ISHV
Cardiologist Lily Dastmalchi, DO, earns national menopause specialization credential
Lily N. Dastmalchi, DO, MA, FACC, FASPC, MSCP, is board certified in cardiovascular disease, echocardiography and internal medicine. She leads the development of menopause services at Inova Schar Heart and Vascular and is one of the only cardiologists in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area who has earned a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner (MSCP) credential, affirming…
Read MoreThe American Heart Association has updated high blood pressure guidelines
In August 2025, the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology (AHA/ACC) published updated high blood pressure (also known as hypertension) guidelines. The guidelines, updated for the first time since 2017, include several new recommendations that patients and their primary care providers should know. “These are the most up-to-date guidelines for treating patients with one of…
Read MoreSaved by heart surgery, sustained by compassionate care
Six years ago, Gary Hughes scheduled what he thought would be a routine checkup. Instead, his physician delivered a startling message: “I can hear your heart in the next room – you need to see a cardiologist right away.” Gary’s cardiologist diagnosed an abnormal valve requiring surgery – a shock for someone who felt healthy…
Read MoreInova’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…
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