Dr Tony Salmon
In speaking to patients and relatives about their cardiologist the words "skill", "dedication" and "commitment" are constantly brought to the fore in conversations. These words are not bandied about, but expressed earnestly by people who are often in awe of what the deftness of a surgeon's hands, combined with the advances in medical technology, can achieve.
One such man who holds a senior position within Wessex Heartbeat is Dr Tony Salmon, Consultant in Paediatrics and Adult Congenital Heart Disease. As well as being a trustee of the charity he is also a key member of the team of professionals who work within the renowned Wessex Cardiac Centre. Tony joined the Centre in 1990, having been inspired at an early age to train in medicine by his older brother who is a GP.
He is first to acknowledge that the support of Wessex Heartbeat has permitted cardiologists to treat patients and their relatives in a first-rate environment with state-of-the-art equipment.
"It's true to say that the charity is central to everything we have done in the last 15 years," said Tony. "The Wessex Heartbeat team are our partners in striving to improve clinical and psychological outcomes. There is no part of my job that it hasn't touched. We are all one big team striving towards achieving the same positive outcome - patient satisfaction, best technology and the best environment."
He felt that part of the remit was to make the patients and relatives as comfortable as possible, and cited Heartbeat House as a prime example of how conditions had changed over time.
"Previously relatives would have had to sleep on beds in the corridors and not infrequently in the bath on the ward - although that was a long time ago!"
Tony, who estimates that he has carried out around 2,000 surgical procedures at the Wessex Cardiac Centre, felt that the most encouraging aspects of his work were seeing his very young patients grow up and getting to know their families over a long time frame. Disheartening moments for the married father-of-three were undoubtedly the negative outcomes for patients and their families. He appreciated that improvements in technology were making routine procedures easier, and felt that because of advances medicine of his job is changing constantly. He also had positive statistics, which supported surgical successes. For example surgery for a "particularly complex congenital heart abnormality in the 1980s used to result in a 18% negative outcome - now it is between 1%-2%," he said.
Tony is buoyant about the future of research in cardiology, in particular his specialism of keyhole development surgery. "There are a number of important areas of research currently being looked at including the management of complex, non-correctable heart disease to improve the patient's quality of life; nutrition in heart disease and new imaging techniques including 3D echo."
"Cardiology is also looking at long-term outcomes: improvements in early surgery leading to better late quality of life and how our interventions determine long-term results," he added.
And finally, within the framework for the Healthy Heart initiative, how does Tony measure up? "Well my BMI is just about OK, my blood pressure is good and my cholesterol level is low, the last time it was checked! I'm a keen cyclist and for a number of years have been participating in the Wessex Heartbeat Cycle Challenge, and try to put in 50 miles a week in training. I also play squash (badly) and exercise the dog!"
