Dr Robert Perel has been an enthusiastic participant in the Heart of Australia clinic since its beginning. His involvement stemmed from his long term friendship with founder, Dr Rolf Gomes. “I began hearing about Rolf’s plan to provide cardiology services to rural Queensland back in our final years of Cardiology training. To have brought it to fruition is an amazing accomplishment and a great benefit to people in regional communities. I’m proud to be involved.”
Dr Perel has always had a very strong connection with the bush. His mother grew up in Charleville and he has cousins on several properties around Morven. Over the years, he has made many trips out west, even including short periods working on sheep and cattle properties while a Veterinary Science student. Dr Perel then worked as a Veterinarian in Dubbo in western NSW prior to his medical training at the University of Queensland and in the Royal Brisbane and PA Hospitals. He undertook his specialist cardiology training in Toronto, Canada for two years.
Dr Perel’s cardiology specialisation is in heart rhythm disorders (arrhythmias) and cardiac electronic devices – his specialties are the investigation and management of palpitations, heart rhythms that are too fast, too slow or irregular, and collapse episodes or blackouts. Back in Brisbane, he inserts cardiac devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators and he is able to follow them up from the HOA truck, or via remote monitoring over the internet. In Brisbane, he also performs ablation procedures for a variety of heart rhythm disorders including atrial fibrillation.
Dr Perel is also a general cardiologist, offering consultation and management for patients with coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy, heart failure and valvular heart disease.
“Being involved with Heart of Australia means that I can provide most of the same clinic services to patients here in their communities that they would have if they saw me in Brisbane.”
