Laurea 2005 Di Palermo; Spec Cardiac Surgery 2010 Catania

Francesco is a Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon based in Hamilton (NZ). He completed his cardiothoracic residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Italy. He subsequently moved to the United Kingdom to complete a fellowship in adult cardiothoracic surgery in Brighton and a fellowship in aortic surgery, minimally invasive aortic surgery, and transcatheter aortic valve implantation at St Thomas’ Hospital in London.

He was appointed as a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon at St Thomas’ London at the age of 33 becoming one of the youngest consultant cardiothoracic surgeons in the United Kingdom. He has performed over one thousand open heart operations in the UK with a survival rate above the national average. Francesco has pioneered innovative intervention in cardiovascular surgery. He has been invited as a faculty member to many international meetings.

Mr. Pirone moved to New Zealand in 2019 where he provides safe and compassionate care to patients with heart conditions. He practices as a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon at Waikato DHB and with the Heart Surgeon Group for private patients

• Bentall procedure
• Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)
• Valve repair via sternotomy (valvuloplasty)
• Valve replacement via sternotomy
• Valve replacement with coronary artery bypass graft

Cardiothoracic Surgeon

Fellowships and Qualifications 

• Medical Degree (Hons)
        University of Palermo, Italy
• Certificate of Completion of Training in Cardiothoracic Surgery (Hons)
        University of Catania Italy
• European Association of Cardiothoracic Surgery (Fellow)
• Specialist Cardiothoracic Surgeon New Zealand Medical Council
• Specialist Cardiothoracic Surgeon General Medical Council UK
• Specialist Cardiothoracic Surgeon Italian Medical Council

Positions

• Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Waikato District Health Board
        Hamilton – New Zealand
• Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Heart Surgeon Group

Specialist Training

• ​Cardiothoracic residency, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (Palermo Italy)
• Adult cardiothoracic surgery fellowship, Royal Sussex County Hospital, (Brighton UK)
• Fellowship in complex aortic surgery, minimally invasive aortic valve replacement and TAVI, St Thomas’ Hospital (London UK)

Specialist Appointments

• Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London UK
• Leeds Teaching Hospital, NHS Trust, Leeds UK
• Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester UK
• Northern General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield UK

13 May 2021

Cardiothoracic Surgery