Limerick doctor talks about scanning sports stars

IT IS hard to put into words the anxiety one can feel while waiting on the result of a scan.

Whether you’re an athlete with a torn hamstring, or someone who has discovered a lump on their body, the wait for news can be unbearable.

Now, Dr Kevin Cronin and his business partner Leigh Tweddle have set up a new clinic, which, they say, aims to provide fast, accurate results to ultrasound scans.

Having met at a conference, the pair set up Insight Ultrasound, based at the former National Rusks Factory at Dock Road on the edge of the city. They are pictured below outside their premises.

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Both men are qualified sonographers - healthcare professionals who use ultrasound technology to create images of the inside of the body.

These aid in the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions.

Doctors from across the region refer patients to their clinic.

“The turnaround is key. We are getting all our reports back to referring clinicians from private scans in under 12 hours,” said Dr Cronin, who was born and raised in Martinstown and played underage hurling for Kilmallock.

When it comes to diagnosis, speed and accuracy are the twin pillars, giving Insight Ultrasound an edge.

It’s something Mr Tweddle picks up on.

“We are both cut from the same cloth. I think what we are both similar in is, if you are sent for an ultrasound, if you’ve found a bump or a lump, or you’ve got a pain, or in the early stage of a pregnancy and you’re bleeding, what you want is a quick appointment. The waiting, as anyone will tell you, is the worst part when it comes to your own health,” he said.

Dr Cronin adds: “We had a patient in here this morning and she was really stressed. She had only gone to her GP last Thursday. But she had a scan here today, and the report is back with the GP today. She can go and enjoy her breakfast, in the ease of knowing there is nothing significant or sensitive from that examination.”

In some cases, ultrasound reports have been made available from Insight just 90 minutes after the scan, Mr Tweddle said.

The pair initially met up at a medical conference two years ago, which Dr Cronin was chairing.

They did not know each other prior to that, but, in an ironic twist, Mr Tweddle - although born in Australia - is now living in Bruff, which borders his colleague’s home parish.

“Our skillsets are different, our experiences are different. Kevin’s niche would be elite level ultrasound in terms of muscle tears, tendon tears. My niche would be women’s health, in particular gynaecological scanning and obstetric scanning,” said Mr Tweddle.

He added their different specialties mean they are “across the whole gamut” of what they can offer to patients.

Both men say they have a “passion” for ultrasound, a slogan which is reflected on their surgery’s website.

Dr Cronin is a lecturer at University College Dublin’s School of Medicine.

He lives in Greystones, Co Wicklow, with his wife Margaret and their nine-month old baby daughter Fiadh.

While he spends one day a week in Limerick, his work in the capital means he is in Dublin for the remainder.

Dr Cronin’s colleague, Mr Tweddle is in Limerick all week long, however.

A guest lecturer at Brunel University in London, Dr Cronin has worked with some of the top sporting teams in the world, including English soccer giants Liverpool and Chelsea.

He is currently providing a service to another team cross-channel, Crystal Palace FC.

One of the Premier League’s form sides, the London club are in the semi-finals of the FA Cup, which is the world’s oldest knockout competition.

One of the most common injuries to afflict athletes across the spectrum is hamstring tears.

With Crystal Palace experiencing their fair share of hamstring injuries among their first team, the father-of-one has stepped in.

“One key area we measure is the fibres of the hamstring muscles, with ultrasound. In a nutshell, long is strong. The longer the fibre length, the stronger the health of the hamstring muscle itself. We use ultrasound as a monitor through the course of the season to screen the fibre length of the hamstring muscles. If a fibre length was to shorten up, that player is susceptible to sustaining a hamstring injury,” he explained.

Back in Ireland, GAA players from across the country have visited Insight Ultrasound.

Dr Cronin proudly points out that he has supported men and women in all codes from all the counties across the Munster province, excluding Tipperary.

He says the pressure these amateur players put their bodies under now is completely different to yesteryear.

“The load has increased for the players themselves. You now see them train two to three times per week with a match at the weekend. That could span across five or six months. The intensity of the training simulates what happens in a match. The injuries then increase, and then if the players have a history of injury , they have a higher risk of re-injury,” he said.

Working in professional set-ups has greatly enhanced Dr Cronin's outlook, he said.

“It's been huge for my development - surrounding myself with some of the best people in the field. You're learning from orthopaedic doctors, some of the best physiotherapists. Most evenings when I drive home to Wicklow, I am on the phone with some of the physiotherapists who have referred patients to me. They are discussing various different types of exercises and maybe constant ‘return to play’ timeframes. I think it's really important to link in with webinars every so often. Opinions and research are constantly changing,” he said.

Although based mostly in Wicklow and Dublin, Dr Cronin has great memories of growing up in rural Limerick.

“It was a proper country life, growing up outside, with fresh air and the farms. My neighbours were farmers. I went to school in Kilmallock. It was a fantastic time. I love coming back to Limerick,” he concluded.