Westchester Heart & Vascular Institute Appoints New Director

From WMC Health: Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth)’s Westchester Heart and Vascular Institute recently appointed interventional cardiologist Srihari S. Naidu, MD, as Director of the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Program.

As Director of the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Program, which is new to Westchester Heart and Vascular Institute, Dr. Naidu will oversee the management and care of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a rare cardiac condition. Dr. Naidu is nationally recognized for his expertise in the treatment of patients with the life-threatening condition, the most common cause of death in athletes and a common cause of heart failure in people of all ages. Dr. Naidu brings to Westchester Heart and Vascular Institute more than 10 years of experience leading the only comprehensive, multi-disciplinary Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center on Long Island, one of only two centers in New York State recognized as a Center of Excellence by the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association. Following over 800 patients and families,

Dr. Naidu has unique expertise in alcohol septal ablation, a minimally-invasive alternative to open heart surgery for which his patients travel from across the nation to receive his care. Board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease and interventional cardiology, Dr. Naidu is an expert in interventional cardiology procedures including atrial septal defect (ASD) and patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure, alcohol septal ablation, aortic and mitral valve procedures, percutaneous ventricular assist devices, and coronary intervention including angioplasty and stent placement. A former Trustee of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI), he currently serves as Co-Chair of the Development and Industry Relations Committee for the organization.

Dr. Naidu’s patients are his top priority and he takes care in getting to know each and every one of them. He believes ensuring that his patients understand their condition and its implications is critical, and takes time to speak with patients and their families about the hereditary nature of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and each patient’s unique anatomy and circumstance. The condition affects 1 in 500 people in the United States, though many patients never know that they have it. Guidelines from the American Heart Association, on which Dr. Naidu was a co-author, recommend all patients diagnosed with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy be followed at designated Centers of Excellence for the condition.

Prior to joining Westchester Heart and Vascular Institute, Dr. Naidu served as an attending physician at Winthrop University Hospital and an Associate Professor of Medicine at SUNY Stony Brook School of Medicine. He is the author of over 100 original publications and is Editor of the international textbook, Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. He earned his medical and undergraduate degrees from Brown University and completed a residency in internal medicine at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Cornell and fellowships in cardiovascular diseases and interventional cardiology at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center.

Dr. Naidu lives in New York City and enjoys spending time with his son. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of his alma mater, Brown University.

For more information about the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Program, please call 914-598- 7651 or email HCMprogram@WMCHealth.org.

Photo Courtesy of WMC Health