7 Quick Questions With Interventional Cardiologist Rajan Patel

An interventional cardiologist, Rajan Patel, MD, is a heart doctor who repairs blocked or damaged blood vessels without performing open heart surgery. This means that instead of cutting open the chest, it uses small tubes, wires and devices to move through blood vessels – usually starting in the wrist or groin – to get to the heart.

When a person has a blocked artery that causes chest pain (angina) or even a heart attack, Patel can perform a special procedure to clear the blockage and immediately restore blood flow. He works on difficult cases – helping people who have been told surgery isn’t an option or who have had shortcuts that haven’t worked.

See an Interventional Cardiologist

We asked Patel 7 quick questions to get to know him better.

1. What has most inspired and shaped your approach to patient care?

The influence of my mentors over the years. Seeing how senior doctors who have been involved in my training for decades care for their patients is educational and often inspiring.

2. What is your favorite part of your job?

It’s rewarding to meet a patient, help them understand their medical problem, treat it, and then follow up, especially when they feel better. This, combined with some of the education and research we do at places like UVA Health, makes getting up in the morning and going to work fun.

3. What is your biggest fear as a patient?

When I see patients, whether they are department heads or someone who has never been in a hospital before, I try to explain things in a way that they can understand without any medical background.

I wish if I were a patient, someone would do that to me. Because even if someone has extensive medical education and experience, when you become the patient, all of that disappears. You want to be treated like a human being.

4. What do you do to relieve stress?

I enjoy spending time with friends and family. I enjoy sports. And I am very interested in everything about aviation. I am a pilot and I love flying.

5. Dog or cat?

I’m a dog lover for sure.

6. Last movie you watched? Do you like it up or down?

Happy Gilmore Part 2. Definitely a thumbs up.

7. Best advice you’ve ever heard?

Be the best, whatever you do.