Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon
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Professor - University of Waikato (Hon)
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A/Professor of Surgery - University of Auckland (Hon)
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National Clinical Lead
Procurement, Supply Chain and Health Technology
Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora
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National Surgical Lead
Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand
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New Zealand Jurisdictional Committee -
Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators
Past Associate Chief Medical Officer
Te Whatu Ora Waikato
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Past Head of Department
Waikato Cardiothoracic Unit
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Past Clinical Director
Waikato Cardiothoracic Unit
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Professor David J McCormack
BSc(Hons) MBBS(Distinction) MFSTEd AFRACMA FACS FCSANZ FRCS(CTh) FRCSEd(CTh) MBA(Distinction)
Prof David McCormack is a Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon and a National Lead for Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand. He previously served as the Clinical Director and Head of Department of Waikato Cardiothoracic Unit as well as Associate Chief Medical Officer of Waikato DHB. David is also a Professor at Te Huataki Waiora School of Health - University of Waikato and an Associate Professor of Surgery at The University of Auckland with a clinical interest and expertise in aortic surgery. He is skilled in the management of ischaemic heart disease and heart valve surgery. Active in the generation and utilisation of technology to advance surgical practice, healthcare delivery, clinical leadership and and innovative research.
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Prof McCormack completed formal training in Cardiothoracic Surgery in leading centres. Below is a collection of central London centres within which Prof McCormack was trained
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Qualifications and Fellowships
Vocational Registration - Cardiothoracic Surgery
Medical Council of New Zealand
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Fellow of Royal College of Surgeons of England
Cardiothoracic Surgery
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Fellow of Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
Cardiothoracic Surgery ​
Fellow of the American College of Surgeons
Fellow of the Australian & New Zealand Society of Cardiac & Thoracic Surgeons
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Fellow of Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand
Master of Business Administration (Distinction)
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Member of the Faculty of Surgical Trainers of Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
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Associate Fellow of Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators
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Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery (Distinction)
Guy's, King's and St Thomas' Medical School, University of London
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Bachelor of Science (Honours)
King’s College London, University of London
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Positions & Memberships
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National Clinical Lead (Procurement, Supply Chain and Health Technology Management)
​Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand
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Associate Chief Medical Officer
Waikato District Health Board​​
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Past - Head of Department
Waikato Cardiothoracic Unit​
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​Past - Clinical Director
Waikato Cardiothoracic Unit
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Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon
Waikato District Health Board​
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Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon
Braemar Hospital
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Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon
Southern Cross Hospital​​
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Professor (Hon), Te Huataki Waiora School of Health
University of Waikato​
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Associate Professor of Surgery (Hon), Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences
University of Auckland
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Cardiothoracic Surgery Specialist
New Zealand Medical Council - ​Vocational Registration
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Cardiothoracic Surgery Specialist
General Medical Council (UK) - Certificate of Completion of Training
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Faculty of Surgical Trainers
Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
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Fellow of Royal Society of Medicine
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Australian & New Zealand Society of Cardiac & Thoracic Surgeons​
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European Association for Cardiothoracic Surgery
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Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery in Great Britain & Ireland
Prizes & Awards
Waikato DHB – Sustaining Excellence in Patient Safety Award
Waikato Quality and Patient Safety
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Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery in Great Britain and Ireland /
Ethicon Travelling Fellowship
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Patient Safety Awards
Technology & IT to Improve Patient Safety
Finalist – The ROQAS Project
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T-Log / Association of Surgeons in Training
Surgical Education and Training Prize
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Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery in Great Britain and Ireland /
Association of Surgeons in Training
Best Cardiothoracic Research
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British Medical Association - The BMJ Awards
Transforming Patient Care Using Technology
Finalist – The ROQAS Project
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Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery in Great Britain and Ireland Forum Best Paper
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King’s College London
AB Kennedy Scholarship
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King’s College London
Hopkins Scholarship for Elective Poster Presentation
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The Rayne Institute
Rayne Award for Research in Developing Countries
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The Royal Society of Medicine Cardiothoracic Section
Best Clinical Case Presentation
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The Royal College of Surgeons of England
MacLoghlin and Morris Scholarship
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The Physiological Society
Research Project Award
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The Wellcome Trust
Research Project Award
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Mayor of London
London Day Award
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University of London
Waterstone’s Award for Academic Achievement
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Jean Shanks Foundation
JSF Scholarship for Intercalated BSc with Research
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Blood Brain Barrier Consortium
BBB Scholarship for Intercalated BSc Research Project
Publications
Book Chapter
Video Mediastinoscopy versus Standard Mediastinoscopy
Difficult Decisions in Thoracic Surgery: An Evidence-Based Approach
3rd Edition
McCormack DJ and Harrison Phipps K
ISBN 978-1-4471-6404-3
Editor – Professor Mark K Ferguson
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Investigator – International, Multicentre Clinical Trials
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Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion Study III (PMID: 33999547) DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2101897
N Engl J Med. 2021 Jun 3;384(22):2081-2091.
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Evolut Low Risk Trial (PMID: 30883053)
DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1816885)
N Engl J Med. 2019 May 2;380(18):1706-1715.
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Peer Reviewed Publications
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Early diagnosis of surgically curable lung cancer is commonly serendipitous.
Gimpel D, Pan A, Manikavasagar V, Lao C, Brown L, McCormack DJ, Lin Z, Meikle F, Conaglen P, Stephenson D, Lawrenson R, El-Gamel A.
N Z Med J. 2022 Jun 10;135(1556):44-52.
PMID: 35728247
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Challenges of emergency thoracotomy in a regional New Zealand setting.
Kang M, Sharma VJ, Omundsen M, McCormack D, Kejriwal N
Emerg Med Australas. 2022 Jun 5. doi: 10.1111/1742-6723.14029.
PMID: 35661407
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Can We Better Differentiate Type A Dissections: Evaluating the Role of Aortic Ratios
Sharma VJ, Kang M, Ganesh JS, McCormack DJ, Prakash M, Moore R, Patel NN, El-Gamel A.
Heart Lung Circ. 2022 May 18:S1443-9506(22)00143-3.
PMID: 35597706
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Cardiac surgery simulation: a low-cost feasible option in an Australasian setting
Sharma VJ, Barton C, Page S, Ganesh JS, Patel N, Pirone F, Lin Z, Kejriwal NK, El Gamel A, McCormack DJ, Meikle F
ANZ J Surg. 2021 Oct;91(10):2042-2046.
PMID: 34291538
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Evaluation of the effects of three designs of oxygenators with integrated filters on clinical and haematological outcomes at an Australasian cardiothoracic unit
Prakash M, Sharma V, Oh T, Lo C, Parkinson G, McCormack D, Conaglen P, Lin Z, Kejriwal N, Meikle F, Peplow E, Bhana J, El Gamel A.
Perfusion. 2022 May 5
PMID: 35514051
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Preoperative Neutrophil and Lymphocyte Ratio as a Predictor of Mortality and Morbidity After Cardiac Surgery.
Haran C, Gimpel D, Clark H, McCormack DJ.
Heart Lung Circ. 2021 Mar;30(3):414-418. doi: 10.1016/j.hlc.2020.05.115. Epub 2020 Jul 6.
PMID: 32665173
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Performance of the AusSCORE II and STS Score for Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in a New Zealand Population.
Singh N, Gimpel D, Manikavasagar V, Watson N, Roberts J, Conaglen P, Meikle F, Lin Z, Kejriwal N, Odom N, McCormack DJ, El-Gamel A.
Heart Lung Circ. 2021 Apr;30(4):600-604. doi: 10.1016/j.hlc.2020.08.021. Epub 2020 Oct 6.
PMID: 33032891
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A Prospective Five-Year Cohort Study of Undiagnosed Sleep Apnoea in Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery.
Hogan AM, Ibrahim S, Moylan MJ, McCormack DJ, Openshaw AM, Cormack F, Shipolini A
J Cardiovasc Surgery. Epub 2020.
PMID: 32186169
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Primary care management of chest pain after coronary artery bypass surgery.
Gimpel D, Fisher R, Khan Z, McCormack DJ
BMJ. 2019 Apr 12;365:1303.
PMID: 30979696
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Acute Shortness of Breath Due to Reoccurrence of an Intrapericardial Bronchogenic Cyst.
Gimpel D, Conway J, Meikle F, Lin Z, McCormack DJ, El-Gamel A
Respirol Case Rep. 2019 May 17;7(5):e00431
PMID: 31131108
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Inadvertent puncture of right ventricle during chest tube insertion.
Gimpel D, Magoye T, McCormack DJ, El-Gamel A, Kejriwal N.
ANZ J Surg. 2019 Apr 15. doi: 10.1111/ans.15132
PMID: 30983139
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External stabilisation with vacuum assisted contrivance (ES-VAC) for chest wall injuries sustained from cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Gimpel D, Ni Leathlobhair N, Conway J, Magoye T, Macemon J, Macleod M, Nixey K, Odom N, McCormack DJ, Kejriwal N, Meikle F, El-Gamel A, Lin Z.
Resuscitation. 2019 Apr;137:49-51. doi:10.1016/j.resuscitation.2019.01.028. Epub 2019 Feb 5.
PMID: 30735741
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Early Discharge From Intensive Care After Cardiac Surgery is Feasible With an Adequate Fast Track, Stepdown Unit: Waikato Experience.
Gimpel D, Shanbhag S, Srivastava T, MacLeod M, Conaglen P, Kejriwal N, Odom N, Lin Z, McCormack DJ, El-Gamel A.
Heart Lung Circ. 2019 Dec;28(12):1888-1895. doi: 10.1016/j.hlc.2018.11.002. Epub 2018 Nov 17.
PMID: 30528814
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Complex coarctation of the aorta requiring a third redo operation.
Gimpel D, McCormack DJ, El-Gamel A
Interactive CardioVascular and Thoracic Surgery. Epub 2018.
PMID: 29688517
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Empyema Thoracis.
McCormack DJ, Anderson JR.
Surgery 35(5) 243–246
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In surgeons performing cardiothoracic surgery is sleep deprivation significant in its impact on morbidity or mortality?
Asfour L, Asfour V, McCormack D, Attia R.
Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg. e-pub 2014. PMID: 24879643
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The Role of the Femorofemoral Crossover Graft in Acute Lower Limb Ischaemia due to Acute Type B Aortic Dissection.
Corfield L, McCormack DJ, Reidy J, Bell R, Taylor P.
Vascular. 2014;22(2):121-6. PMID: 23512901
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Does muscle sparing thoracotomy as opposed to posterolateral thoracotomy result in better recovery?
Elshiekh MAF, Lo TTH, Shipolini AR, McCormack DJ.
Interact CardioVasc Thorac Surg (2013) Jan;16(1):60-7. PMID: 23049082
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Does surgery improve prognosis in patients with small-cell lung carcinoma?
Jones CD, Cummings IG, Shipolini AR, McCormack DJ.
Interact CardioVasc Thorac Surg. 2012 Nov 20.PMID 23169878
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Infected calcified Homograft Root; A sutureless solution.
Gupta P, McCormack DJ, Szczklik M, Ambekar S, Lall KS.
Annals of Thoracic Surgery. 2013 May;95(5):1789-91. PMID: 23608263
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A Meta-Analysis of Cognitive Outcome following Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery.
CormackF, Shipolini AR; Awad W; Richardson C, McCormack DJ, Underwood M, Baldeweg T, Hogan AM.
Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews –2012 Oct;36(9):2118-29. PMID: 22732162
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Can pregnant women be safely placed on cardiopulmonary bypass? Sepehripour AH, Lo TTH, McCormack DJ, Shipolini AR.
Interact CardioVasc Thorac Surg (2012) 15(6):1063-70. PMID: 22761116
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Coarctation repair mimicking acute aortic dissection.
Vulliamy PE, McCormack DJ, Szczeklik M, Lall KS.
European Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery (2012) 42(6):1055. PMID: 23138588
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Undiagnosed sleep apnoea syndrome in patients with acute myocardial infarction: potential importance of the STOP-BANG screening tool for clinical practice.
McCormack DJ, Pabla R, Hilal-Babu M, Dykes L, Dales, P, Archbold RA, Pilling M, Clifford A, Cormack F, Shipolini A, Hogan AM.
International Journal of Cardiology (2012) 155(2):342-343. PMID: 22240758
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Is there a suitable method of anticoagulation in pregnant patients with mechanical prosthetic heart valves?
Malik HT, Sepehripour AH, Shipolini AR, McCormack DJ.
Interact CardioVasc Thorac Surg (2012)15(3):484-8. PMID: 22634472
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Is there benefit in smoking cessation prior to cardiac surgery?
Sepehripour AH, Lo TTH, McCormack DJ, Shipolini AR.
Interact CardioVasc Thorac Surg (2012) 15(4):726-32. PMID: 22761116
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Which stages of Thymoma benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy post thymectomy?
Attaran S, McCormack DJ, Pilling J, Harrison-Phipps K.
Interact CardioVasc Thorac Surg (2012)15(2):273-5. PMID: 22552797
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Is anticoagulation required with usage of intra-aortic balloon pump counterpulsation?
Pucher PH, Cummings IG, Shipolini AR, McCormack DJ.
Interact CardioVasc Thorac Surg (2012) 15(1):136-139. PMID: 22495506
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Are intracostal sutures better than pericostal sutures for closing a thoracotomy?
Visagan R, McCormack DJ, Shipolini AR, Jarral OA.
Interact CardioVasc Thorac Surg. (2012)14(6):807-815. PMID: 22431654
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What is the role of screening in the management of abdominal aortic aneurysms?
Dabare D, Lo TTH, McCormack DJ, Kung VWS.
Interact CardioVasc Thorac Surg (2012) 14(4): 399-405. PMID: 22268069
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Does Posterior Pericardiotomy Reduce the Incidence of Atrial Fibrillation after Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Surgery?
Kaleda VI, McCormack DJ, Shipolini AR.
Interact CardioVasc Thorac Surg (2012) 14(4): 384-389. PMID: 22235005
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Does a ‘no-touch’ technique result in better vein patency?
Sepehripour AH, Jarral OJ, Shipolini AR, McCormack DJ.
Interact CardioVasc Thorac Surg (2011) 13(6): 626-630. PMID: 21908888
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Does video assisted mediastinoscopy have better lymph node yield and safety profile than conventional mediastinoscopy?
Adebibe M, Jarral OA, Shipolini AR, McCormack DJ.
Interact CardioVasc Thorac Surg (2012) 14(3): 316-319. PMID: 22159246
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Is it safe to perform coronary angiography during acute endocarditis? Kung VC, Jarral OA, Shipolini AR, McCormack DJ.
Interact CardioVasc Thorac Surg (2011); 13(2):158-167. PMID: 21602418
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Does the nerve of Kuntz exist?
McCormack AC, Jarral OA, Shipolini AR, McCormack DJ.
Interact CardioVasc Thorac Surg (2011) 13(2): 175-178. PMID: 21602419
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Should surgeons scrub with chlorhexidine or iodine prior to surgery? Jarral OA, McCormack DJ, Ibrahim S, Shipolini A.
Interact CardioVasc Thorac Surg (2011) 12:1017-1021. PMID: 21362729
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Should a patent foramen ovale found incidentally during isolated coronary surgery be closed?
Lo T, Jarral OA, Shipolini A, McCormack DJ.
Interact CardioVasc Thorac Surg (2011)12:794-798. PMID: 21345819
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Time of Flight Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Trap for the Unwary. Corfield L, Speirs A, McCormack DJ, Waltham M.
European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery 2010; 39 (5): 659
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A 27-Year-Old Man Presenting With Acute Chest Pain And Dyspnoea. Abbas A, Richmond N, McCormack DJ, Theva B, Reddy S, Davies C, Pilling J.
Chest 2009;135:1684-1687. PMID: 19497905
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Readmission and overstay after day case nasal surgery.
Singh G, McCormack DJ, Roberts D.
BMC Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders 2004,4:2. PMID: 15500692
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Bacterial colonization of stethoscopes and the effect of cleaning.
Cohen SR, McCormack DJ, Youkhana A, Wall R.
J. Hosp. Infect. 2003; 55 (3): 236-237. PMID: 14572494