Dr. Anuj R Shah is a Cardiovascular Disease Specialist and the Founder and director of Apex Heart and Vascular Center. He holds multiple board certifications in Cardiology and Interventional Cardiology. Dr. Shah graduated from one of the top universities in India, Gujarat University, in 2003 with six gold medals and honors. He completed a residency and fellowship at University of Connecticut and published numerous articles and abstracts in peer-reviewed journals. He was trained in complex cardiac and vascular cases at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York. Dr. Shah was selected for The Young Investigator Award from American Society of Nuclear Cardiology and has spoken at several national cardiology conferences on cardiogenic shock. Dr. Shah has held leadership positions including Director of Vascular Interventions at Good Samaritan Hospital and Bon Secours Hospital in NY. He also served as the Assistant Professor of Medicine at The Mount Sinai Medical Center. Dr. Shah currently has hospital privileges and performs interventional procedures at The Hackensack University Medical Center, St. Mary’s Medical Center and St. Michaels Medical Center. He specializes in the treatment of circulatory disease, treatment of varicose veins, swelling of the legs, and venous ulcers. Dr. Shah was the past President of the Bergen Indian Medical Association.
DR. ANUJ R. SHAH BIOGRAPHY
TREATED
Treated over 8,000 patients
PUBLISHED
Published 50+ articles in trade journals
CASES
Completed more than 10,000 cases
DR. SHAH'S MEDICAL SUCCESS STORIES
What are some of your favorite medical success stories with patients?
I have had the privilege of performing over 10,000 lifesaving cardiac procedures and interventions. I am proud to be part of a team that saves lives and limbs. Here are some of my favorite medical success stories:
ANGIOPLASTY USING IMPELLA AND ROTATIONAL ATHERECTOMY. When I completed my first complex angioplasty using Impella and rotational atherectomy of the left main vessel to help a lady who was 74 and was told she would not be able to survive open-heart surgery. I did her case and she's still doing well to this day!
UNPROTECTED LEFT MAIN ANGIOPLASTY. When 52-year-old Mr. K -came to my hospital in cardiac arrest, he had 18 shocks to his heart and ongoing CPR, but they couldn't bring him back. When I brought him to the cath lab, his heart had no blood flow (the main artery feeding the left side of the heart - left main) was occluded, and the mortality for this condition is close to 99%. However, I did not let the bleak statistics get in my way. I helped him survive by putting an Impella in and opening his blockages right away. Six years later, he still comes to see me every two months and can't stop expressing his gratitude.
IMPELLA PLACEMENT AND ANGIOPLASTY OF THE LAD. When Mr. P had a massive heart attack (myocardial infarction), he survived and his daughter was supposed to get married the following week. An hour later, he went into sudden cardiac arrest again. Most doctors would have given up, but upon the insistence of his family and through my determination, we brought him back to life. I got him out of cardiogenic shock and fixed his other vessels, and eventually, Mr. P survived. He had to wear a life vest device, but he could go to his daughter's wedding, and wore the life vest device under his Tuxedo and was able to have a father-daughter dance for her wedding. I was invited to the wedding, and they thanked me in the wedding speech.
LIMB SALVAGE PERIPHERAL VASCULAR ATHERECTOMY & ANGIOPLASTY. I had a patient who had type two diabetes and ended up getting a foot infection. He was told by multiple doctors that he would have to get an amputation and lose his foot. Unfortunately, he had a lot of blockages that were very difficult to open. When I met him, he looked at me and said, "Doctor, I believe in you. Something tells me that you can save my limb." Fortunately, after a complex four-hour case, we restored blood flow to his foot. After months of rigorous wound care and antibiotics and a few other trips to the cath lab, we healed his gangrene completely, and he never lost that limb! He shows us videos of himself dancing in follow up visits, and every time I see him proudly smiling at his dance moves - I know that is a moment of triumph - for him and me.
MEDICAL
SPECIALTIES
INCLUDE:
Dr. Shah specializes in placing Impella catheters and percutaneous left ventricular assist devices (artificial heart pumps). Dr. Shah uses percutaneous artificial heart devices to support patients during severe cardiogenic shock and during complex procedures and coronary intervention. This enables him to help open blockages for people who are considered too high risk for open-heart surgery (Coronary Artery Bypass Graft). Dr. Shah had one of the highest volumes of Impella in the state of NJ (top 5).
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Peripheral vascular structural heart disease and very complex coronary interventions for patients who are not candidates for open-heart surgery.
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Fixing very complex blockages in the heart that require atherectomy devices.
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Cardiac cath via radial approach.
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Fixing complex vascular blockages including below knee tibial and below ankle cases, Pedal Loop (TAMI) technique, novel access including pedal access.
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Performing thrombolysis during acute pulmonary embolism (clot in lung blood vessels) and acute deep vein thrombosis (clots in leg blood vessels) – very few interventionalists do these. (Less than 10 doctors in New Jersey)
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Putting Impella catheters (these are percutaneous artificial heart devices) – we use this to support patients during cardiogenic shock and to help them support during complex procedures. This enables us to help open blockages for people who are considered too high risk for open-heart surgery (CABG). I had one of the highest volumes of Impella in the state.
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Dr. Shah has access to the radial artery and pedal artery, which provides the ability to make a difference in performing vascular and cardiac interventions.
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Specializes in a special technique to help open blockages below the knee blood vessels (tibial vessels) with the pedal loop technique. Very few interventional cardiologists do this.
VASCULAR EXPERT IN:
PERIPHERAL
ARTERIAL
DISEASE
CRITICAL LIMB ISCHEMIA
VENOUS INSUFFICIENCY
CORONARY
ARTERY
DISEASE
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Trained at one of the top interventional cardiology institutes, performing and fixing complex blockages in the heart and lungs
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Performs procedures with new access to modalities and cutting-edge technology
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One of the youngest interventional cardiologists to perform 10,000 cases
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Teaches residents, medical students, and fellows at various institutes
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Served as an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital
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Published over 50 abstracts in cardiology
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Currently researching the rise of Artificial Intelligence in the field of cardiology
