Ms Hassiba Smail is a consultant in cardio-thoracic surgery, mechanical circulatory support and transplantation at Royal Papworth Hospital.
She has extensive experience in adult and pediatric cardiac surgery, organ retrieval, transplantation, and mechanical assist devices, complemented by a strong background in research, teaching, and academia. Her career has been dedicated to transplantation and mechanical circulatory support (MCS).
Her training in cardiothoracic surgery was preceded by thoracic, vascular, and general surgery, providing a comprehensive foundation for a holistic approach to the specialty. This training encompassed valve replacement and repair, including minimally invasive techniques, coronary surgery, aortic surgery, and emergency cardiac interventions such as aortic dissection. Additionally, Ms Smail gained expertise in pediatric and adult congenital surgery, performing redo procedures and managing complex congenital cases, including end-stage heart failure.
Parallel to her cardiothoracic training, she developed a strong focus on heart and lung failure treatments, with a particular interest in lung transplantation. In 2014, Ms Smail received a fellowship to Australia to specialize in donation after circulatory death (DCD) lung transplantation, covering the entire process from assessment to implantation.
After obtaining full registration in cardiothoracic surgery with the GMC, Ms Smail continued her career at Harefield Hospital in 2016, gaining expertise in advanced technologies such as ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP), organ care systems (OCS), and various mechanical circulatory support devices. She actively participated in the NORS rota, contributing to heart and lung retrievals while developing a deeper understanding of NHS values and decision-making in clinical and managerial contexts.
In September 2020, Ms Smail was appointed as a locum consultant cardiac and transplant surgeon across three institutions - Harefield, Wythenshawe, and Royal Papworth - enhancing her expertise in surgical and managerial skills while fostering transplant collaborations. As a local lead for heart utilization, Ms Smail is committed to optimizing organ use by training retrieval teams and implementing organ perfusion and assessment techniques such as OCS and EVLP.
- Optimise Organ utilisation by using Machine perfusion: EVLP and OCS
- Organ preservation and transport: SherpaPak, LungGuard, X vivo warm perfusion
- Procurement techniques during DCD with abdominal normothermic regional perfusion
- Use of new technology for organ assessment (Lung ultrasound, thermography)
- Creating a national collaboration in organ assessment EVLP (Hub recovery lung centre)
- Mechanical circulatory support bridge to transplant
- Surgery in heart failure, Redo surgery for LVAD explant, exchange, and transplant
- Transplantation and MCS in adult congenital patients
- Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland (SCTS).
- International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT).
- European society of transplantation
- 2016 - Cardiothoracic surgery qualification, University of Medicine, Rouen, France
- 2008 - Primary medical qualification (MD) University of Medicine, Paris XIII, France
Magdi H. Yacoub , Yuan-Tsan Tseng , Jolanda Kluin , Annemijn Vis , Ulrich Stock , Hassiba Smail et al: Valvulogenesis of a living, innervated pulmonary root induced by an acellular scaffold, Communication biology .2023 Oct 7;6(1):1017.
Richard E. Jones, Anja V. Gruszczyk, Christina Schmidt , Daniel J. Hammersley , Lukas Mach, Hassiba Smail , Anthony De-Souza , Ulrich Stock et al :Assessment of left ventricular tissue mitochondrial bioenergetics in patients with stable coronary artery disease. Nature cardiovascular research volume 2, pages 733–745 (2023).
Schuler S, Bowles TC, Hinkel R, Fischer J, Reiser J, De Vaal H, Wildhirt, Smail H, U.Stock : A novel intra-pericardial pulsatile device for individualized, biventricular circulatory support without direct blood contact: The impact of precise electro-mechanical synchronization on hemodynamic performance . Journal of Cardiothoracic and vascular surgery 2023(4):1119-1129.e1.
Day E, Fiorentino F, Abdelkhalek M, Smail H, et al. Cardiac surgery during and before the COVID-19 pandemic: a propensity matched study of outcomes at six months The experience at Harefield Hospital, a regional centre in London, UK. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 2022 Sep;115(9):341-347
Mohite PN, Sef D, Umakumar K, Maunz O, Smail H, Stock U. utilisation of paragonix Sherpapak for human donor heart preservation. Multimed Man Cardiothorac Surg. 2021 Jun 16;2021
Mohite PN, Umakumar K, Maunz O, Jothidasan A, Zych B, Smail H, Garcia Saez D, Simon AR: Ex vivo lung perfusion made easy. Multimed Man Cardiothorac Surg. 2021 Mar 23;2021.
Smail H, Stock UA, De Robertis F, et al . Cardiac surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic: from vita minima to recovery. Br J Surg. 2020 Aug 26. doi: 10.1002/bjs.11941.
H. Smail, H.Ahmed, C. Bowels , et al : Impaired baseline renal function may not influence long term function and survival After LVAD. Ann Thorac Surg. 2020 Jul 19:S0003-4975(20)31181-4.
Monteagudo Maria, Fernando Riesgo-Gil, H. Smail, Diana García-Saez, Bass Hassan, André Simon. Cardiac tumors invading the right ventricle; Aggressive Surgical Management with backup mechanical circulatory support if necessary, Surgical Oncology, Volume 34, 1 January 2020
H.Smail , M. Monteagudo-Vera, U. Stock, A. Simon: Total Artificial Heart Implantation after Right Ventricular Intimal Spindle Cell Sarcoma. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2019 Nov 1;56(5):1014-1015.
H. Smail, U.Stock , A. Simon. Hybrid Treatment of Aortic Valve Regurgitation and Severe Right Heart Failure 22 years after Heterotopic Heart Transplantation. Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg. 2019 Apr 1;28(4):647-649.
H.Smail, D.Garcia Saez, U.Stock, et al , Direct Heart Procurement following Donation after Circulatory Death
H. Smail, P. Saxena, A. Wallinder , E, G I. Snell , SF. Marasco , D C. McGiffin . Donor Lung Procurement by Surgical Fellow with an Expectation of High Rate of Lung Utilisation. Review. Heart and lung circulation. 2018 Aug;27(8):961-966.
Nikhil Sabharwal, Harmanjit Dev, H. Smail, David C. McGiffin, Pankaj Saxena, Nina Braunwald: A Female Pioneer in Cardiac Surgery. Tex Heart Inst J 2017;44(2):96-100 .
PY. Litzler, H.Smail Transapical aortic valve replacement: A simplified Technique Operative Techniques in Thoracic and Cardiovasculal Surgery 2017:21 (2) 89-111.
P.Saxena, H.Smail, DC.McGiffin. Surgical Techniques of Pulmonary Embolectomy for acute Pulmonary Embolism: Operative Techniques in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2017:21 (2) 80-88.
Saxena P, H.Smail, Yong MS, Fitzgerald M.Pleural drain management , Time to develop standard protocol. Anz J Surg 2016; 86 (11):953-954
H.Smail, P. Saxena, M S. Yong, A D. Zimmet, D C. McGiffin. Reconstruction of the aortic root in destructive endocarditis: Operative Techniques in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2015:20 (4) 336-54.
. Smail, J-M baste, A Gay, et al : Role of Inflammatory Cells and Adenosine in Lung Ischemia Reperfusion Injury using a Model of Lung Donation after Cardiac Death. Experimental lung research, 2016 Apr;42(3):131-41.
Matthew S Yong, H. Smail, Pankaj Saxena,: Management of incidental papillary fibroelastoma: An update, International Journal of Cardiology. 2016 Jul 26; 215:338.
