Alessia Rossi, MD, MBSS

I’m a Consultant Cardiac Surgeon practising at the Essex Cardiothoracic Centre leading the minimally invasive programme . I have a specialist interest in minimally invasive mitral valve repair and advanced valve surgery, alongside coronary artery bypass grafting, surgical AF ablation and complex adult cardiac procedures.
I graduated in Italy and undertook cardiothoracic training across leading European centres, gaining broad exposure to the full spectrum of adult cardiac surgery. Following the Completion of National Training Programme in Cardiac Surgery, Department of Cardiac Surgery University of Pavia, Italy I moved to UK with my partner and our son. I had the opportunity to join the Barts Heart Centre where I developed expertise in mitral valve repair, with a strong focus on minimally invasive techniques designed to reduce surgical trauma, enhance recovery and optimise long-term durability of repair.
In 2020, I was awarded the prestigious SCTS-Ionescu Non-NTN Surgical Travelling Fellowship from the Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery in Great Britain and Ireland. During this fellowship, I undertook advanced training in minimally invasive mitral valve surgery at Ospedale del Cuore G. Pasquinucci under Dr Marco Solinas, and in minimally invasive cardiac surgery at Lancisi Cardiovascular Centre under Professor Marco Di Eusanio. This fellowship also provided me exposure to transcatheter structural interventions, including Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) and transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER), further broadening my understanding of the full range of treatment options available to patients with valve disease.
I believe, therefore, to be in a strong position to provide balanced, tailored advice across surgical and transcatheter therapies, ensuring that each patient receives an individualised treatment recommendation based on clinical evidence and personal priorities.
I have led innovative service developments within cardiac surgery, including the implementation of remote monitoring pathways to enhance peri-operative safety and continuity of care after discharge. My practice combines surgical precision, modern minimally invasive approaches, and consultant-led multidisciplinary care, with a strong emphasis on achieving durable repair and excellent long-term outcomes.
I’m committed to maintaining the highest standards of clinical governance, safety and transparency in her practice.

I support the MyCareQuestions movement because cardiac surgery decisions should never feel like something being done to a patient, but something carefully discussed with them.

Many patients arrive at consultation anxious, overwhelmed, and unsure what to ask. MyCareQuestions helps them prepare, understand their options, and take part in a more meaningful conversation about risks, benefits, timing, alternatives, and long-term outcomes.

My aim is to encourage patients to feel informed, listened to, and confident enough to ask the questions that matter most to them. Better prepared patients lead to better consultations, stronger trust, and more personalised care. This patient-education focus also sits well with the wider healthtech principle that healthcare professionals should make independent treatment decisions in the patient’s best interests.

A good cardiac surgery consultation isn’t just a clear explanation, but a two-way conversation instead where clinical expertise and patient priorities genuinely meet. During the consultation, the patient needs to understand the condition, explore personalised options and align expectations and values. In my opinion a good consultation moves through four quiet phases: Listen, Explain, Explore and Agree. When that happens well, patients don’t just leave informed, they leave reassured, involved and confident with the plan, which in cardiac surgery is just as important as the operation itself. The patient should also be able to leave and explain their condition to a family member in a few sentences.