Assoc Prof Andrew Cochrane - Cardiothoracic Surgeon
Andrew Cochrane is a cardiothoracic surgeon, with 24 years of consultant experience in both adult and paediatric Cardiothoracic surgery. He undertook his advanced training at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, Alfred Hospital, Royal Children’s Hospital, and in the United Kingdom.
His initial consultant position was at Prince Charles Hospital in Brisbane for 2 years. He was a consultant cardiac surgeon at the Royal Children’s Hospital from 1995 to 2008, and he has been a staff surgeon at Monash Medical Centre since 2003, where he has developed a new Adolescent & Adult Congenital Heart Surgery program, for patients who require either initial or on-going surgery of heart defects present since birth. However, he enjoys managing all aspects of both adult and paediatric cardiac surgical care, and thoracic surgical problems (with an interest in chest wall / pectus deformities).
Andrew has been involved in many charitable cardiac teams over the last decade, with a total of over 20 trips to diverse areas (Fiji, Vanuatu, PNG, Myanmar) including nine annual trips to East Timor since 2003. He regularly performs charitable operations for patients brought to Australia by ROMAC and Children First Foundation. He has established a philanthropic fund, the East Timor Support Fund, through the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, to provide equipment and support for the Dili National Hospital. He is Deputy Chair of the Board of the Bairo Pite Clinic in Dili, and a board member of East Timor Hearts organization. He received the Order of Australia (AM) in 2012 for his services to surgery, in particular involving overseas work. He is actively involved in many committees of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, and was Chair of the Victorian State Committee of the College for 2006-2008, during which time the Victorian Audit of Surgical Mortality (VASM) was established. Andrew is currently Deputy Chair of the Cardiothoracic Board, a member of the ASSET course committee, and a member of the VASM Committee, and the RACS representative on the AMA Victoria council. He has extensive involvement in surgical training, directing or teaching on the ASSET, CCrISP and CLEAR courses for the College, and runs the annual Cardiothoracic Trainees Course. He is chair of the Science and Education committee of the Australian Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons (ANZSCTS). He is a co-author of 100 peer-reviewed journal articles, an editor of the journal Heart Lung & Circulation, and reviewer for several journals. He is an Associate Professor at Monash University, and has a number of research interests, regularly supervising student or Masters research projects. He has done a Master of Public Health (majoring in Health Economics / Economic Evaluation) and Master of Epidemiology at the University of Melbourne and completed a part-time MBA / M. Health Services Mgt through Monash University in 2014.