Dr. Robert Smith is a renowned consultant interventional cardiologist, serving both private and NHS patients at Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals. With extensive training and experience, he is a key figure in interventional cardiology.
Education and Training
Dr. Smith began his medical journey at St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical School (now part of Queen Mary, University of London), graduating in 1999. His specialized cardiology training includes:
- Harefield Hospital (2003 - 2005)
- Ealing and Queen Elizabeth II hospitals (2005 - 2007)
- Hammersmith Hospital (2007 - 2008)
- Harefield Hospital (2008 - present)
- Royal Brompton Hospital (2017 - present)
In 2009, Dr. Smith earned his MD from the University of London with a thesis titled *Myocardial Protection: The Contributions of Ischaemic and Pharmacological Preconditioning, the Warm-up Phenomenon, and the Coronary Collateral Circulation*.
Areas of Expertise
Dr. Smith is the lead for the structural heart program at Royal Brompton & Harefield hospitals and chairs both the mitral valve care groups. Under his leadership, the MitraClip team has performed over 200 cases, making it the most experienced team in the UK. His program is globally recognized for its innovation.
His expertise includes:
- Alcohol septal ablation (ASA)
- Coronary angioplasty and stenting
- Coronary angiography
- Heart failure management
- Left ventricular outflow obstruction
- Permanent pacemaker implantation
- Mitral valve disease and intervention
- MitraClip procedures
- Right heart catheterization
- Transcatheter mitral intervention
Research Interests and Projects
Dr. Smith is actively involved in several key research projects:
- Principal investigator (UK) for the CorCinch trial, studying the AccuCinch left ventricular device (Ancora Heart, USA) in heart failure and secondary mitral regurgitation.
- Investigator for the LANDMARK study (Myval, Meril).
- Investigator for the APOLLO trial, focusing on the Intrepid (Medtronic, USA) transapical TMVR versus conventional surgery.
He has also conducted significant research on peri-procedural haemodynamics during percutaneous mitral valve repair with MitraClip. Dr. Smith's findings have been presented at numerous international conferences.
Teaching Contributions
Dr. Smith is dedicated to teaching, guiding Imperial College London undergraduate students at Harefield and Hillingdon hospitals. He also instructs on the practical assessment of clinical examination skills (PACES) courses and runs a comprehensive two-week teaching program annually.
As co-director of the Harefield primary angioplasty meeting with Dr. Miles Dalby, Dr. Smith oversees an annual event where live cases are discussed by primary angioplasty staff. His expertise in transcatheter procedures like MitraClip is shared globally through his teaching.
Speaking Engagements
Dr. Smith is a sought-after speaker at national and international events, including:
- Advanced Coronary Intervention, London (2018 and 2019)
- Heart Live, keynote lecture, Manchester (2019)
- Future of Heart Failure, The Royal College of Physicians, London (2018)
- Complications in PCI, Vapi, India (2017)
- Mitral Intervention, Kuwait City (2018)
Dr. Robert Smith's dedication to cardiology, research, and education makes him a pivotal figure in the medical community, advancing the field with his innovative approaches and comprehensive expertise.
