Professional Profile

Prior to taking up her Thoracic and Lung Transplant Consultant post in Ireland, Ms Donna Eaton, MB, BS, PhD, FRCS(CTh) trained in internationally recognised specialist thoracic units in the UK (including The Royal Bromptom & Harefield Trusts and Heartlands Hospitals). In 2011, she was awarded an International Fellowship in Advanced Thoracic Resection and Lung Transplantation at Toronto General Hospital. On her return, she completed a further Minimally Invasive Fellowship at Heartlands Hospital, the largest tertiary referral unit for Thoracic Surgery in the UK. Donna has extensive experience in minimally invasive surgery including thoracoscopic (VATS) and robotic surgery (RATS). She uses minimally invasive technologies for a wide variety of lung cancer resections, mediastinal surgery and specialist thoracic procedures. 

Since taking up practice in Ireland in 2013, she has expanded the range of minimally invasive surgery techniques offered to patients in the Republic. She was the first surgeon in Ireland to routinely offer thoracic robotic surgery and also offers a number of specialist procedures which had previously not been offered within Ireland. Donna's specialist surgical interests include surgical interventions for cardiac arrhythmias, both atrial fibrillation (AF) and life threatening ventricular arrhythmia (prolonged QT and ventricular tachycardias) and thoracoscopic ligation of the left atrial appendage (this reduces the risk of stroke in patients with AF). She has a specialist interest in emphysema surgery, performing lung volume reduction procedures, including minimally invasive surgery (both thoracoscopic and robotic) and endobronchial valve replacement. She was recently appointed the Head of Thoracic Surgery Department at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital and is the lead for Robotic Thoracic Surgery in the unit.

Donna completed her research and was awarded a PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Kings College London. During her research she published a number of high impact peer reviewed articles and continues an active research and publication portfolio. Her current research interests include extensive pleural decortication for mesothelioma and lung volume reduction.  As one of the few surgeons internationally offering specialist denervation techniques she has published on her experience and has been invited to present Internationally at the Asian Cardiology Symposium in Singapore later this year.