Dr. Lars Nolke
, Heart Surgeon

Patient Recommendations (1)

"Excellent surgeon!! I cannot recommend him highly enough! He and his family and myself have been friends for many years. Anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that I am a worrier and am in a profession where there is huge stress. And so, over dinner about 10 years ago, I told him that if I ever needed cardio thoracic surgery, he would be the only one I would be able to trust enough to perform it. As we laughed, little did we know that eight years later I would be diagnosed with aortic stenosis that became very severe over the following 22 months, until I was advised by my cardiologist that having the surgery had become a priority! There was no one else in Ireland I would be prepared to literally put my life in their hands other than my friend, Lars Nölke. Over the past number of months he has patiently gone through all elements of the procedure, pointing out options, solutions and of course, possible problems. The big day came on Sept 22nd, and I was wheeled into the anaesthetic room around 8.30am, at which point I was rapidly and expertly put to sleep by my wonderful anesthetist, Dr. Fionnuala Lyons. I understand that I left the recovery room for Intensive Care around 1pm. And I was awake and had the breathing tube removed around 4pm. Since then, my recovery has been seamless. My surgeon had one other patient scheduled for surgery after me, and as I learned the following day, he had only finished the second surgery when he had to perform a third surgery that had come through from the emergency room. So he finished operating at midnight, and I'm very happy to report that all three of us are doing very well. I was the first to be discharged. Each day post surgery, Lars visited the three of us, making sure we were progressing well - and all of this done in a very gentle, caring and professional way. I can't recommend Lars Nölke highly enough to anyone in Ireland who learns that they have to undergo any form of open heart surgery or heart/lung transplant - he is, hands down, the best! And he's also the best in paediatric heart surgery. I'll never be able to repay him for the way he cared for me from the time of my initial diagnosis through to today, 10 days post surgery. From the bottom of my heart, I say a huge "Thank You " to Lars for being there for me when I needed him!"

Posted by Larry Behan, Aortic Valve, Median Sternotomy, 09/22/2017