Dr Konstantinos Vakalis is a Consultant Cardiologist with a special interest in preventing heart disease and in cardiac imaging, particularly echocardiography and cardiac CT. He sees private patients at Blackheath Hospital. In the NHS he is a consultant at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, part of Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, and also works at Harefield Hospital, Guy’s and St’ Thomas NHS Trust, one of the UK's leading specialist heart and lung centres.

Prevention of coronary artery disease is at the centre of his private practice. He offers detailed cardiovascular risk assessment for people who are worried about their heart, have a family history of heart disease, or have risk factors such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure. Where it helps, he uses coronary calcium scoring and CT coronary angiography to look directly at the heart arteries, so that advice and treatment are based on each person's actual risk rather than estimates alone. He then puts together a clear plan covering cholesterol, blood pressure and lifestyle, with follow-up to make sure targets are met. He also assesses patients with symptoms such as chest pain, palpitations or breathlessness, arranging the right tests promptly so they get a clear answer.

This interest is reflected in his research. He is a registered PhD candidate at the University of Ioannina, studying arterial stiffness, genetic factors and coronary artery disease. He was Project Manager of the Epirus Health Study, a large population study in Greece, and has also taken part in European collaborative research.

He performs and reports the full range of echocardiography, including transthoracic echocardiography with 3D imaging and strain analysis, transoesophageal echocardiography, and contrast and bubble studies. He also reports CT coronary angiography and coronary calcium scoring, and provides imaging support for structural and valve work.

Stress echocardiography is a particular focus. At Harefield, he contributed to the development of a hybrid stress echo protocol combining low-dose dobutamine with supine bicycle exercise, which has been used in more than 3,000 patients. It gives a reliable test for patients who cannot reach their target heart rate with exercise alone.

Dr Vakalis believes patients should leave a consultation understanding their condition and their options. Patients often comment on the time he takes to explain test results in plain language. He speaks fluent English and Greek and welcomes Greek-speaking patients. Remote video and telephone consultations are available where appropriate.

Dr Vakalis trained in Greece, where he qualified as a cardiologist and worked as a consultant before moving to the UK in 2020 to broaden his experience. He is a Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology and a Fellow of the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging, recognising his contribution to the field.

Teaching is an important part of his work. He sits on the organising committee and is a main lecturer for the stress echocardiography course ‘The Functional Architecture of Stress Echocardiography: Harefield Hybrid Approach’, which attracts an international audience. At Queen Elizabeth Hospital he set up a weekly echocardiography multidisciplinary meeting, and he trains and supervises cardiology registrars and cardiac physiologists. He also leads the heart failure service at Queen Elizabeth Hospital and contributes to departmental governance.

Clinical Interests

• Echocardiography, including 3D, strain, contrast, bubble and transoesophageal studies
• Stress echocardiography, including the hybrid low-dose dobutamine and supine bicycle protocol
• CT coronary angiography and coronary calcium scoring
• Heart failure and cardiomyopathies
• Chest pain and coronary artery disease
• Prevention of coronary artery disease and cardiovascular risk assessment, including cholesterol management
• High blood pressure
• Palpitations and heart rhythm problems, including ambulatory monitoring
• Valvular heart disease
• Breathlessness

• Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology
• Fellow of the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging