ISHV
Inova’s commitment to using blood wisely
Alan M. Speir, MD, is Director Emeritus of Cardiac Surgery for Inova and a Senior Associate Director of Inova Schar Heart and Vascular. He is board certified in thoracic and cardiac surgery. Mary Looby, PharmD, BCCCP, is a critical care clinical pharmacy specialist who currently serves as the Director of Quality for Inova Schar Heart…
Read MoreCollaboration and innovation equals a multidisciplinary dream team for complex aortic disease
The aorta and its major arteries carry blood to all the body’s essential organs. Because of this, an aortic aneurysm or dissection can be quite serious. Should surgical treatment be needed to avoid a life-threatening rupture or other adverse event, there are a wide variety of possible approaches available, each with a combination of benefits…
Read MoreDedicated expertise leads to outstanding outcomes for Type A aortic dissection at Inova Schar Heart and Vascular
Survival rates around 90% Type A aortic dissection is a medical emergency that requires immediate surgical repair. About half the people who experience a Type A aortic dissection do not survive long enough to reach the hospital. And even when patients make it through a hospital’s doors, they face an uphill battle. Nationwide, the patient…
Read MoreCardiogenetics helps refine management for patients and families
Cardiovascular genetics has rapidly evolved. Today, cardiogenetics can significantly impact treatment and management of cardiovascular disease in patients whose condition has a genetic component. This information is relevant not just to the patient but to other family members who may be at risk as well. However, the number of patients referred for this testing has…
Read MoreInova among the first to offer ShortCut technology for valve-in-valve TAVR redos
In 2025, Inova’s expert structural heart and valve disease team began using Pi-Cardia’s ShortCut™ catheter, the only FDA-approved device for leaflet modification in valve-in-valve transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), also known as a “redo” TAVR. Inova is among the first health systems in the nation to use this technology, which is the only device that…
Read MoreThe comprehensive clinical research enterprise at Inova Schar Heart and Vascular
When Inova promotes having access to the latest clinical trials, it’s not just a talking point. With the support of Inova’s leadership, Inova Schar Heart and Vascular has built a comprehensive clinical research enterprise that spans many dimensions of cardiology and offers a menu of trials that rivals the nation’s elite heart centers. Many forms…
Read MoreEP innovations at Inova Schar Heart and Vascular
Bachmann bundle and PFA Reducing AFib risk for patients with pacemakers A pacemaker implantation is often recommended for patients who present with a heart rhythm that is too slow. However, using traditional pacemaker implantation methods sometimes result in the onset of atrial fibrillation (AFib), which occurs in 30 to 50% of patients within the first…
Read MoreInova offers two new, leading-edge technologies to treat and prevent AFib
Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is the most common type of irregular heart rhythm, affecting more than 12 million people in the United States. When a person is experiencing AFib, the heart’s top two chambers are not beating in sync with the heart’s lower two chambers. This means that blood is not flowing through the heart efficiently,…
Read MoreMedicare expands coverage for innovative procedures to treat stubborn high blood pressure
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently completed its analysis of two procedures to help people with tough-to-treat high blood pressure (also known as “resistant hypertension”). The CMS analysis expands insurance coverage to these procedures for Medicare patients. Inova Schar Heart and Vascular offers both procedures – radiofrequency renal denervation (known as rRDN)…
Read MoreEP innovations at Inova Schar Heart and Vascular
Bachmann bundle and PFA Reducing AFib risk for patients with pacemakers A pacemaker implantation is often recommended for patients who present with a heart rhythm that is too slow. However, using established methods for pacemaker implantation sometimes results in the onset of atrial fibrillation (AFib), which occurs in 30 to 50% of patients within the…
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