Heart Appeal in association with Skechers

We are raising €80,000 for the Cardiology Department at St. James’s Hospital to support their minimally invasive heart surgery programme

With your generous help, we aim to fund specialist equipment.

The technology will help to make heart procedures simpler, safer and swifter for patients.

How does minimally invasive surgery work?

A small opening is made in the right chest, through which the heart is visualised with a tiny camera.

Images of the heart are then transmitted onto a video screen beside the operating table.  Long, slender tools are then used to reach into the patient’s body and complete the procedure.

What are the benefits of minimally invasive surgery?

Patients do not have to undergo open heart surgery, which in turn means they can get back to normal life far sooner.

Benefits include reduced pain, reduced blood loss, reduced risk of infection, faster recovery, shorter hospital stay and less scarring.

‘It shouldn’t be only if you have money or health insurance that you have a choice’  – Read patient Jay Shah’s story in the Irish Times below.

About St. James’s Hospital / Cardiology Department

• Michael Tolan, cardio-thoracic consultant, is pioneering the way on minimally invasive heart surgery in Ireland

• The Cardiology Department is one of the leading cardiac departments in the country

• It is at the forefront of using the latest techniques and technologies to enhance the care of cardiac patients