Dr David Lefroy

Background

Dr David Lefroy studied medicine at Cambridge University and St Thomas' Hospital and qualified in 1985. He completed his postgraduate training in general medicine and specialised in cardiology from 1989 onwards. Following registrar, Medical Research Council research fellow, and senior registrar posts at Hammersmith, Royal Brompton, and St Mary's hospitals, he was appointed in 1996 to a British Heart Foundation International Fellowship in cardiac electrophysiology at the Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, USA. His appointment as consultant cardiologist at Hammersmith Hospital has been continuous and full time from 1997 to the present. 

Dr David Lefroy was elected fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in 1999 and fellow of the Heart Rhythm Society in 2014. His training and clinical practice has encompassed all aspects of cardiology in adult patients, but in recent years he has focused more on the management of cardiac arrhythmias. He is experienced in the use of catheter ablation and implanted cardiac pacemaker/defibrillators to treat heart rhythm disordered and currently continues a busy clinical practice in these areas.

Expertise

Cardiac arrhythmia, radiofrequency catheter ablation, pacemakers, implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), acute coronary syndromes, coronary angioplasty and stenting, general cardiology in adults

Research & publications

1. Cardiac resynchronisation therapy: this exciting area of practice has transformed the lives of many patients with heart failure and this technique is now widely used in Dr Lefroy’s clinical practice. 

Some relevant publications: 

Ariga R, Tayebjee MH, Benfield A, Todd M, Lefroy DC (2010) Greater three-dimensional ventricular lead tip separation is associated with improved outcome after cardiac resynchronization therapy. Pacing Clin Electrophysiol, 33:1490-6. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1540-8159.2010.02895.x/abstract 

Kyriacou A, Pabari PA, Mayet J, Peters NS, Davies DW, Lim PB, Lefroy D, Hughes AD, Kanagaratnam P, Francis DP, Whinnett ZI (2014) Cardiac resynchronization therapy and AV optimization increase myocardial oxygen consumption, but increase cardiac function more than proportionally. Int J Cardiol, Feb 1;171(2):144-52. http://www.internationaljournalofcardiology.com/article/S0167-5273(13)01840-8/fulltext 

2. Management of cardiac arrhythmias in patients with additional heart disease: cardiac arrhythmias may be the first presentation of serious underlying heart disease. It is important to bear this in mind when planning the patient's treatment. 

Some relevant publications: 

Showkathali R, Tayebjee MH, Grapsa J, Alzetani M, Nihoyannopoulos P, Howard LS, Lefroy DC, Gibbs JS (2011) Right atrial flutter isthmus ablation is feasible and results in acute clinical improvement in patients with persistent atrial flutter and severe pulmonary arterial hypertension. Int J Cardiol,149:279-80. http://www.internationaljournalofcardiology.com/article/S0167-5273(11)00237-3/fulltext 

Everett RJ, Sheppard MN, Lefroy DC (2013) Chest pain and palpitations: taking a closer look. Circulation, Jul 16;128(3):271-7 http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/128/3/271