Abstract
The total work load of the sole cardiac surgery unit in South Australia has been analysed by means of a computer-based data retrieval system. The review covers the period 1949--75 inclusive. This study analyses the case-loads year by year, in total, and in different diagnostic categories, and has allowed conclusions to be drawn about surgical needs relative to population figures. From these figures future trends in requirements for cardiac surgical facilities have been deduced. There are many lessons to be learnt by maintaining an easily recoverable set of data for all the surgery performed in any cardiac surgery unit. This type of analysis makes it possible to maintain surveillance of demands on resources and of the results of the surgery performed. Because of the structure and situation of the community of South Australia and the fact that it is served by a single open heart unit, the pattern of this series may truly represent the optimum cardiac surgery case-load for any modern westernised community of comparable size.