Dr. Ruchir Patel

Dr. Biswajit Kar earned his medical degree from the University of Delhi in New Delhi, India. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, where he also finished a fellowship in cardiology and interventional cardiology. During his residency, he was inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. A professor of medicine in the Center for Advanced Cardiopulmonary Therapies and Transplantation at McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), He Dr. Kar is chief of the medical division of the Center for Advanced Heart Failure at Larry D. Johnson Heart & Vascular Institute at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center. Dr. Kar has practiced medicine in Houston since 1995 and is board certified in advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology, cardiovascular disease and interventional cardiology. He specializes in cardiovascular disease, interventional cardiology, advanced heart failure and heart transplantation, and his clinical interests include advanced heart failure, cardiac transplantation, mechanical assist devices, high-risk coronary interventions, structural heart disease and cardiogenic shock. Patients value Dr. Kar’s exceptional listening skills and his ability to explain conditions and answer questions. They also say he doesn’t rush through appointments. Dr. Kar is a member of the American College of Cardiology, American Society of Artificial Organs, American College of Physicians, Heart Failure Society of America and International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation. Dr. Kar is highly rated in 40 conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Cardiogenic Shock, Aortic Valve Stenosis, Heart Attack, Aortic Valve Replacement, and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR).

Dr. Smalling is a native Texan who received a degree in Aerospace Engineering, master’s degree in Bio-Medical Engineering (ME Department), and Ph.D. from The University of Texas. He is an AOA graduate of The University of Texas Medical School at Houston and completed residency and cardiology fellowship at UCSD. Dr. Smalling is board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular medicine, and interventional cardiology and is past president of the American Heart Association, Texas Affiliate. He has been honored as a Distinguished Alumnus of UTHealth in Houston and the College of Engineering, University Texas at Austin. Named an America’s Top Doctor for the past fourteen years, Dr. Smalling has received a number of professional and service awards including the Distinguished Service Award from the AHA Texas Affiliate. He is on the editorial boards of Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions and The Journal of Interventional Cardiology. In addition, he holds several patents and has co-founded a company, Windmill Cardiovascular Systems, to produce a new implantable left ventricular assist device. Dr. Smalling specializes in the treatment of adult congenital heart disease, and valvular heart disease percutaneously as well as peripheral vascular disease interventions including carotid stenting and percutaneous endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm. Additionally, his team is experienced in utilizing left ventricular assist devices to support high risk coronary angioplasty and complicated valve treatment procedures. His research interests include advanced intravascular imaging procedures for coronary artery disease, mechanical and pharmacologic reduction of ischemic myocardial injury and developing advanced heart attack treatment systems. Dr. Smalling is the author of over 240 Scientific Papers, 145 abstracts, 25 book chapters, 2 books, and more than 15 web based CME articles. He and his wife Sharon have 3 children, Geoffrey, Elizabeth and Stephanie and 2 grandchildren. They enjoy cooking, cycling, skiing and traveling together. Board Certifications American Board of Internal Medicine American Board of Internal Medicine - Cardiovascular Disease American Board of Interventional Cardiology Areas of Interest: Interventions including LVAD supported PCI; Structural Heart Interventions including Percutaneous ASD and PFO Repair, Mitral Valvuloplasty, Percutaneous Mitral Valve Repair, Aortic Valvuloplasty and Percutaneous Aortic Valve Replacement; Peripheral Vascular interventions including Limb Salvage Revascularization, Carotid Stenting and Percutaneous Repair of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms. Dr. Smalling is highly rated in 18 conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Mitral Valve Regurgitation, Patent Foramen Ovale, Atrial Septal Defect (ASD), Aortic Valve Replacement, and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR).

Christie Ballantyne is a Cardiologist practicing medicine in Houston, Texas. He has been practicing medicine for over 44 years. Dr. Ballantyne is highly rated in 24 conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Familial Hypertriglyceridemia, High Cholesterol, Atherosclerosis, Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG), and Heart Bypass Surgery.