In this episode I visit with Dr. Chris Burke from the University of Washington to discuss aortic valve repair. Dr. Burke is a cardiac surgeon with an interest in complex aorta and aortic valve surgery. He provides useful insights into the evaluation of aortic valve disease and what patients may be good candidates for repair. … Continue reading Aortic Valve Repair – Dr. Chris Burke →

I am joined by Shreyas Venkataraman, MD, an internal medicine resident at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St Louis to continue our physical exam series. In this episode we talk about mitral regurgitation and the associated physical exam findings that help increase (or decrease) your likelihood of MR. Links: Evidence-Based Physical Diagnosis The Correlates of an Abnormal … Continue reading Physical Exam Series: Mitral Regurgitation →

In this episode I visit with Dr. Melissa Robinson from the University of Washington to discuss the management of ventricular tachycardia. Our discussion focuses on decisions regarding ICD implantation, anti-arrhythmic drugs and catheter ablation. Through 3 cases that highlight the heterogeneity of VT, we talk about the nuances of these decisions. Links to articles referenced: … Continue reading Ventricular Tachycardia – Dr. Melissa Robinson →

I met with Dr. Eric Krieger from the University of Washington Adult Congenital Heart Disease group to talk about patients with the Fontan palliative shunt. This shunt is used to help infants born with single ventricle physiology survive into adulthood. We discuss the case of an infant born with tricuspid atresia, review the initial surgeries … Continue reading Caring for patients with Fontan physiology – Eric Krieger →

I am joined by co-fellow Alex Taylor, MD and we visit with Alec Moorman, MD to discuss coronary artery disease in patients with chronic kidney disease. We talk about the recent ISCHEMIA-CKD trial, the nuances of treating patients with CKD and CAD and how to handle referrals for cardiac risk assessment prior to kidney transplant. … Continue reading Coronary Artery Disease and Chronic Kidney Disease – Dr. Alec Moorman →

I visit with Dr. Gopalan from Banner University in Phoenix, AZ to discuss his experience with morbidly obese patients with heart failure. We talk about the association of obesity with heart failure, how weight loss can impact functional capacity and the role of bariatric surgery. Links: Bariatric surgery among patients with heart failure: a systematic … Continue reading Bariatric Surgery in Heart Failure – Dr. Gopalan →

I am joined by Shreyas Venkataraman to discuss the physical exam findings of aortic stenosis and how they can help us with the diagnosis and grading of aortic stenosis. We share 2 examples of heart murmurs, discuss likelihood ratios and the physical exam finding that is most consistent with severe aortic stenosis.

I visit with Dr. Jane Wilcox from Northwestern University to discuss patients with heart failure that later have normalization of their ejection fraction (HFrecEF). We discuss how this population is different from other heart failure populations and common issues in managing them. Links: TRED-HF Myocardial Recovery versus Myocardial Remission Penn Heart Failure Study

I visited with Dr Kim Williams, former president of the ACC, to discuss the cardiovascular benefits of a plant based diet. Using stories of patient encounters he shares pearls to take to the bedside and how to talk to patients about plant based diets. Links: PREDIMED International Journal of Disease Reversal and Prevention Review of … Continue reading Plant Based Diets with Kim Williams →

I visit with Robert Christenson PhD about the troponin assays and how they can be falsely positive from anti-body mediated interference. I present a case and we discuss the mechanisms which create the false positives (or negatives) with the assays, how manufacturers are trying to mitigate them and the emerging challenge of biotin supplements. References … Continue reading False Positive Troponins →