Meet Dr. Alpesh AminHeart Failure and Transplantation Specialist in Dallas
UT Southwestern Medical Center cardiologist Dr. Alpesh Amin specializes in caring for patients with all types of advanced heart failure. Because of the nature of the condition, Dr. Amin develops close, ongoing relationships with his patients.
“Many times I end up being the physician patients see the most. It's not that I replace their primary care physician, but they feel comfortable telling me about all the medical issues they may be experiencing.,” Dr. Amin says.
“Many times we get so subspecialized in medicine that we deal with only one aspect of the body, but the reality is that we have to treat the whole patient. That is what keeps me driven about heart failure and transplant work.”
Treatment for heart failure and other heart conditions can include medication as well as heart transplantation and the use of mechanical aids such as left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) as both a final therapy as well as a bridge-to-transplant therapies.
“Much of what we do to manage patients with chronic heart failure is routinely follow them as outpatients to evaluate how their medications are working, and when necessary, to adjust them accordingly or discuss other potential treatment options,” he says.
Dr. Amin also is an expert in diagnosing and treating the many types of cardiomyopathy, a disease in which the heart muscle becomes damaged and doesn’t function properly. Dr. Amin has a particular interest in cardiomyopathies in patients with congenital heart disease.
Cardiomyopathy can be caused by factors such as restricted blood flow (ischemic cardiomyopathy), thickening of the heart muscle (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy), and congenital heart conditions.
In addition to treating patients referred from other physicians, Dr. Amin sees many people seeking opinions for advanced heart failure, as well as those in need of initial cardiology consultations for LVADs.
Originally from Missouri, Dr. Amin is fellowship trained and board certified. He believes in delivering whole-person care that is centered around patients and families.
“Because there are multiple layers of complexity to our patients, we take a holistic, team-based approach to caring for them,” he says.
“From specialized nurses and imaging specialists to other cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons, our outstanding multidisciplinary team enables us to deliver the highest-quality care to the whole person, not just one aspect. We strive to educate patients about their heart disease and work with them on lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise to make sure they're optimally treated.”