Dr Kevin O’Gallagher
Consultant Cardiologist in London providing world class heart care
Dr O’Gallagher is a private cardiologist in London. He has expertise in treating a wide range of cardiac conditions, including chest pain, palpitations, and breathlessness.
Working in top London heart hospitals, he is a specialist in interventional cardiology, using state-of-the art techniques to treat patients with angina and heart attacks.
Dr O’Gallagher is an expert in cardiac prevention, using the latest treatments to manage cardiac risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity. In patients who have already had a heart attack, Dr O’Gallagher seeks to drive down the risk of a further heart attack to as low as possible.
Dr O’Gallagher treats every patient with care, compassion and respect. He ensures that every patient has an personalised management plan that works for the patient as an individual.
Dr O’Gallagher is recognised by all major private health insurers, including: BUPA, AXA, WPA, AVIVA, Allianz, Cigna.
Clinical expertise
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There are many causes of chest pains, but when patients experience chest pains, it is natural for them to be concerned about the heart.
Dr O’Gallagher is experienced in the assessment of chest pains and will select the most appropriate tests to make a diagnosis as part of a personalised investigation plan.
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Breathlessness is a common symptom of heart disease, including heart valve disease and heart failure.
It is important to distinguish breathlessness due to heart disease from other causes, such as lungs/airways disease, anaemia etc.
Dr O’Gallagher is experienced in the assessment of breathlessness and will select the most appropriate tests to make a diagnosis as part of a personalised investigation plan.
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Depending on what the patient is experiencing, the term ‘palpitations’ can be used to describe a range of symptoms, including heart beats that are fast or slow; irregular rhtyhms; missed beats and/or forceful beats.
Palpitations can be extremely worrying for patients. Although many cases of palpitations occur without any underlying heart disease, there are possible dangerous causes of palpitations so prompt testing is required where appropriate.
Dr O’Gallagher is experienced in the assessment of palpitations and will select the most appropriate tests to make a diagnosis as part of a personalised investigation plan.
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There are many causes of chest pains, but when patients experience chest pains, it is natural for them to be concerned about the heart.
Dr O’Gallagher is experienced in the diagnosis and investigations of chest pains.
For those patients in whom the chest pain is felt to be due to narrowing of the heart arteries (“angina”), Dr O’Gallagher is a skilled, high-volume, interventional cardiologist. He uses state-of-the-art techniques and equipment to perform individualised, precision coronary intervention (‘stenting’).
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High blood pressure - also called hypertension - often has no symptoms and is only identified at a health check. It is important to recognise and treat appropriate because it contributes to one’s risk of future heart attack and stroke.
Dr O’Gallagher will advise on the assessment and treatment of high blood pressure, as well as how lifestyle factors such as diet, weight, alcohol and exercise can be addressed to help improve blood pressure.
Most patients don’t have any underlying cause of high blood pressure (“essential hypertension”), but in those who might have (“secondary hypertension”), Dr O’Gallagher will arrange the relevant tests to identify and treat the underlying cause.
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High cholesterol is an important risk factor for the development of heart artery disease. Patients are unlikely to have any symptoms of high cholesterol and it is usually picked up incidentally e.g. on health screening.
Having high cholesterol does not automatically mean a patient should take cholesterol-lowering medication, with the decision involving careful consideration of risk of future cardiovascular disease.
Dr O’Gallagher is skilled in the management of high cholesterol and uses state-of-the-art medications to ensure his patients receive the best treatment possible.
Sometimes, very high levels of cholesterol can indicate an inherited cause. Dr O’Gallagher works closely with colleagues to enable access to genetic testing for the small proportion of patients who require it.
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Heart valve disease is when one or more of the valves in the heart does not work properly, leading to abnormal blood flow through the heart. This can present in a number of ways, including breathlessness and leg swelling. Heart valve disease is often identified by hearing a ‘murmur’ through a stethoscope.
The most common test required to identify and evaluate heart valve disease is a heart ultrasound scan (transthoracic echocardiogram).
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Dr O’Gallagher believes very strongly that much can be done to prevent heart disease occurring, especially in patients in whom a risk factor has been identified e.g. high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or a strong family history.
Dr O’Gallagher will advise patients on how best to decrease their risk of future heart disease. This may require medications, but optimising lifestyle factors is usually the starting point.
Lifestyle is a very important part of cardiovascular risk reduction. Patients will receive advice on a range of factors, including diet and exercise.
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In patients who have already had a heart attack, there is much that can be done to suppress the risk of the patient having another heart attack (or stroke) in their lifetime.
Dr O’Gallagher uses the most sophisticated methods of estimating risk and the most state-of-the-art medications to drive down risk as low as possible.
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Smartphones and wearables collect large amounts of health data and can sometimes alert the user of abnormal results and possible underlying health issues. This can be very concerning for patients, especially if they don’t have any symptoms.
Dr O’Gallagher will take the time to go through the smartphone/wearable data and provide personalised advice, including whether any tests or treatments are required.
If you require further information on heart disease, you can find many useful resources on the British Heart Foundation Website: https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport
Your patient journey
Initial appointment: £250
Follow-up appointment: £175
Initial Consultation
At your initial consultant, Dr O’Gallagher will perform a comprehensive assessment, including a detailed clinical history, examination and review of any tests that have already been carried out.
You will have all the time you need to ask questions and get all the information you need.
Investigations and Personalised Management Plan
Based on your the comprehensive clinical assessment, Dr O’Gallagher will advise on the most likely diagnosis for your symptoms and will discuss with you the most appropriate initial investigations and management. Dr O’Gallagher uses state-of-the-art tests, technology, and treatments to ensure his patients receive world class cardiac care.
Personalised follow-up plan
Dr O’Gallagher provides clear communication to patients and their GP detailing what follow-up is required. Dr O’Gallagher values continuity of care and provides follow up at an interval that suits the patient, therefore ensuring accessibility and convenience for you.
Patient Reviews