Out Patient Consultation
Out patient consultations are available Monday - Friday and in urgent situations can often be arranged out of hours. If you wish to see a specfiic consultant, these will be scheduled on certain days. Out patient appointments are available at Spire Hospital Southampton, with satelitte clinics at Lymington, Nuffield Chandlers Ford and at Sarum Road Winchester.
To arrange an appointment, contact us or phone our office staff. We will normally require a referral from you General Practitioner. Although appointments can be made directly, this may affect your health insurance cover if you have not been referred by your GP.
Non Invasive Cardiology Investigations
Wessex Cardiology provides a number of non-invasive cardiac investigations including exercise ECG testing, echocardiography, 24hr ECG monitoring, cardiomemo recording and 24hr blood pressure monitoring. These investigations may be recommended following a consultation with one of our Cardiologists or may be booked separately if required. All investigations are available by contacting Wessex Cardiology and all investigations are reported by one of our consultant cardiologists.
Heart Failure
Heart failure is becoming increasing sophisticated in its diagnosis and management. Wessex Cardiology has the facility to provide rapid and accurate diagnosis of heart failure and determine its underlying aetiology. Peter Cowburn, our heart failure specialist is one of the national authorities in heart failure management and has a particular expertise in the pharmacological and device management of heart failure.
Stress Echocardiography
Wessex Cardiology has a particular expertise in the area of Stress Echocardiography. Using echocardiography to assess wall motion abnormalities under rest and stress (either exercise or pharmacological stress) it is possible to identify the presence and extent of myocardial ischaemia and myocardial viability. This out patient investigation is often used as an adjunct to coronary angiography to target appropriate revascularisation but can also be valuable as a diagnostic tool for determining the likelihood of coronary artery disease in an individual patient. Referral for Stress Echocardiography is generally undertaken by a cardiologist following clinical assessment.
Coronary Angiography
Coronary angiography remains the gold standard for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease and assessment for its treatment options including PCI (Percutaneous Coronary Intervention). Performed as a day case procedure under local anaesthetic, Wessex Cardiology have access to modern cardiac catheterisation facilities at Spire Hospital Southampton. High resolution, digital images allow accurate interpretation of the extent and severity of coronary artery disease undertaken by experienced Wessex Cardiology consultants.
Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI)
Wessex Cardiology have been performing PCI at the Spire Hospital (formerly BUPA Southampton) since 2003. The interventional cardiologist of Wessex Cardiology are nationally and internationally recognised for the quality of PCI in Southampton through their work at the Wessex Cardiac Centre. With the new cardiac catheterisation facilities at Spire Hospital, the use of clinically proven drug eluting stent technology and, where necessary, pressure wire assessment, combined with on site cardiac surgical cover, Wessex Cardiology provides the only complete private PCI facility in the region.
Permanent Pacemaker
Wessex Cardiology undertakes all forms of cardiac pacing for brady-arrhythmias, including single and dual chamber pacing using the latest in cardiac pacing technology. In addition, cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) pacing is undertaken via our Heart Failure specialist, Dr. Peter Cowburn. This sophisticated therapy requires careful assessment and monitoring to target suitable heart failure patients and maximise the long term symptomatic and mortality benefits of CRT.
Transoesophageal Echocardiography (TOE)
Transoesophageal Echocardiography is undertaken as a day case procedure under conscious sedation. We have dedicated endoscopy facilities which are utilised for Transoesophageal Echocardiography. Wessex Cardiology consultants undertaking this procedure have an international reputation in the field of echocardiogaphy.