Steven Livesey received his undergraduate training at Manchester University graduating MB, ChB in 1979. He trained in Cardiothoracic Surgery in Papworth, St. Georges and Middlesex Hospitals before becoming Senior Registrar at the Royal Brompton and National Heart Hospitals in London from 1987 to 1989. From 1989 to 1990, he was a Fellow at Duke University, North Carolina, USA. On return to the United Kingdom he went to Southampton as a Consultant Cardiac Surgeon. He has performed over 7500 open heart operations including some 2000 mitral valve operations.