are performed by the Cardiac Surgery Department.

We have a strong teaching and research focus with links to the University of Melbourne and other institutions.

Our staff may approach you to ask if you are interested in being involved in clinical trials of new treatments. Speak to your cardiologist if you would like to know if there are clinical trials that are appropriate for you.

Our services

We provide the following services:

• Surgery to put in cardiac devices (such as pacemakers, defibrillators and loop recorders), as well as follow-up checks of these devices
• Management and testing of your cardiac devices during and after other kinds of surgery, radiotherapy or an MRI
• Procedures using x-ray to see how blood is moving through your heart, and/or to add a stent (a small mesh coil to hold your artery open) 
• Balloon valvuloplasty (aortic and mitral), a procedure that uses a balloon to open heart valves that have narrowed or fused together
• Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), a procedure to insert an artificial valve into a damaged aortic valve
• Procedures to close a hole in your heart
• Electrophysiology studies, which are used to test the electrical activity in your heart to diagnose an irregular heartbeat
• Ablation procedures, which disrupt the faulty electrical signals that are causing you to have an irregular heart beat

Our clinics

AF Express Clinic

Tuesday 9:00am - 12:30pm
Cardiac Diagnostics, Ward 5 North, Austin Hospital

Arrhythmia Clinic

Wednesday 8:30am - 10:30am
Clinic D, Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital

Chest Pain Assessment Clinic

Tuesday 1:30pm - 4:00pm
Cardiac Diagnostics, Ward 5 North, Austin Hospital

Electrophysiology Pre-Admission Clinic

Wednesday 1:30pm - 4:00pm
Cardiac Diagnostics, Ward 5 North, Austin Hospital

General Cardiology Clinic

Tuesday 9:00am - 11:00am
Clinic A, Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital

Wednesday 2:00pm - 4:30pm
Clinic 4 East Orange, Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital

Thursday 1:30pm - 3:30pm
Clinic A, Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital

Heart Function Clinic

Monday 9:30am - 11:30am
Clinic B, Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital

Wednesday 1:30pm - 4:30pm
Clinic B, Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital

Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator (ICD) Clinic

Tuesday 8:00am – 12:00pm
Cardiac Diagnostics, Ward 5 North, Austin Hospital

Pacemaker Clinic

Monday – All day
Cardiac Diagnostics, Ward 5 North, Austin Hospital

Wednesday 8:00 – 12:00pm
Cardiac Diagnostics, Ward 5 North, Austin Hospital

Pulmonary Hypertension Clinic

Tuesday 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Level 5, Harold Stokes Building, Austin Hospital

Structural Heart Clinic

Monday 9:00am - 12:30pm
Cardiac Diagnostics, Ward 5 North, Austin Hospital

Valve Clinic

Thursday 1:30pm - 3:45pm
Clinic A, Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital

Find out more about clinic locations and bookings in Specialist Clinics.

Related services

• Heart disease

  We care for and treat people with all forms of heart disease.

• Heart surgery

  We care for and treat people who need surgery for heart disease.

• Heart tests

  We provide tests to help your doctor find problems related to your heart.

Referrals

For patients

If you think you may be having a heart attack or other emergency, contact 000 and ask for an ambulance.

In all other cases, you need a referral from your GP or a medical specialist to access this service.

For health professionals

Find out how to refer your patient.

For urgent referrals:

Phone: 03 9496 5000 and ask for the on-call Cardiology Registrar.

Address referrals to A/Prof Omar Farouque, Director, Cardiology.

What to bring

Every time you come

• Medicare card
• Health Care Card and/or concession card (if you have one)
• Private health insurance card (if applicable/if you want to use it)
• Adverse drug alert card (if you have one)
• Previous x-ray films, scans, ultrasounds or any other test results or reports
• Medicines you need to take while you are here
• List of medicines you are currently taking (or the boxes), including medicines you have bought without a prescription, such as herbal supplements and vitamins
• Glasses, hearing aid, walking frame

For your clinic appointment

• Your appointment letter
• Any special items listed on your letter
• TAC or Workcover claim number (if relevant)

For your day procedure

• Responsible adult carer to stay with you to hear instructions, help you and take you home
• Comfortable day clothes, such as a tracksuit

Our locations

You will have your surgery at the Austin Hospital.

You may have a clinic appointment at either Austin Hospital or Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital. Check the information you have received to make sure you know which hospital to visit. If you are unsure, call your liaison nurse or contact us on the numbers below.

Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory and Cardiac Diagnostics

Austin Hospital
Ward 5 North
Level 5, Austin Tower
145 Studley Road, Heidelberg VIC

Contact us

Cardiology

Phone: 03 9496 5527

Fax: 03 9496 5453

Email: cardiology@austin.org.au

Open hours: Monday to Friday 8am to 4.30pm

Postal address

Cardiology
Austin Health
PO Box 5555
Heidelberg Victoria 3084