About Us
Harefield Hospital & Our Echocardiography Department
Harefield Hospital, part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, is globally recognized as one of the largest and most experienced specialist heart and lung centres in the UK and Europe. Located in a tranquil setting near Uxbridge, Harefield has a rich history of pioneering breakthroughs in cardiac and respiratory care, including Europe's first successful combined heart and lung transplant. It's home to a dedicated Heart Attack Centre and is renowned for treating complex patient cases, including those requiring ventricular assist devices and advanced interventional cardiology procedures.
The Echocardiography Department at Harefield Hospital holds national and international recognition for its excellent standards of clinical practice. It has been awarded advanced European accreditation by the European Association of Echocardiography.
Our department specialises in the diagnosis of complex adult cardiac pathologies, including:
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Heart valve disease including infective endocarditis.
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Acute coronary syndrome
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Complex heart and lung surgery
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Heart and lung transplantation
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Long-term monitoring of patients with heart failure
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Cardiac assist device
We perform a wide variety of routine and highly specialist echo tests, including:
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Transthoracic echocardiography (with and without contrast) in patients with complex cardiac diseases including mechanical support devices (VAD, Impella, ECMO)
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Diagnostic, intraoperative and interventional Transoesophageal echocardiography with use of live 3D imaging
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Stress echocardiography
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Transcranial Doppler
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Dyssynchrony studies and optimization of complex devices (VAD, CRT, ECMO weaning, etc)
Get to Know Us
Our scanning fleet is continuously renewed to cutting edge latest versions of echo machines. The reporting system allows off-line analysis and measurements including 3D image processing. We utilise ergonomic left-sided scanning to reduce occupational strain to spine and joints. Our patients feedback consistently highlights the kind, caring, and supportive relationships built with staff and the involvement of patients in their care. There's a strong emphasis on multidisciplinary team (MDT) work including input to in-patient ward rounds, heart team meetings and research. Our commitment to innovation and high-quality patient care makes Harefield Hospital an exceptional environment for advanced cardiovascular training.
Stress Echo Lab
Since 2012 our dedicated Stress Echo Lab led by enthusiastic Sonographer has been at the forefront of performing high-quality stress echo using Hybrid Protocol. We meticulously assess a wide range of complex cardiac pathologies, utilizing varied and comprehensive protocols tailored to individual patient needs.
Our extensive and rich database reflects our broad expertise, encompassing patients with:
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Ischemic Heart Disease: Providing crucial insights into myocardial function under stress.
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Diverse Valve Pathologies: Evaluating valvular function and hemodynamics during exertion.
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Respiratory Assessment for PHT and Post-COVID Conditions: Offering vital diagnostics for cardiorespiratory interactions and long-term recovery.
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Cardiomyopathies: Characterizing myocardial mechanics and dynamic changes.
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Transplant Patients: Meticulously monitoring cardiac allograft function and complications.
Each year, we perform approximately 600 stress echoes, contributing significantly to patient diagnosis, risk stratification, and treatment. We pride ourselves on continuous innovation, having developed our own unique hybrid stress echo protocol which is tailored to plethora of cardiac conditions to get best out of one appointment for functional imaging. This cutting-edge approach integrates the best elements of various methodologies to deliver exceptionally precise and comprehensive diagnostic information, ensuring optimal patient outcomes. All Stress Echo Fellows who worked in the department have made successful career in cardiology in senior positions.
Research, audit and quality improvement.
The work of our Echocardiography Department is built on a philosophy of clinical excellence, continuous learning, and pioneering innovation. We are dedicated to remaining at the forefront of cardiovascular imaging - a commitment that shapes our patient care, our research, and the high-quality education we provide.
Our team is committed to lifelong professional development. We actively stay abreast of the latest evidence-based practices by adopting new guidelines and embracing advancements in technology. This culture of continuous learning is embedded in our routine practice: we teach by the bedside and discuss complex cases at the weekly departmental teaching sessions. Furthermore, we encourage our team to attend and present at the national and international conferences and courses, ensuring the knowledge we pass on to you is current, relevant, and world-class.
Research is integral to our identity. Our highly motivated team, comprising of dedicated consultant cardiologists, specialist registrars, clinical fellows, and expert cardiac physiologists, is constantly pushing the boundaries of echocardiography. We have a proud history of developing innovative projects and have presented our compelling research and interesting cases at major cardiology congresses.
A testament to our innovative spirit is our unique hybrid stress echocardiography protocol. Developed through years of dedicated work and extensive experience, this protocol has been successfully published in a peer-reviewed journal, marking a significant contribution to the field.
Quality assurance is the cornerstone of our clinical practice. We have implemented numerous quality improvement projects and conduct regular audits of our service. This meticulous approach ensures that our department not only meets but consistently exceeds the highest standards of diagnostic accuracy and patient care.
Meet the Team
Here is our organising team committee team of Stress Echocardiography at Harefield Hospital
Dr Aigul Baltabaeva
Dr. Aigul Baltabaeva is the Head of the Echocardiography Department at Harefield Hospital. She has worked as a Consultant Cardiologist in the UK since 2011. After graduating from the Kyrgyz State Medical Academy in 1993, she has built a distinguished career as both a busy clinician and a prolific scientist, authoring 32 published papers. Her main subspecialty is cardiac imaging with the focus on cardiac remodelling and functional diagnostics using all modalities of echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging.Her PhD research was recognised with the prestigious 'Young Investigator Award' and 'The President’s Award for Outstanding Research, culminating in a Fellowship at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Dr. Baltabaeva has a proven track record in leading major research initiatives. She has served as the principal cardiologist for a multicentre European research project on cardiomyopathy and secured a significant research grant to study the prognostic implications of mitral regurgitation in acute heart failure (MRAHF).An experienced educator and mentor, she is adept at teaching complex imaging protocols to diverse groups and has successfully supervised two MD and one MSc students to completion.
Ruth Chester
Ruth is currently the ECHO Service Lead at Harefield Hospital . She has over 20 years’ experience in ECHO and is responsible for the well being and management of 15 ECHO staff. She is also responsible for the running of the ECHO Department and ensures the delivery of an efficient and effective Echocardiography Service at Harefield. Ruth is also responsible for the training and continuing professional Development and overall performance of the ECHO staff. The ECHO Department holds EAVCI Accreditation in Advanced Transthoracic Echocardiography and Advanced Transoesophageal Echo cardiography and Advanced Stress Echocardiography and we have one Physiologist who holds an accreditation in Congenital Heart Disease.
Dr Bengisu Keskin Meric
Dr. Bengisu Keskin Meric received her medical degree with High Honors from the University of Ege, Izmir, Turkey, in 2015, and completed her Cardiology Specialty training at the Institute of Cardiology Cerrahpasa University in Istanbul in 2020. Following her specialty training, Dr. Bengisu served as a Cardiology Specialist in Turkey before joining the UK for further postgraduate experience. She worked as a Senior Clinical Fellow in Cardiology at Ashford & St Peter’s Hospital, London, and is currently a Senior Clinical Research Fellow in Adult Echocardiography at Harefield Hospital. In this role, they are instrumental in advancing the Stress Echo service, initiating clinical cardiac research projects, and translating findings into improved patient care.
Dr. Bengisu holds certifications in Adult Transthoracic Echocardiography and Adult Transesophageal Echocardiography, underscoring their subspecialty expertise in advanced echocardiography. Their areas of expertise include cardiac imaging, valvular heart disease, structural and perioperative transoesophageal echocardiography, and stress echocardiography. She serves as an editor for publications including Advanced Cardiovascular Solutions and the Turkish Society of Cardiology. She has presented at international conferences such as EuroEcho and ESC.
Dr Mohammed Almajali
Dr Almajali completed his UK Cardiology specialist training in Wessex Deanery. He underwent subspeciality training in advanced echocardiography, in both Southampton university Hospital and Royal Brompton Hospital. He has special interest in stress echocardiography, 3D echocardiography, and echocardiographic assessment of valvular heart disease. He is an accredited member of both the British Society of Echocardiography and European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging .He is currently a Consultant Cardiologist at Harefield Hospital.
Majimen Jimeno
Majs is the deputy Echo lead at Harefield Hospital and the lead physiologist for complex stress echo and hospital education. An active faculty member of Harefield’s advanced mechanical circulatory support training programme conducting echo lectures for ECMO and various complex LVAD & RVAD contraptions. Being a mentor, he pilots the Echo Training Programme (ETP) in Harefield under the National School of Healthcare Science and has experience in artificial intelligence designed for echocardiography. He earned multiple international accreditations in transthoracic and stress echocardiography and is also an ALS certified individual.
Gabrielle Chester
Gabrielle Chester is a software engineer with extensive experience in designing and implementing large-scale cloud systems for both financial services and public sector clients. Her expertise lies in building secure, scalable, and reliable digital solutions that support critical operations and long-term growth. Gabrielle also has a personal connection to the hospital, with close family members both working within the organisation and receiving care here. This affiliation has given her a deep appreciation of the hospital’s role in the community. She is pleased to contribute to its training and development initiatives by creating this website as a dedicated resource.
Dr Anthony Barron
Dr Anthony Barron qualified from St Mary’s Hospital Medical School, Imperial College, in 2003. He subsequently trained in North-West London as a cardiology registrar, undertaking a PhD at Imperial College in exercise physiology which he completed in 2013, and became a consultant in 2016 at Harefield Hospital. Dr Barron specializes in heart failure and cardiac imaging. His main areas of expertise in imaging include complex echo and nuclear imaging for ischaemia. He is the clinical lead for the valve clinic and regularly performs diagnostic and interventional TOE and stress echocardiography. He is also the lead for general heart failure at Harefield Hospital.
Alongside his clinical work Dr Barron is a senior clinical lecturer at Brunel Medical School and is heavily involved in postgraduate education, previously having held the post of Royal College Tutor for 6 years.
Dr Konstantinos Vakalis
Dr Konstantinos Vakalis is a Consultant Cardiologist working in the NHS (Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust) as well as in the private sector.
He trained in cardiology in both Greece and the UK and has over 20 years of clinical experience, with specialist interests in cardiovascular imaging and heart failure.
Dr Vakalis has extensive expertise in stress echocardiography and has contributed to the development of innovative protocols in the field.
He is the Heart Failure Lead at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, where he also coordinates the local heart failure and echocardiography multidisciplinary teams.
He is actively involved in research, regularly publishes scientific articles, and contributes to national and international cardiology congresses.
Dr Vakalis holds the honorary titles of Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology (FESC) and the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (FEACVI).
Mr Andrew Sykes
A forty two year NHS career with extensive experience in clinical education. Currently Medical Education Manager at Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals specialising in digital marketing and the development of online clinical learning. Previously RBHH Medical Education Operations Manager, overseeing two clinical education centres and the associated multi disciplinary teams. A lecturer in human factors, non technical skills and medical simulation.