Dr Nidal Maarouf is a Consultant Cardiologist at HMT St Hugh’s Hospital in Grimsby. He is on the GMC Specialist Register for cardiology and sub-specialises in cardiac arrhythmia and electrophysiology, heart failure management and cardiac devices. He trained at St George’s Hospital in London and is an Honorary Senior Lecturer at Hull York Medical School.

Heart symptoms are the ones people find hardest to sit on and hardest to act on at the same time. A fluttering or racing heartbeat, breathlessness on stairs that were fine last year, chest discomfort that comes and goes. Some of it turns out to be nothing much, and some of it matters a great deal, and the only way to tell them apart is to have it looked at properly. That assessment is quick, and knowing either way is usually a relief.

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About Dr Maarouf

Dr Maarouf obtained his primary medical degree at Damascus University in 1992. He undertook his cardiology training at St George’s Hospital in London between 1997 and 2005, and was subsequently awarded an MD by the University of London.

His training covered invasive diagnostic and treatment procedures including coronary angiography, angioplasty and pacemaker insertion. He also trained in electrophysiology, the specialist field concerned with the heart’s electrical system and the treatment of abnormal heart rhythms, and in heart failure management, including the implantation of complex cardiac devices such as implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronisation therapy pacemakers (CRT-P).

He has worked at a number of large UK hospitals, including Liverpool University Hospital, Aintree University Hospital in Liverpool and Hull Royal Infirmary, before taking up his consultant post in Grimsby. Over his career he has performed several thousand diagnostic coronary angiograms and more than a thousand pacemaker and cardiac device implants.

Alongside his clinical work he is an Honorary Senior Lecturer at Hull York Medical School and College Tutor for trainees at Grimsby hospital. He has published in the cardiology literature.

GMC number 4748290

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Areas of expertise

Heart rhythm problems (arrhythmia)

• Palpitations
• Atrial fibrillation
• Atrial flutter
• Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT)
• Ectopic beats
• Slow heart rate (bradycardia)
• Blackouts and unexplained fainting
• Electrophysiological assessment

Heart failure

• Heart failure assessment and diagnosis
• Heart failure management and optimisation
• Breathlessness on exertion
• Fluid retention and swelling
• Cardiomyopathy

Cardiac devices

• Pacemaker assessment and follow-up
• Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) assessment and follow-up
• Cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) assessment and follow-up

General cardiology

• Chest pain assessment
• Coronary artery disease
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol and cardiovascular risk assessment
• Heart murmurs
• Valve disease assessment
• Shortness of breath
• Pre-operative cardiac assessment
• Cardiac risk and heart health assessment

Investigations

• ECG
• Ambulatory ECG and heart rhythm monitoring
• Echocardiogram
• 24-hour blood pressure monitoring
• Exercise testing
• Coronary angiography