Welcome to this podcast from the Medical Journal of Australia.

My name is Sally Block, the MJA’s news and online editor.

“The MJA acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land on which we live and work across Australia. This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation I pay my respects to their Elders past and present.”

The MJA has recently published the Australian Clinical Guideline for Diagnosing and Managing Acute Coronary Syndromes 2025.

Professor Garry Jennings AO has a distinguished career as a cardiologist in clinical practice and was previously Director of Cardiology at The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, and Chair of the Division of Medicine. He is the Heart Foundation’s Chief Medical Advisor.

Professor Jennings is a co-author of the Guideline and joins me now.

Welcome to this podcast from the Medical Journal of Australia.

My name is Sally Block, the MJA’s news and online editor.

“The MJA acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land on which we live and work across Australia. This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. I pay my respects to their Elders past and present.”

Today we will be talking about a type of trauma that generally can’t be seen by the eye.

Complex trauma is defined as repeated, ongoing, and often extreme interpersonal trauma (between people) – and it can involve violence, abuse, neglect or exploitation experienced as a child, young person and adult.

The Blue Knot Foundation is a National Centre of Excellence for Complex Trauma.

Joining me today is the Foundation’s President and Managing Director Dr. Cathy Kezelman AM to talk about complex trauma and how clinicians can help patients who are affected by it.

Today we are exploring Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion or LAAO Therapy.

We explore the clinical rationale, patient selection, referral pathways and key considerations for LAAO. and aim to understand the therapy as an option for patients who are unsuitable for long term anticoagulation therapy.

This is a sponsored podcast.

A/Prof Pankaj Jain is an academic interventional cardiologist with appointments at Royal Prince Alfred, Concord, and Macquarie University Hospitals. He is a Clinical Senior Lecturer at the University of Sydney, and Conjoint Senior Lecturer at the University of New South Wales. His interests include complex coronary and structural heart interventions, and mechanical support devices for heart failure.

Dr Ata Doost is an Interventional Cardiologist. He completed his training at various hospitals throughout Australia and undertook his speciality fellowship training at Kings College Hospital in London He has appointments at Macquarie University Hospital and National Capital Private & Calvary Bruce Hospitals in Canberra and is a Senior Clinical lecturer at Macquarie University Medical School. Dr Doost has performed thousands of cardiac catheterisations and has extensive experience in structural heart procedures. He specialises in coronary interventions, advanced imaging, and valve therapies including TAVI and MitraClip.