Staff Profile
Enoch Akowuah
Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer
My research focuses on the role of keyhole techniques to improve the clinical effectiveness of cardiac surgery. I published the NIHR funded MAVRIC trial, the largest ever RCT in minimally invasive aortic valve surgery, in the high impact Journal of The American College of Cardiology. It established for the first time, the safety of the technique and has driven clinical uptake. It was cited in the draft National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline for Heart valve Disease Presenting in Adults, published March 2021, as one of the key articles supporting a new recommendation that all patients should be offered minimally invasive valve surgery if suitable.
I continue to lead the £1.6M multicentre NIHR funded UK mini mitral trial, the largest ever trial comparing keyhole and open techniques for mitral valve surgery. The trial has completed recruitment and will be published in 2022. The findings will immediately impact international guidelines and practice
My research also seeks to improve patient’s outcomes by increasing patients' input in their care. I lead the £250,000 PREPs trial funded by Heart Research UK investigating the efficacy and safety of exercise in patients due to undergo heart surgery (pre-habilitation). Prehabilitation was 4th of 10 research priorities identified by nearly 700 patients and carers who took part in the James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership for adult cardiac surgery. I designed this research trial to meet this expressed need, and patients and clinicians eagerly await the findings.
Along with colleagues, in August 2021, I was awarded a £140,000 Program Development Grant by the NIHR to undertake further feasibility research on factors which will facilitate wider adoption of prehabilitation in cardiac surgery patients. Together, these two projects will enable application for funding for a large multi-centre clinical trial to assess the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of prehabilitation.
I co-led the £250K NIHR funded FARSTER study which investigated the role of early exercise after heart surgery. This feasibility trial (delivered across the North East and Humberside) established that the clinical pathway after surgery could be significantly shortened whilst achieving significant cost saving for the NHS. A large UK multicentre clinical and cost effectiveness RCT is planned.
2021
National Institute of Healthcare Research Programme Development Grant-£143,000
Prehabilitation before cardiac surgery in the UK (CARDIAC PREHAB-UK)
Co-applicant
2019
Heart Research UK - £250,000
Pre operative rehabilitation to improve clinical outcomes and cost effectiveness in elderly patients undergoing cardiac surgery -PREPs Trial
Chief Investigator
2018
National Institute of Healthcare Research (NIHR- EME) – £1.2 Million
Carbon Dioxide Insufflation and Brain Protection During Open Heart Surgery. A Randomized Controlled Trial
Co-applicant
The British Heart Foundation -£2.7 Million
The Early surgery in severe ASYmptomatic Aortic Stenosis trial- EASY-AS -
Co-applicant
Madela AG-£10,000
Enhanced recovery after cardiac surgery
Chief Investigator
Research Capability funding (NIHR/South TEES)- £25,000
Prevalence of iron restriction in patients undergoing aortic valve replacement and coronary artery bypass surgery
Chief Investigator
National Institute of Healthcare Research (RfPB grant) - £280,000
Feasibility Study of Early Outpatient Review and Early Cardiac Rehabilitation After Cardiac Surgery
Co-applicant
2017
Research Capability funding (NIHR/South TEES)- £25,000
Blood transfusion after aortic valve replacement; does transfusion have a negative effect on mortality and morbidity outcomes ?
Chief Investigator
2016
Research Capability funding (NIHR/South TEES)- £25000
Impact of minimally invasive surgery on markers of inflammation and platelet activation
Chief Investigator
2015
National Institute of Healthcare Research (HTA program) - £1.6 Million
Minimally invasive thoracoscopically-guided right minithoracotomy versus conventional sternotomy for mitral valve repair: a multicentre randomised controlled trial
Chief Investigator
2013
National Institute of Healthcare Research (RfPB grant) - £360,000
Manubrium-limited ministernotomy versus conventional sternotomy for aortic valve replacement: a randomised controlled trial (MAVRIC).
Chief Investigator
- Bayliss CD, Maier RH, Kasim A, Hancock H, Akowuah E. . Heart, Lung and Circulation 2021, 30(6), 909-916.
- Wagnild JM, Akowuah E, Maier RH, Hancock HC, Kasim A. . BMJ Open 2021, 11(9), e049202.
- Maier RH, Kasim AS, Zacharias J, Vale L, Graham R, Walker A, Laskawski G, Deshpande R, Goodwin A, Kendall S, Murphy GJ, Zamvar V, Pessotto R, Lloyd C, Dalrymple-Hay M, Casula R, Vohra HA, Ciulli F, Caputo M, Stoica S, Baghai M, Niranjan G, Punjabi PP, Wendler O, Marsay L, Fernandez-Garcia C, Modi P, Kirmani BH, Pullan MD, Muir AD, Pousios D, Hancock HC, Akowuah E. . BMJ Open 2021, 11(4), e047676.
- Hancock HC, Maier RH, Kasim A, Mason J, Murphy G, Goodwin A, Owens WA, Akowuah E. . BMJ Open 2021, 11(1), e041398.
- Hancock HC, Maier R, Kasim AS, Mason JM, Murphy GJ, Goodwin A, Owens WA, Kirmani B, Akowuah EF. . Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC) 2019, 73(19), 2487-2492.