Dr Dan McKenzie

I have been a Consultant Cardiologist for 15 years with a specialist interest in complex angioplasty. I work full time at the Royal United Hospital (RUH) NHS Foundation Trust in Bath, but live in Bristol. I provide a contemporary evidence-based service, which is patient focused to investigate and treat a broad range of cardiovascular problems. These include the investigations and management of chest pain, high blood pressure, breathlessness, palpitations and fainting.

My sub-specialty is coronary intervention – using wires, balloons and stents to treat stenosis and blockages within coronary arteries. I am a high volume operator (to date I have performed over 3,300 stenting procedures and 6,500 diagnostic angiograms) and do the majority of my cases (>95%) through the radial artery, which is proven to be the safest route. I use intracoronary imaging and/or pressure wire physiology to guide my procedures in over 60% of cases, in line with current evidence. I have an excellent outcomes and safety record with a complication rate well below those predicted in the British Cardiovascular Interventional Society (BCIS) statistical model.

The most important person during any investigation or procedure is always the patient and I am strongly engaged with governance and quality improvement to ensure that teams work effectively to provide the best patient care possible.

I am the Cardiology Specialty Education Lead at the RUH and am closely involved with the teaching and education of sixth formers, medical students and doctors at all stages of their training. I am the Treasurer for the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society (BCIS) which is responsible for supporting the education of all interventional trainees in the UK. I have been closely involved with BCIS for over 10 years on the Training and Education Group and BCIS Council. I am the Local Principal Investigator for several national and international research studies which helps me keep up to date and helps support this important aspect of medicine. I am the lead in Bath for the Myocardial Infarction National Audit Project (MINAP) and National Institute for Cardiovascular Outcomes Research (NICOR) which collect national data on heart attacks and interventional procedures, respectively.