Doctor Raj Makkar

I began my interventional career 25 years ago firmly believing that solutions to heart diseases in the Catheterization Lab needed to come from a combination of mechanical and biologic tools. While my earlier focus was on stent thrombosis and restenosis, over the last 11 years, I have developed a special interest in transcatheter aortic valve replacement. To date, I have performed close to 3000 TAVR procedures with excellent clinical outcomes. In addition to a high volume of cases, I have contributed extensively to the literature, participating in numerous multicenter clinical trials of TAVR. Notably, I have been involved in every PARTNER trial to date and am cumulatively the highest enroller in the PARTNER series. This contribution has been reflected in authorship of numerous manuscripts in high-ranking peer-reviewed journals, including six New England Journal of Medicine publications. Most recently, I have developed a further interest in leaflet motion abnormalities in TAVR patients.