Kingsbridge Healthcare Group welcomes patients to Northern Ireland first private Cath Lab – The Irish News

irishnews.com · Feb 27, 2026 · Collected from GDELT

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Sponsored by KingsbridgeKingsbridge Private Hospital Group is continuing the rapid expansion of its award-winning healthcare provision with the opening of a Catheterisation Lab at its Lisburn Road, Belfast facility. The Cath Lab, which opened at the end of January, provides minimally invasive procedures to diagnose and treat heart rhythm disorders and coronary artery disease. At its helm is a top-tier team of coronary care professionals, including Consultant Cardiologist Professor Aaron Peace who describes how opening a pioneering Cath Lab, such as this one, “is no mean feat”. “It truly is a state-of-the-art facility at the forefront of technology,” he enthuses. “It is spearheaded by a really great team and despite only opening our doors in January, we have already welcomed patients from all reaches of Northern Ireland.”Professor Peace – who has extensive experience working across Europe including ten years in the Republic of Ireland – adds: “The concept of a private Cath Lab is a well trodden path there, but this is a first for Northern Ireland. Despite some variation, waiting lists are unfortunately significant across all of the health trusts here. “This private facility is hugely beneficial for the whole population from the point of view of traditional access points. Patients who can pay or have health insurance will inevitably help free up the piling NHS list.”Read More: ‘My eyesight was holding me back’: 60-year-old Co Antrim adventurer taking on volcano challenge seven weeks after ‘seamless’ surgeryThe Cath Lab is an elective setting, where patients can avail of a minimally invasive dye test to either diagnose or eliminate a range of conditions affecting the heart. “Patients might come citing chest/arm discomfort or breathlessness. Those descriptions of potential cardiac problems have been common since the time of ancient Egypt. But now we can get pictures in real time of blood supply to the heart,” explains Professor Peace.The formal name for that procedure is a “coronary angiogram” with Professor Peace explaining how transradial (catheter access via the wrist) has widely replaced transfemerol (via the leg) for the vast majority of patients who come in as a day case leaving two to fours hours afterwards. “We can look, in real time, for obstructions. Some patients will have normal results, some will show moderate disease while others will paint a more severe picture. We can assess location of disease and narrowings, and discuss these findings and the plan of treatment before they come back for a second procedure,” explains Peace.Many issues we can fix, and there is tremendous satisfaction in that— Consultant Cardiologist Professor Aaron PeaceDescribing the Radial Lounge and its comfortable reclining chairs, he adds: “In Amsterdam, patients came dressed casually – wearing maybe a t-shirt and jeans – and simply walked out shortly afterwards. We wanted to provide that same experience here. You are monitored in a very safe environment but one that is more welcoming and less daunting than the traditional hospital bed setting.“During the procedure in the Cath Lab, patients receive sedation which means their arm blood vessels are less likely to spasm and we can get the crucial information we need quicker.” The Cath Lab at Kingsbridge also provides comprehensive electrophysiology studies which looks at the heart’s electrical activity (rhythm disturbance etc) with Peace adding how it can be “exceptionally difficult to access that in Northern Ireland”.State-of-the-art facilities at Kingsbridge Private Hospital Group's new Cath Lab “More people still die from heart disease compared to all cancers combined,” adds Aaron. “But this is an extremely progressive field with an active research portfolio.” The Cardiologist muses: “Many issues we can fix, and there is tremendous satisfaction in that.“We can often give immediate relief. One day, they [the patient] mightn’t be able to enjoy a long walk along the river or the promenade but the next day, they can.” He reflects: “Our work is simple – it’s plumbing, electrics, pumps and values in a protective bag ‘the pericardium’.” And for Aaron, life-saving coronary interventions coupled with this period of active research makes his field of speciality a particularly exciting one. “Pharmacogenomics profiling” is one such area which looks at how a patient’s individual genetic profile affects their response to certain medications. He explains: “This allows for the personalisation of medicine. This knowledge can complement treatment and will see precision, effective, prescribing for coronary medicine. It is already happening in cancer care.”When it comes to heart health, the Cardiologist still ascribes to the age old philosophy that “prevention is better than cure” explaining: “North and south, around two thirds of people who suffer major heart attacks are smokers. For however many super active people we see experiencing major coronary events, we see thousands more who are smokers with high cholesterol, high obesity and low levels of activity.Consultant Cardiologist Professor Aaron Peace “Obesity and over reliance on processed food is a major issue in modern society. High blood pressure needs monitored and treated aggressively. People with high bad cholesterol need to get that down to reduce stroke risk, and those with diabetes need to ensure optimal sugar control. He explains: “None of us have a crystal ball, but we can assess risk. People can often obsess on their family history. Those are the cards you have been dealt. What you can do, is manage and treat those modifiable risks.”With a two bed ICU, and now a Cath Lab, Kingsbridge Healthcare Group can offer rapid access to a range of cardiology services from investigations and diagnostics, to treatment and surgery. Kingsbridge Private Hospital offers a “one-stop cardiology package” which includes: Consultant Report & Full Explanation of Results; Consultant Cardiologist Assessment & Physical Examination; ECG (Electrocardiogram); Exercise Stress Test / Echocardiogram / Event Monitor (depending on symptoms) and Blood Profile (if clinically indicated) all for £695kingsbridgeheartclinic.com