lifeand health
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Habib Bassil, MD,
is board-certifed in
cardiology. He received his medical degree
from St. Joseph’s Jesuits Medical School
in Beirut. He completed his residency
in internal medicine and fellowships in
cardiology and invasive cardiology at
St. Michael’s Medical Center, Seton Hall Uni-
versity School of Graduate Medical Educa-
tion. Dr. Bassil is the medical director for
HRH’s Center for Cardiovascular Services.
Said Iskandar, MD,
is board-certifed
in internal medicine. He is trained in
clinical cardiology as well as cardiac
imaging, including 64-slice CT (computed
tomography) angiography and cardiac
catheterization. He received his medical
degree from Lebanese University in Bei-
rut, Lebanon. He completed his residency
in internal medicine and fellowships in
cardiology and invasive cardiology at East
Tennessee State University.
Gareth Titus, MD,
received his
medical degree from the University of the
Meet the doctors who care for your heart
West Indies in St. Augustine, Trinidad. He
completed his internal medicine resi-
dency at Howard University Hospital and
his clinical fellowship in cardiology at the
University of Toronto.
Janardhan Srinivasan, MD,
who
joined the Halifax Regional Hospital (HRH)
medical staf on August 1, is the new-
est member of the cardiology team. He
Cardiologists Habib Bassil, MD, (left) Gareth Titus, MD, and Said Iskandar, MD
heart care close to home
the disease is coronary heart disease,
or atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis
occurs when the coronary arteries,
which carry blood to the heart, be-
come hard and narrow due to plaque
buildup.
“Coronary artery interven-
tion with balloon angioplasty and
stents can unblock arteries of the
heart without requiring open-heart
surgery,” Dr. Bassil says. “Recovery
from this procedure is faster than
from open-heart surgery. Tere are
also fewer complications. Te pro-
cedure takes place in HRH’s cardiac
catheterization lab and requires
only a 24- to 48-hour stay in the
hospital.”
Balloon angioplasty and stents can
help people with PAD by unblocking
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balloon angioplasty
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coronary stents (heart)
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peripheral stents (legs and renal)
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pacemaker implants
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ICD implants
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intra-aortic balloon pump
insertion.
“Te future of heart care at
Halifax Regional continues to look
strong, and we are pleased to keep
quality heart care close to home for
so many people in Southern Vir-
ginia,” Dr. Bassil says.
To fnd more information about
HRH’s Center for Cardiovascular
Services or the cardiologists on the
HRH medical staf, please visit
www.hrhs.org.
the leg arteries and improving the
blood fow to the legs and feet. In
some circumstances, this procedure
can replace surgery.
More heart-related services
HRH’s Center for Cardiovascular
Services has a state-of-the-art imag-
ing system that delivers clear, precise
images to enable the physicians to
detect heart or vascular problems at
an earlier stage and provide prompt
diagnosis and treatment. Te center
serves patients who need cardiac
and peripheral vascular services,
including:
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diagnostic cardiac catheterization
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transesophageal echocardiogram
(TEE)
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IVC flter replacement and removal
is board-certifed in internal medicine
and cardiology. He earned his medical
degree fromMadras Medical College and
Research Institute in Chennai, India. He
completed his internal medicine resi-
dency at Bridgeport Hospital and a clini-
cal fellowship in interventional cardiology
at Yale University School of Medicine.
Janardhan
Srinivasan, MD