Prof Mamas Mamas

Professor Mamas Mamas saves lives. Not only does he treat some of the region’s sickest patients who have coronary heart disease, his research is changing the way in which cardiology procedures are being performed around the world and is saving the NHS money in the process.

Graduating from Oxford University in 1991 and qualifying as a doctor in 2000, Mamas started his career as a cardiologist in 2004 at Manchester University before completing his training as a Consultant Interventional Cardiologist in 2012. Mamas joined Keele University in 2015 as Professor of Cardiology and a Consultant Cardiologist at University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM).

The pioneering research being undertaken by Mamas and his colleagues at both Keele and UHNM has been showcased worldwide. Recent advancements led by Mamas’ group include a technique for sheathless Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI), a nonsurgical procedure that improves blood flow to the heart, as well as analysis of national and international datasets to inform best practice for patients undergoing such procedures. Professor Mamas has published close to 300 research papers to date.

Other work being led by Mamas includes the use of electronic healthcare data to improve clinical care of patients, using social media for training and research, and safer PCI through the radial approach. Professor Mamas and his team have also developed a new national risk model for use in the United Kingdom to predict the risk of complications in patients undergoing complex heart valve procedures (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Interventions).

Speaking about his work, Mamas said: “My team has access to data from all PCI procedures in the UK since 2005 and we study clinical outcomes to help define best practice as well as describing the rates, clinical predictors and outcomes of complications. One area of interest that our group has focussed on over the past decade is major bleeding complications, particularly around whether using the radial artery (artery in wrist) is safer than using the conventional approach through the femoral artery (artery in leg) to undertake these PCI procedures.

“There has been a big debate about whether cardiologists should go through the wrist or the leg, so we analysed over half a million procedures performed in the United Kingdom, and demonstrated that undertaking these procedures through the wrist reduces the risk of dying by up to a third. We believe that our research has changed practice nationally. Our study also showed there were big differences across the UK in how this procedure was carried out, and about 250 lives have been lost because some hospitals aren’t adopting best practice.”

As well as saving lives, Mamas’ research also saves the NHS an estimated £20 million a year by reducing complications, aftercare costs, and avoiding immobilisation of patients.

As Medical Director for Keele’s Centre for Prognosis Research, Mamas also represents the University at international conferences to discuss ground-breaking research and techniques, bringing his findings back to improve care in Staffordshire and beyond.

Mamas added: “The research we’ve undertaken at Keele and UHNM has contributed to improvements in patient safety both nationally and internationally, and has placed our organisations at the forefront of interventional cardiological practice globally.”

Mamas’ work is a prime example of how Keele University is using its world-leading knowledge, expertise and partnerships to make a difference locally, nationally and internationally. Through work such as Mamas’, Keele is helping to change and save lives across the world.