Aasha S. Gopal, MD

As a noninvasive cardiologist, I use echocardiography to aid in the diagnosis and management of heart disease, including conditions that affect the aortic, mitral, and tricuspid valves.

Echocardiography helps detect arterial blockages and structural problems in the heart. I perform tests including transthoracic, transesophageal, three-dimensional, exercise, and dobutamine stress echocardiography. During heart procedures, including transcatheter aortic valve replacement, MitraClip^® placement, and left atrial appendage occlusion device placement, I use live transesophageal echocardiographic guidance. This aids the cardiac surgeon or interventional cardiologist as they perform these procedures.

My treatment philosophy is grounded in educating patients about their conditions and how they are managed. I encourage shared decision-making, where I talk with patients and their families to determine the best treatment plan. Above all, compassion is my guiding principle, and the patients’ needs and wishes are always foremost in my mind.

I enjoy being a cardiologist, because it is a dynamic field that is fueled by innovation. Treatment is always advancing, from new medications that allow a person to avoid surgery to advances in device therapy that provide people with relief from the most common and chronic long-term symptoms of heart disease. These include chest pain, shortness of breath, palpitations, dizziness, and fainting.

I have more than 25 years of cardiac imaging experience and am actively involved in research into the newest therapies. I am an investigator in clinical trials, looking into new treatments for heart valve disease and the role of cardiac imaging in managing valvular heart diseases and conditions that affect left ventricular, right ventricular, and atrial function.

I am a recipient of Principal Investigatorship and Grant-in-Aid awards from the American Heart Association, New York City Affiliate. I have served on the board of directors of the American Society of Echocardiography and as a member of its research committee. I am a fellow of the American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association, and American Society of Echocardiography and a member of Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. I also served on the board of directors of the South Asian Council for Social Services, which manages a food pantry and provides support to economically challenged people living in Queens.