Consultant cardiologist humbled by response to fundraising efforts

BALLINA native Dr. Ivan Casserly, consultant cardiologist with the Mater Hospital, has expressed his deepest gratitude for the spectacular response to his fundraising efforts.

Dr. Casserly, who conducts a clinic in St. Joseph’s Hospital, Sligo, every month, has been raising funds for the transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) programme, and to date has raised over €20,000.

He said: “The TAVI is important as it provides an option for older patients who would be too ill or weak to undergo open heart surgery. We’ve carried out 150 of these surgeries since 2008, and they can transform patients' lives.

“Afterwards patients have told me they have gone from having very low quality of life to getting a whole new lease of life and doing things they would not have dreamt of in years. That’s why this was so important to me; I see first-hand how this surgery changes people’s lives.”

Dr. Casserly talked about the procedure's limitations, saying: “We can’t make people younger, but if the valve is their only problem, a patient will go from being short of breath after walking a hundred yards to the next day being able to walk the same as a normal person.”  

However, a lack of resources affects how many TAVI surgeries can be carried out per year. The doctor explained: “We exhausted our allocation of valves for this year in August. That’s why we needed to fundraise for those who needed valves from September to January. It’s tiring for everybody but it’s worth it because the effect on people’s quality of life is so drastic.”

Dr. Casserly cycled 60km in the Great Dublin Bike Ride and intends to continue with his fundraising efforts to ensure as many people as possible receive this life-changing treatment.

To donate to the TAVI programme and support Dr. Casserly’s efforts, call the Mater Hospital Foundation on (01) 8303482 or email contact@materfoundation.ie.