Physicians focus on YOU at Henry Mayo Dr. Shahe Garabedian

The calling of cardiology comes from the heart. It wasn’t until the loss of his father to sudden cardiac death that 19-year-old Shahe Garabedian took a deeper interest in cardiovascular disease. He went on to graduate from medical school and complete his internal medicine training at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C. and a cardiology fellowship at the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. With his newfound knowledge in the subject, he collected his dad’s medical chart, studied it from start to finish and found everything had been accounted for. But, this unexplainable outcome only intrigued him more. “The thing I like most about cardiology is that it is constantly cutting-edge,” Dr. Garabedian said.
When he first started working with Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital as a physician for Cardiovascular Consultants Medical Group in 2011, the community hospital could not support as many patients suffering from these life-threatening heart diseases as they are now. “The change in the hospital from back then to now has been night and day,” he said, “It has grown so much.”  Dr. Garabedian has played an integral role in the development of Henry Mayo’s infrastructure by implementing several protocols including life-saving procedures and innovative imaging modalities.
Dr. Garabedian routinely performs coronary angiograms, also known as diagnostic cardiac catheterizations, to help diagnose blockages in heart arteries without having to outsource to other hospitals. An angiogram, or X-ray image using contrast dye, is a routine invasive procedure used to identify the etiology of chest pain. It allows the doctor to carefully move the catheter through the body to determine the source of the blockage.  The equipment and methodology of this technique has progressed over the last decade, and particularly at Henry Mayo where the patient experience as a whole has vastly improved. “Taking the time to talk with your patients goes a long way,” Dr. Garabedian said.
Other professional duties that Dr. Garabedian performs include clinical patient care, preventative consultation, stress testing, and advanced cardiac imaging to diagnose heart conditions. His time spent in the office is allocated between patient follow-ups and consultative work with new patients experiencing symptoms due to a variety of cardiac conditions. Within the diverse practice of cardiology, Dr. Garabedian developed his niche in chronic venous insufficiency, which he estimates affects 30% of the population.  Varicose and spider veins, leg pain, leg discoloration and cramping are all signs and symptoms of venous insufficiency.  As with most cases, his role is to guide patients in their decision for treatment such as medication and conservative therapy. In some cases, procedural measures are needed and Dr. Garabedian performs radiofrequency ablation, where an ablation catheter enters the damaged vein and heats it usually resulting in a cure from the disease process.
Beyond his regular office hours, Dr. Garabedian is committed to his around the clock job, involving weekend and on-call responsibilities.  At home, he does his best to help his wife Garine with their two young children taking them to pre-school or the park to play. As a dad he has learned the true meaning of unconditional love and sacrificing for someone else’s better good.

photo by Joie de Vivre photographie

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