Cardiac & Vascular Surgery in Ireland
Cardiac and vascular procedures treat the heart and blood vessels, from coronary stents and pacemakers to heart bypass, valve surgery, varicose vein treatment and repair of major arteries. Some are urgent and handled through acute pathways, while others are planned and can involve a wait.
Cardiac & Vascular Surgery procedures we cover
Every guide includes public waiting times, private costs in Ireland, and the EU Cross-Border option reimbursed by the HSE.
Coronary Bypass & Heart Valve Surgery
Coronary bypass surgery (CABG) creates new routes for blood around blocked heart arteries, while valve surgery repairs or replaces a narrowed or…
Coronary Stents (Angioplasty)
Coronary angioplasty and stenting widens a narrowed heart artery using a balloon and leaves a small mesh tube (stent) to hold it…
Pacemaker & Defibrillator Implants
A pacemaker keeps your heart from beating too slowly, while an implantable defibrillator (ICD) can shock the heart out of a dangerous…
Varicose Vein Surgery
Varicose vein treatment closes or removes swollen, faulty leg veins. Modern treatments use laser or radiofrequency heat through a needle under local…
Vascular Reconstruction
Vascular reconstruction repairs or bypasses major arteries that are dangerously enlarged or blocked, such as an abdominal aortic aneurysm or narrowed leg…
Have your surgery in weeks, not years
Under the EU Cross-Border Healthcare Directive, you can be treated in an accredited EU/EEA hospital and claim the cost back from the HSE — with a GP or consultant referral.
Check whether you qualify and what you'd get back.
*Reimbursement is capped at the cost of the same treatment in the Irish public health system. Travel, accommodation and any balance above the HSE rate are not covered. Pre-authorisation applies to treatment involving an overnight hospital stay.
Urgent and planned heart and vessel care
Many heart procedures are urgent. A heart attack is treated with an emergency stent, and severe valve or coronary disease is prioritised by cardiology and cardiothoracic teams. Other procedures, such as varicose vein treatment, some pacemaker implants and planned stenting for stable angina, go on a waiting list.
Heart surgery in Ireland is concentrated in a small number of specialist centres, while stents and pacemakers are provided in more hospitals with cardiac catheterisation laboratories.
Your options
You can be treated publicly through referral to a cardiologist or vascular surgeon, privately in Ireland, or abroad under the EU Cross-Border Healthcare Directive. Cross-border treatment is most often used for planned procedures such as varicose vein surgery. Major heart operations need prior authorisation and careful planning of follow-up and rehabilitation at home.
Chest pain, breathlessness at rest, fainting or sudden weakness or numbness are emergencies. Call 112 or 999 rather than waiting for an appointment.
Questions about cardiac & vascular surgery
Is heart surgery done in every hospital?
No. Open-heart surgery is carried out in a small number of specialist cardiothoracic centres in Ireland, while stents and pacemakers are provided more widely.
What's the difference between a stent and a bypass?
A stent is a small mesh tube placed inside a narrowed artery through a catheter. Bypass surgery is open-heart surgery that uses a blood vessel from elsewhere to route blood around the blockage.
Can I have heart or vascular surgery abroad?
Yes, provided it is a treatment the HSE would provide in Ireland, you have a referral, and it is carried out in a public or private healthcare provider in another EU/EEA country. You pay upfront and claim back up to the Irish public cost. Travel and accommodation are not covered. Inpatient heart surgery needs prior authorisation.
Are varicose veins treated publicly?
Usually only when they cause symptoms or complications such as skin changes, ulcers or bleeding. Cosmetic treatment isn't covered.
When is chest pain an emergency?
Chest pain that is crushing, spreads to the arm, jaw or back, or comes with breathlessness, sweating or nausea is an emergency. Call 112 or 999.