Ramsay Newsroom

Wollongong Private Hospital is pleased to announce Dr Azari will begin consultations with patients on 18th August, with his first local cardiac surgery expected to be performed in early September. 

Dr Azari is an Australian-trained cardiothoracic surgeon who has a special interest in complex coronary surgeries including all-arterial, off-pump and on-pump coronary surgeries. He is experienced in performing aortic, heart valve and arrhythmia surgeries, and is a fully-trained minimally invasive thoracic surgeon specialising in thoracoscopic surgery and robotic thoracic surgery. 

Dr Azari will be offering cardiac surgery to both private and public patients under a Public Private Partnership between Wollongong Private Hospital and the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District (ISLHD). He will also provide thoracic surgery for patients in the private system and hopes to offer the service to public patients in the near future. 

“It’s very exciting, I’m very proud that this service can finally happen locally and I’m honoured to be a part of it. I know a lot of people have put in a lot of good work to make it happen,” Dr Azari said. 

“We have assembled a great team of very experienced professionals from anaesthetists to scrub nurses and all of the equipment and instruments purchased are state-of-the-art,” he said. 

Wollongong Private Hospital Chief Executive Officer Steven Rajcany said Dr Azari’s appointment was great news for the local community. 

“Dr Azari’s arrival means that for the first time, we can offer the full spectrum of cardiac and thoracic surgical care to patients in the Illawarra,” Mr Rajcany said. 

“To have Dr Azari consulting here at Wollongong Private less than three months after the Public Private Partnership was first announced is fantastic, and we look forward to expanding the team with additional surgeons in the coming weeks.” 

Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District (ISLHD) Chief Executive Margot Mains said it was wonderful that patients requiring a complex level of care no longer need to travel to Sydney hospitals to receive treatment. 

“The District is absolutely delighted to team up with our colleagues at Wollongong Private Hospital to provide extensive cardiothoracic services staffed by top specialists right here in the Illawarra,” Ms Mains said. 

For more information head to www.wollongongprivate.com.au.