For patients whose blood pressure refuses to come down no matter how many tablets they take, a new treatment at Beaumont Hospital could finally offer hope.
The Dublin hospital has successfully performed Ireland’s first renal denervation procedures, a groundbreaking advance for people living with dangerously high blood pressure that won’t respond to medication or lifestyle changes.
The procedure, known as the Symplicity blood pressure treatment, uses a tiny catheter to calm overactive nerves near the kidneys that drive hypertension.
It’s a minimally invasive technique that takes only a short time to perform but could transform care for some of the most complex heart patients.
The milestone was led by Dr Tim O’Connor, Consultant Interventional Cardiologist, alongside the hospital’s Cath Lab team of nurses, radiographers and physiologists.
The first procedures were completed on October 1st under the guidance of Dr Valerie Duchatelle, who proctored the cases to ensure their success.
Clinical Nurse Specialist David Farrell played a vital role in screening suitable patients, while the project itself was months in the making, involving close coordination between departments, the HSE Spark Innovation Programme, and medical technology company Medtronic.
Dr O’Connor described the development as “a new chapter in hypertension care at Beaumont Hospital”.
“For patients whose blood pressure remains uncontrolled despite the best medical and lifestyle interventions, renal denervation offers new hope,” he said.
“By leveraging this state-of-the-art technology, we are expanding treatment options and enhancing the quality of care we provide to our patients.”
During the Symplicity procedure, a thin catheter is inserted through a small incision, usually in the groin, and guided to the arteries supplying the kidneys.
Radiofrequency energy is then used to calm the overactive nerves before the catheter is removed, leaving no implant behind.
High blood pressure remains one of the world’s most serious and silent health problems, affecting about 1.3 billion adults worldwide.
Only one in five have it properly under control, and many don’t even know they have it.
The availability of this advanced treatment in Dublin marks a major step forward for patients who have run out of options.