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Dr Przemek Palka

Director & Cardiologist LifePulse Cardiology

FRACP | FCSANZ | FESC | MD

Key Areas of Expertise

  • Advanced Cardiac Imaging

  • Heart Failure (HFpEF & HFrEF)

  • Echocardiography & Haemodynamics

  • Cardio-Oncology

  • Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) 

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Clinic Approach

Integrates cardiovascular imaging with detailed physiological assessment to guide diagnosis and treatment. His practice focuses on:

  • Early detection of cardiovascular disease

  • Physiology-based diagnosis (imaging with haemodynamics)

  • Personalised risk stratification

  • Long-term management of complex cardiac conditions

Email: p.palka@lifepulsecardiology.com.au

Dr Przemysław (Przemek) Palka is a senior consultant cardiologist and academic with over 35 years of clinical and research experience in cardiovascular medicine. He specialises in advanced cardiac imaging, heart failure, and complex cardiovascular physiology, with expertise in echocardiography and invasive haemodynamic assessment.

He has held senior clinical and leadership roles at the Mater Hospital. He is actively involved in teaching medical students and contributing to academic programs at The University of Queensland.

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Dr Palka is internationally recognised for his pioneering work in Doppler tissue imaging and myocardial mechanics, contributing to techniques that are now widely used in clinical cardiology. His current clinical approach integrates advanced imaging (including echocardiography and exercise stress echocardiography) to deliver precise, personalised, and evidence-based care.

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At LP Cardiology, he focuses on heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), cardio-oncology, and preventive cardiology, with an emphasis on early detection, physiological assessment, and long-term patient outcomes.

Research & Publications

Publications

  1. Palka P, Hilling-Smith R, Swann R, Allwood S, Moore A, Bian C, Lange A. Left ventricular to left atrial volume ratio in the assessment of filling pressure in patients with dyspnoea and preserved ejection fraction. Front. Cardiovasc. Med. 2024;11:1357006. DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2024.1357006.

  2. Lange A, Palka V, Bian C, Huntress H, Morgan J, Allwood S, Swann R, Palka P. Left heart remodelling in hypertensive patients: a comprehensive echocardiography and computed tomography study. Front. Cardiovasc. Med. 2023;10:1295537. DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2023.1295537.

  3. Lange A, Huntress H, Steindl J, Palka P. Incremental role of CT coronary angiography in the assessment of left ventricular diastolic function. Open Heart 2021;8:e001566.

  4. Sturgess DJ, Fairless S, Palka P, Presneill J. Prolonged echocardiography - guided resuscitation of pulseless electrical activity cardiac arrest due to Prinzmetal angina. Internal Medicine Journal 2014;44:1257-8.

  5. Palka P, Lange A, Galbraith A, Duhig E, Clarke BE, Parsonage W, Donnelly JE, Stafford WJ, Burstow DJ. The role of left and right ventricular Doppler tissue echocardiographic indices in the evaluation of acute rejection in orthotopic heart transplant. J Am Soc Echocardiogr 2005;18:107-115.

  6. Palka P, Lange A, Atherton J, Stafford WJ, Burstow DJ. Biventricular diastolic behaviour in patients with hypertrophic and hereditary hemochromatosis cardiomyopathies. Eur Echo Journal 2004;5:356-366.

  7. Palka P, Lange A, Ward C. A fatal case of idiopathic restrictive cardiomyopathy in infant. Cardiol Young 2003;13:469-471.

  8. Palka P, Lange A, Burstow DJ. Different presentation of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in monozygotic twins. Heart 2003;89:751.

  9. Palka P, Lange A, Clarke B, Duhig E, Galbraith A. Echocardiographic description of recurrent idiopathic giant-cell myocarditis in cardiac allograft. Circulation 2003;108:e1-e3.

  10. Adsett M, West MJ, Galbraith A, Duhig E, Palka P. Eosinophilic heart: Marked left ventricular wall thickening and myocardial dysfunction improving with corticosteroid therapy. Echocardiography. 2003;20:369-374.

  11. Palka P, Lange A, Tam R, Burstow, DJ. Needle in the heart. Circulation 2003;107:e56-e57.

  12. Lange A, Coleman DM, Palka P, Burstow DJ, Wilkinson JL, Godman MJ. The effect of catheter device closure of atrial septal defect on left ventricular systolic and diastolic function. Am J Cardiol. 2003;91:104-8.

  13. Palka P, Lange A, Donnelly JE, Nihoyannopoulos P, Burstow DJ. Tissue Doppler echocardiographic features of cardiac amyloidosis. J Am Soc Echocardiogr. 2002;15:1353-60.

  14. Lange A, Palka P, Donnelly JE, Burstow DJ. Quantification of mitral regurgitation orifice area by three-dimensional echocardiography: comparison with effective regurgitant orifice area by PISA method and proximal regurgitant jet diameter. Int J Cardiol. 2002;86:87-98.

  15. Palka P, Macdonald G, Lange A, Burstow DJ. The role of Doppler left ventricular filling indices and tissue Doppler echocardiography in the assessment of cardiac involvement in hereditary hemochromatosis. J Am Soc Echocardiogr  2002;15:884-890.

  16. Palka P, Harrocks S, Lange A, Burstow DJ, O’Brien MF. Primary aortic valve replacement with cryopreserved aortic allograft – an echocardiographic follow-up study of 570 patients. Circulation. 2002;105:61-66.

  17. Palka P, Duhig E, Carey L, Galbraith A. Primary oxalosis with cardiac involvement: Echocardiographic features of an unusual form of cardiomyopathy. Circulation. 2001;103:e122-e123.

  18. Lange A, Palka P, Burstow DJ, Godman MJ. Three-dimensional echocardiography historical development and current applications. J Am Soc Echocardiogr. 2001;14:403-12.

  19. Palka P, Lange A, Burstow DJ. Doppler myocardial velocity gradient as a new diagnostic index for the assessment of myocardial disease. (Polish title: Dopplerowski gradient predkosci miokardium jako nowy parametr w rozpoznawaniu chorób miesnia sercowego). Pol. Merk. Lek. 2001;61:72-78.

  20. Palka P, Anderson B, Lange A. Large coiled right ventricular outflow tract thrombus resolved after thrombolytic therapy. Heart. 2001;86:505.

  21. Dutka DP, Donnelly JE, Palka P, Lange A, Nunez DJ, Nihoyannopoulos P. Echocardiographic characterisation of cardiomyopathy in Friedreich’s ataxia with tissue Doppler echocardiographically derived myocardial velocity gradients. Circulation. 2000;102:1276-1282.

  22. Palka P, Lange A, Donnelly JE, Nihoyannopoulos P. Differentiation between restrictive cardiomyopathy and constrictive pericarditis by early diastolic Doppler myocardial velocity gradient at the posterior wall. Circulation. 2000;102:655-662.

  23. Lange A, Mankad P, Walayat M, Palka P, Burns JE, Godman MJ. Transthoracic three-dimensional echocardiography in the preoperative assessment of atrioventricular septal defect morphology. Am J Cardiol. 2000;85:630-635.

  24. Palka P, Lange A, Ferrington C, Fox KAA. Mean myocardial velocity mapping in quantifying regional myocardial contractile reserve with impaired left ventricular systolic function: Doppler myocardial imaging study. J Am Soc Echocardiogr. 2000;13:96-107.

  25. Palka P, Lange A, Nihoyannopoulos P. The effect of long-term training on age-related left ventricular changes by Doppler myocardial velocity gradient. Am J Cardiol. 1999;84:1061-1067.

  26. Palka P. Analysis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (Etude des myocardiopathies hypertrophiques). Realites Cardiologiques (Echocardiographie - Doppler) 1999;139:23-7.

  27. Lange A, Palka P, Nowicki A, Olszewski R, Anderson T, Adamus J, Sutherland GR, Fox KAA. Three-dimensional echocardiographic evaluation of left ventricular volume: Comparison of Doppler myocardial imaging and standard grey-scale imaging with cineventriculography - an in vitro and in vivo study. Am Heart J. 1998;135:970-9.

  28. Caso P, Ascione L, Lange A, Palka P, Mininni N, Sutherland GR. Diagnostic value of transoesophageal echocardiography in the assessment of congenitally corrected transposition of great arteries in adult patients. Am Heart J. 1998;135:43-50.

  29. Palka P, Lange A, Fleming AD, Donnelly JE, Dutka DP, Starkey IR, Shaw TRD, Sutherland GR, Fox KAA. Differences in myocardial velocity gradient measured throughout the cardiac cycle in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, athletes and hypertensive hearts. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1997;30:760-768.

  30. Palka P, Lange A, Wright RA, Starkey IR, Fleming AD, Bouki KP, Sutherland GR, Shaw TRD, Fox KAA. Myocardial velocity gradient measured throughout the cardiac cycle in dilated cardiomyopathy hearts - a potential new parameter of systolic and diastolic myocardial function by Doppler myocardial imaging. Eur J Ultrasound. 1997;5:141-154.

  31. Lange A, Palka P, Caso P, Fenn LN, Olszewski R, Ramo MP, Shaw TRD, Nowicki A, Fox KAA, Sutherland GR. Doppler myocardial imaging vs. B-mode grey-scale imaging: A comparative in vitro and in vivo study into their relative efficacy in endocardial boundary detection. Ultrasound Med Biol. 1997;23:69-75.

  32. Lange A, Walayat M, Turnbull CM, Palka P, Mankad P, Sutherland GR, Godman MJ. Assessment of atrial septal defect morphology by transthoracic three-dimensional echocardiography using standard grey-scale and Doppler imaging techniques: comparison with magnetic resonance imaging and intraoperative findings. Heart.1997;78:382-389.

  33. Palka P, Lange A, Fleming AD, Fenn LN, Bouki KP, Shaw TRD, Fox KAA, McDicken WN, Sutherland GR. Age-related transmural peak mean velocities and peak velocity gradients by Doppler myocardial imaging in normal subjects. Eur Heart J. 1996;17:940-50.

  34. Fleming AD, Palka P, McDicken WN, Sutherland GR. Verification of cardiac Doppler tissue images using grey-scale M-mode images. Ultrasound Med Biol. 1996;22:573-581.

  35. Bouki KP, Lange A, Palka P, Moran CM, Fenn LN, Wright RA, Fox KAA, McDicken WN, Sutherland GR. Regional variation of ultrasonic integrated backscatter in normal and myopathic left ventricles-a new multi-view approach. Eur Heart J. 1996;17:1747-55.

  36. Sutherland GR, Palka P, Lange A, Grubb N, McDicken WN. Doppler myocardial imaging. Cardiovascular Imag. 1996;8:251-255.

  37. Lange A, Wright RA, Al-Nafusi A, Sang C, Palka P, Sutherland GR. Doppler myocardial imaging: a potential better method of data acquisition for three-dimensional echocardiography. J Am Soc Echocardiogr. 1996;9:918-921.

  38. Sutherland GR, Lange A, Palka P, Grubb N, Fleming A, McDicken WN. Doppler myocardial imaging new insights - or simply old information revisited? Heart. 1996;76:197-199 (editorial).

  39. Palka P, Lange A, Fleming A, Sutherland GR, Fenn LN, McDicken WN. Doppler tissue imaging: Myocardial wall motion velocities in normal subjects. J Am Soc Echocardiogr. 1995;8:659-68.

  40. Lange A, Moran CM, Palka P, Fenn LN, Sutherland GR, McDicken WN. The variation of integrated backscatter in human hearts using differing ultrasonic views. J Am Soc Echocardiogr 1995;8:830-8.

  41. Lewczuk J, Palka P, Reczuch K, Piszko P, Spikowski J, Wrabec K. Clinical, electrocardiographic, and electrophysiologic assessment of intravenous and oral ipratropium bromide in patients with symptomatic bradycardia. Polski Tygodnik Lekarski.1993;14:324-326.

  42. Lewczuk J, Piszko P, Kowalska-Superlak M, Wrabec K, Knap J, Palka P, Porada A. Physiotherapy in patients with chronic obstructive air-ways disease according to subjective and objective criteria. Pneum. i Alergol. Pol.1991;59:3-4.

  43. Lewczuk J, Spikowski J, Piszko P, Trzesicka M, Sobkowicz-Wozniak B, Palka P, Porada A, Wrabec K. Effect of physiotherapy on pulmonary circulation in patients with hipoxic cor pulmonale. Kardiol. Pol.(Polish Heart Journal). 1991;2:75-80.

  44. Lewczuk J, Spikowski J, Sobkowicz-Wozniak B, Porada A, Wrabec K, Trzesicka M, Piszko P, Palka P, Szczygielski J. Clinical and hemodynamic evaluation of the effect of 6-week prazosin treatment in patients with chronic obstructive air-ways disease. Kardiol. Pol. (Polish Heart Journal). 1990;6:358-364.

  45. Lewczuk J, Piszko P, Kowalska-Superlak M, Porada A, Knap J, Palka P. Influence of physiotherapy on the results of exercise tolerance test, blood gases and spirometry in patients with chronic obstructive air-ways disease. Postepy Rehabilitacji. 1989;3:173-178.

  46. Sobkowicz-Wozniak B, Trzesicka M, Lewczuk J, Spikowski J, Palka P, Porada A, Piszko P, Wrabec K. Echocardiografia dopplerowska w ocenie stanu krazenia u chorych z przewleklym sercem plucnym. Czesc II: Zmiennosc niektorych parametrow echocardiografii dopplerowskiej w przebiegu leczenia zostrzenia przewleklej obturacyjnej choroby pluc (Doppler echocardiography in patients with chronic pulmonary disease. Part II: Variability of Doppler parameters during treatment). Ann Acad Med Siles 1989;7:49-54.

  47. Coleman DM, Newton M, Restall RV, Wilkinson LC, Wilkinson JL, Palka P. M-mode Doppler myocardial imaging of the left ventricular posterior wall: Normal values in children and adolescents. J Am Soc Echocardiogr. (submitted) 2002.

  48. Kuś-Klinowska A, Rec K, Witkowski T, Jagielski D, Porada A, Palka P. Zaciskajace zapalenie osierdzia – Nadal trudny diagnostycznie problem na przykładzie 58-letniej chorej Pol. Merk. Lek. 2002 (submitted)

  49. Palka P, Lange A, Atherton J, Carey L, Donnelly EJ, Stafford WJ, West M, Burstow DJ. The role of conventional diastolic Doppler flow and Doppler tissue echocardiography in the description of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Int J Cardiol 2004 (submitted).

  50. Palka P, Lange A, Duhig E, Whight C, Stafford WJ, Burstow DJ. Should currently used diagnostic criteria for the description of cardiomyopathies be revised? Echocardiography 2003 (submitted).

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Book Chapters

  1. Sutherland GR, Lange A, Palka P, McDicken NW. Doppler Myocardial Imaging. In: Perez JE & Lang RM, eds. Echocardiography and Cardiovascular Function: Tools for the Next Decade. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht / Boston / London; 1997:241-268.

  2. Palka P. Echocardiographic assessment of myocardial diseases by Doppler myocardial imaging. Biblioteka Instytutu Kardiologii. Warsaw; 1999:1-212.​

  3. Lange A, Palka P. Atrioventricular Septal Defects. Guide to Rare Disorders In: National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc (NORD): Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, PA; 2002:43-44.​

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