Summary
Clinical Interests:
Dr P Boon Lim is a cardiologist and electrophysiologist specialising in heart rhythm disturbances, pacing and syncope at Imperial College London. He performs ablation for atrial and ventricular arrhythmias, and implantation of pacemakers and defibrillators.
Dr Lim has a special interest in mapping and ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF), and is currently actively researching best techniques for modulating the autonomic nervous system to treat atrial fibrillation and vasovagal syncope. He also works closely with industry to develop the best techniques for treatment of atrial fibrillation and ventricular ectopy, and is highly skilled at using modern 3-D mapping technologies to treat these common arrhythmias.
Dr Lim also leads the Imperial Syncope Diagnostic Centre, a unit that performs approximately 700 tilt table tests per year, and is actively engaged in researching mechanisms of syncope and understanding best treatment strategies for patients with debilitating syncope or symptoms of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). He runs a syncope clinic based in London at Hammersmith Hospital, providing expert care care and attention to patients who have difficult-to-treat blackouts or faints. Dr Lim participates actively in ongoing research trials focussing on developing the best management strategies for treatment of vasovagal syncope in is the principle investigator for several syncope trials. He is consistently rated highly by patients and colleagues as one of the top syncope doctors and cardiologists in London.
Education and Training:
Dr Lim graduated from Cambridge University with a Double First Class in 2000, and was awarded MRCP in 2003. He undertook junior medical training at Kings College London and the Royal Brompton Hospital, before commencing Cardiology training at top tertiary centres, including Oxford and Northwest London at St Mary’s and Hammersmith Hospitals. He is dedicated to teaching both at an undergraduate and postgraduate level.
In 2007, he was awarded a Clinical Research Training Fellowship by the British Heart Foundation to complete a PhD at Imperial College London in clinical electrophysiology exploring the role of the autonomic nervous system in atrial fibrillation. Dr Lim then pursued a clinical fellowship at the Heart Hospital, University College London for a year, before being appointed as a consultant cardiologist and electrophysiologist, and as the Clincal Lead for the Imperial Syncope Diagnostic Unit based at Hammersmith Hospital within the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in central London. Dr Lim currently also practices at West Middlesex Hospital, BMI Syon Lane, and Harley Street in central London.
Research:
Dr Lim completed a PhD in clinical electrophysiology at Imperial College London. His research focused on exploring the role of the autonomic nervous system in human atrial fibrillation. He has been awarded several prizes for his research including the top prize President’s Medal for Cardiology at the Royal Society of Medicine, the Lindo Foundation Prize at St Mary’s Hospital, and being Runner-up in the Young Investigator Award for the British Cardiovascular Society, and Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society Meetings.
Since completing his PhD, Dr Lim has continued to be actively involved in research at the National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, and is supervisor for several PhD students. As the clinical lead for the Imperial Syncope Diagnostic Centre, he is regularly invited to speak on syncope at National and International meetings, and is actively involved in setting up a multidisciplinary approach to develop the best treatment of patients with syncope and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.
He continues to explore novel aspects of ablation and is currently exploring the role of modulation of the autonomic nervous system as a treatment strategy to treat certain forms of atrial fibrillation, and for selected patients with severe vasovagal syncope. He is dynamic, innovative and is considered one of the best electrophysiologists and AF experts in London and is an early adopter of novel technologies in the treatment of arrhythmias. He is involved in numerous clinical trials investigating ablation techniques to modulate the autonomic nervous system in treating arrhythmias, and is at the forefront of novel technology use, such as the Rhythmia high density mapping system to treat complex atrial arrhythmias such as post-ablation atrial tachycardias and recurrent atrial fibrillation (AF).
Dr Lim leads the Imperial Syncope Diagnostic Unit as principal investigator for several clinical trials, including National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) trials of drugs for syncope, including the use of midodrine and beta-blockers for prevention of syncope, and is setting up an autonomic ablation trial for treatment for drug-refractory and challenging syncope.
Selected Publications
Journal Articles
Sutton R, Salukhe TV, Franzen-Mcmanus A-C, et al., 2014, Ivabradine in treatment of sinus tachycardia mediated vasovagal syncope, Europace, Vol:16, ISSN:1099-5129, Pages:284-288