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

When someone has blocked arteries causing chest pain (angina) or even a heart attack, Patel can perform specialized procedures to clear the blockage and immediately restore blood flow. He takes on the tough cases: helping people who were told surgery wasn’t an option or who had a bypass that didn’t work.

Meet an interventional cardiologist

We asked Patel our 7 short 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 the experienced doctors who have been involved in my training for a couple of decades treat their patients has been very informative and in many cases inspiring.

2. What is your favorite part of your job?

It is extremely satisfying to meet a patient, help them understand their medical problems, treat them, and then follow up with them, especially when they feel better. That, combined with some of the education and research we do at places like UVA Health, makes it exciting to get up in the morning and come to work.

3. What is your greatest fear as a patient?

When I see patients, whether they are the head of a department 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 knowledge.

I hope that if I were a patient, someone would do the same to me. Because even if you have extensive medical training and experience, when you are the patient, all of this disappears. You want to be treated like a person.

4. What do you do to relieve stress?

I enjoy spending time with friends and family. I like to exercise. And I’m very passionate about all things aviation. I am a pilot and I love flying.

5. Dogs or cats?

I’m definitely a dog person.

6. Last film you saw? Thumbs up or down?

Happy Gilmore Part 2. Definitely a thumbs up.

7. Best advice you’ve ever heard?

Be your best, whatever you do.