€2m cath labs boost access to cardiac care at UHL

• Project supported by Munster Heart Foundation & JP McManus Pro-Am.
• Labs create capacity for treatment of up to 5,000 cardiology patients a year.

The new catheterisation laboratories (cath labs) at University Hospital Limerick are driving significant improvements to cardiology services in the region, creating the capacity for a 54% increase in cardiology procedures per year and access to procedures never before available in the Mid West.

The units replace dated existing equipment with two new Azurion 7 x-ray machines. The €2m capital costs were partly met by the HSE, along with a €1.65m contribution raised by the Munster Heart Foundation through supporter donations and a successful grant application to the JP McManus Pro-Am.

The most modern cath labs in the country, these units have the capacity to provide up to 20 additional cardiology sessions per week, up to 1,750 more per year than was possible previously.

The laser-guided therapy technology allows for higher imaging quality, management of more complex cases here in the Mid West, and greater safety for cardiologists who are exposed to higher radiation doses than any other healthcare worker.

The new facilities will further enhance UHL’S capacity as a nationally-designated 24/7 primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) centre. UHL is already one of Ireland’s best-performing centres for care of patients with STEMI heart attacks, which are among the most serious of coronary events. UHL was one of the first participating regional hospitals in the national roll-out of STEMI services in 2013. Over the past 12 years, UHL has maintained successful outcomes for STEMI patients that are on a par with and often surpass those in the rest of the country. The past three annual NOCA audits confirm that UHL is the best-performing hospital in meeting the national target of 120 minutes for reperfusion of patients admitted directly. Timely treatment is associated with reduced patient mortality.

New procedures available include renal arterial denervation (RAD) for life-threatening hypertension, currently being trialled, and structural procedures such as cardiac valve replacement. The new labs also create the capacity for future provision of electrophysiology procedures for complex arrhythmias and other electrical activities of the heart.

The new labs are a major step forward in tackling waiting lists for procedures and wait times for routine outpatient appointments. This means fewer referrals outside the region or to the private sector, and less reliance on lifelong drug therapies for conditions not surgically treated.

Ann O’Rourke (73) who lives on the outskirts of Limerick city, was the first patient to undergo renal arterial denervation in UHL in June 2024, as part of the clinical trial of the procedure being led by consultant cardiologist Dr Cormac O’Connor. More than eight months on, she is enjoying a life free of blood pressure medication.

“I’d never heard of renal arterial denervation before, and I decided to go with it, as I’d been taking the medication since 2018 and had these problems with my legs ever since,” Ann said.

“Afterwards, I had to stay on my medication for three months before I was cleared to stop taking it, and I’ve been off it ever since. It’s fantastic that the procedure is available here. It was a straightforward procedure, with just an overnight in the hospital for observation, and—the top priority for me—it got me off the medication,” she said.

For Pallasgreen, Co Limerick resident Marianne Ward, being able to undergo renal arterial denervation without the necessity of travelling elsewhere in the country has been a life-changing experience.

Marianne (43) is on a complex regimen of medication for other conditions, to which high blood pressure was an added complication. “Honestly, I didn’t realise that I had high blood pressure. I thought I had ‘white coat syndrome’, as it was always very high in the clinic, but obviously, it was very serious.”

Following RAD at UHL in November 2024, Marianne’s high blood pressure had stabilised at the follow-up appointment, and it has remained so ever since with the aid of her medication. “It was straightforward, and the new lab is lovely. I slept through the procedure, with just an overnight in hospital, and everything’s back to normal, thank God. I would recommend anybody to go through it. If I’d kept going the way I was, I was going to end up dead, and I think if I’d had to travel to get the procedure, you wouldn’t be talking to me today.”

Other local breakthroughs include the region’s first implantation of a left-bundle branch area pacemaker (LBBAP) by Dr Terry Hennessy and Dr Jawad Zaman. The LBBAP is a small device implanted in the chest to help the left ventricle of the heart to pump better, and offers increased complexity of care for patients with heart failure who are suitable for the device. The procedure enhances UHL’s ongoing development in the complex management of chronic heart failure patients, which has continued most recently with the appointment of Dr Neasa Starr, who has a specific interest in the care of these patients.

Dr Cormac O’Connor, Consultant Cardiologist, UHL, said:

Barry Long, board member of the Munster Heart Foundation, said: “At the Munster Heart Foundation, our mission is to improve the care of individuals in the Mid West. We want to express our gratitude to all of our supporters who have contributed to our fundraising efforts over the past five years. We extend a special thank you to the JP McManus Pro-Am Committee; without their grant application route we would not have achieved such significant advancements in cardiac and other advanced procedures now available to everyone in the Mid West and beyond.