Sunil Rao, MD

As an interventional cardiologist, I open blocked arteries and restore healthy blood flow to the heart. This often involves using a stent to open an arterial blockage to prevent or treat heart attack. It is a very satisfying area of medicine. I am able to diagnose and treat a condition in real time, and take someone who was sick or even at risk of death and make them feel much, much better, while also improving their overall health. I can also show them pictures of their heart, and educate them about what was happening, how it was fixed, and what they can do to prevent future blockages.

In addition to providing the highest-quality cardiac care, I am also extremely interested in finding ways to make these treatments as safe as possible. Early in my career, nearly all cardiac interventional procedures used the femoral artery in the groin to access the coronary arteries. This procedure comes with risk of bleeding and requires a day or two of recovery in the hospital. I wondered early on: Is there another, safer way to access the heart?

After a lot of research on alternatives to the femoral artery, I settled on investigating procedures that originated in the radial artery in the wrist. This artery is easy to access, which reduces the risk of serious bleeding after the procedure. Plus, this artery is in the arm and not the leg, so people can get up and walk around more quickly after the procedure.

As I did more radial access procedures, I became convinced that this was a safer, less invasive approach to cardiac stenting. But my hunch was not enough—the field of cardiology needed data to prove why this procedure should be more widely used. My research showed the improved safety of the radial approach. We then conducted another study to figure out why the procedure was not more commonly used in hospitals across the country. Physician training was the differentiator, and so my research led to an increase in the availability of training courses for interventional cardiologists around the world.

In 2007, when I began my research, national databases reported that only 1 percent of all cardiac catheterizations were done through radial access. By 2021, that figure was up to 65 percent. Research by my team led to this transformation in interventional cardiology, and in turn a better, safer, and easier experience for patients.

As director of interventional cardiology at NYU Langone, I ensure that patients get the highest quality and safest cardiovascular procedures. I am also always trying to improve the patient experience. My research focuses on developing new treatments for heart disease and implementing proven treatments to improve cardiovascular health.