Dr Francesco Pirone
Consultant Cardiac Surgeon Head of Department – Cardiothoracic Surgery, Waikato Hospital
Dr Francesco Pirone is an internationally trained Consultant Cardiac Surgeon with more than 15 years of operative experience in adult cardiac surgery across New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Europe. He is the Head of Department for Cardiothoracic Surgery at Health New Zealand – Waikato and a leading surgeon in New Zealand, he consults privately at Cardiac Services in Hamilton.
Dr Pirone specialises in complex adult cardiac surgery, with particular expertise in minimally invasive valve surgery, aortic surgery, mitral valve repair, structural heart interventions, and transcatheter therapies including TAVI. He also has extensive experience in mechanical circulatory support, and thoracic organ transplantation.
Having performed more than 2,000 cardiac procedures as a consultant surgeon, Dr Pirone is recognised for delivering highly specialised care using advanced surgical and transcatheter techniques tailored to each patient’s individual needs. His practice is focused on achieving excellent clinical outcomes while maintaining a patient-centred, compassionate, and collaborative approach to care.
At the age of 33, Dr Pirone was appointed Consultant Cardiac Surgeon at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, becoming one of the youngest consultant cardiac surgeons appointed in the United Kingdom. Prior to relocating to New Zealand, he held consultant and specialist appointments at several leading UK cardiac centres, including Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Manchester Royal Infirmary, and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. He completed advanced fellowships in cardiac surgery and minimally invasive aortic surgery in London and Brighton.
In addition to his clinical work, Dr Pirone is actively involved in surgical education, governance, quality improvement, and research. He has authored more than 30 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters and has participated in major international clinical trials involving structural heart and transcatheter therapies. He is a regular invited faculty member and speaker at leading international cardiothoracic meetings, including European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, American Association for Thoracic Surgery, PCR, and ISMICS.
Dr Pirone has a strong commitment to surgical education and mentorship and has trained fellows, registrars, and junior doctors at multiple stages of their careers. He continues to contribute to the development of future cardiac surgeons through simulation-based education, wet-lab training, and international mentoring programmes. He is also actively involved in service development, clinical governance, outcomes benchmarking, and improving equitable access to advanced cardiac care within New Zealand.
Dr Pirone works closely with a multidisciplinary team of private specialists, including cardiac anaesthetists, intensivists, and cardiologists, to provide patients with comprehensive and
individualised cardiac care. His collaborative approach ensures that each patient receives the most appropriate and advanced treatment for their cardiac condition.
Dr Pirone is committed to advancing cardiac surgical services in New Zealand and providing patients with access to modern, evidence-based, and compassionate cardiac care. He offers private consultations at Cardiac Services in Hamilton and performs surgery for private patients at Braemar Hospital in Hamilton.
Procedures Offered
- Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with intraoperative functional assessment
- Beating-heart (off-pump) coronary artery bypass surgery
- Total arterial coronary revascularisation
- Minimally invasive aortic valve replacement
- Aortic root surgery and root enlargement procedures
- Transcatheter aortic valve explant
- Complex mitral valve repair
- Mitral valve replacement
- Tricuspid and pulmonary valve surgery
- Surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation and left atrial appendage occlusion
- Cardiac tumour surgery
- Repair of sternal malunion and sternal wire removal