Dated : 01-07-2010

Issue  : July 2010

Fayaz Shawl
MD, FACP, FCCP, FACC

While there is life, there is hope... For someone from the field of surgical precision, this philosophy couldn't have been more precise in describing one of the world's most talented cardiologist's working ethics. From his very first innovation in interventional cardiology to his most recent quest, through this Foundation, Dr. Fayaz Shawl has embodied the very essence of possibility. Click the following link to watch Dr. Shawl's Documentary Movie. Throughout his career, he has continually inspired hope and trust, usually at times of great risk. Dr. Shawl's continuous desire to pursue simple solutions in bleak circumstances has indeed positioned Dr. Shawl as a pioneer, an innovator, a leader, a surgeon-par-excellence and above all the epitome of the undying human spirit.

In 1977, Dr. Shawl moved to the United States from the United Kingdom and completed his cardiology fellowship at The Walter Reed Army Medical Center in 1980. Dr. (Maj.) Shawl brought the military into the "balloon" age when he performed the first Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA) in the United States Military (Army, Navy, Air Force) at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in 1981 after learning this procedure from the inventor Dr. Andreas Gruentzig. Between 1979 and 2003, Dr. Shawl retained clinical appointments at Georgetown University School of Medicine, George Washington University School of Medicine and the Uniformed Services University School of Medicine, while developing leadership roles in Interventional Cardiology at both Washington Adventist Hospital and George Washington University Hospital. Dr. Shawl is a member of the American College of Physicians, General Medical Council of the United Kingdom, the American Medical Association, and American Heart Association. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, the American College of Chest Physicians, American College of Physicians, the American College of Angiology and The Society for Cardiac Angiography and Interventions.

Dr. Shawl has played an active role in all aspects of Interventional Cardiology ever since he performed the first PTCA Percutaneous Coronary Angioplasty at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in 1981. While he has lectured widely on every topic of Interventional Cardiology, Dr. Shawl has been a leading proponent and innovator in the development of the percutaneous approach known as Shawl Technique™ to cardiopulmonary bypass support in "High Risk Angioplasty and Cardiac Arrest" and performed the first percutaneous bypass-supported coronary intervention in the world in 1988. This technology is truly a lifesaver and when available in the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory (Cath Lab), complications leading to death during the procedure would be nearly impossible. Since its invention in 1988, there has not been a single death in the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at Washington Adventist Hospital while Dr. Shawl performed coronary interventions.

In a study involving 23,472 patients undergoing elective coronary interventions at Washington Adventist Hospital using the Shawl Technique™ percutaneous cardiac bypass support rather than formal surgical backup for elective coronary angioplasty interventions, there were NO deaths during the procedure. Of those 23,472 patients, 39 (0.2%) did develop refractory cardiac arrest (imminent death) due to complications. While the patients were receiving conventional CPR, emergency percutaneous cardiac bypass support was instituted within an average time of 12 minutes using the Shawl Technique™. Of these 39 patients, 31 patients were discharged from the hospital. Click here to see examples of patients who survived complications. (Shawl, et al. JACC 2001; 37(2A), 175A).

In addition, Dr. Shawl was the first Interventional Cardiologist to use both the Eclipse Holmium Laser as well as the AngioTrax mechanical device (1999) for Percutaneous Transluminal Myocardial Revascularization in the investigational treatment of end-stage atherosclerotic heart disease or patients with no options. He did both procedures, the first in the world as part of research in New Delhi, India, and he performed the first Mechanical Myocardial revascularization in the United States. He was also first to perform mitral valvuloplasty in the Washington, DC metropolitan area in 1985.

Dr. Shawl is also very involved in the in pursuit of stroke prevention, the number two cause of death. Dr. Shawl and others have pioneered the technique of carotid artery stenting. He performed the first percutaneous carotid artery stenting in Washington, DC in 1995. The results of this new avenue of endovascular therapy challenged the accepted practice of surgical carotid endarterectomy. Having done over 700 carotid stent cases at Washington Adventist Hospital and overseas, using the present technique, what Dr. Shawl calls a "multilevel protection technique," resulted in a complication rate of <0.5% in the last 300 cases. This is the lowest complication rate ever reported in the world. He has been able to achieve similar low complications rates among octogenarians (i.e. patients over the age of 80), where getting a stroke is the most devastating complication.

Dr. Shawl has lectured on these topics and trained physicians throughout the world in their use. Dr. Shawl has also taught, through live demonstrations all known techniques of interventional (non-surgical) cardiology both in the U.S. and abroad since 1985 after the death of his teacher Andreas Gruentzig. These include opening blocked arteries involving heart, brain, leg, kidney, as well as other procedures. In addition, he is about to embark on a new series of seminars about other new techniques to prevent heart failure and replacement of heart valves without open heart surgery. Such live teaching seminars (see video) are done through satellite or local broadcast live from the Cath Lab. Dr. Shawl has often provided this training without any charge and has even paid some of the expenses of participating physicians coming from abroad. He also has a very active, accredited interventional fellowship program at Washington Adventist Hospital in association with the program at George Washington University Hospital in Washington, DC.

Dr. Shawl has authored over 150 leading articles, abstracts, editorials and book chapters. He has also published a book entitled Supported Complex and High Risk Coronary Angioplasty.

Dr. Shawl has also received many awards for his innovative work in interventional cardiology. Some of his more recent awards include the dedication of the Fayaz Shawl Advanced Interventional Catheterization Laboratory at Washington Adventist Hospital in 1998 (see letters), 2002 Innovators Award from the Alliance of Cardiovascular Professionals, as well as the National Leadership Award from United States Congress in 2003. Dr. Shawl was also nominated as International Health Professional of the Year (2003) by the Research and Advisory Board sitting at the International Biographical Centre in Cambridge, England. This prestigious award is given to individuals whose achievements and leadership stand out in the international community. Dr. Shawl also received an award from The State of Maryland for his outstanding achievement and advancements in the field of cardiology. Dr. Shawl is also the only physician to be profiled by Insight On The News (Vol. 20, No. 5).

Dr. Shawl now wants to spread his vast knowledge and experience in the interventional treatment of treating cardiovascular disease to an even broader population of physicians and patients who may not now have access to such techniques or facilities. This aspiration was the genesis for the establishment of The Dr. Fayaz Shawl Philanthropic Foundation, Inc., which plans to create cardiac specialty hospitals wherever deemed essential to treat the indigenous who are impoverished and cannot afford the cost of such medical attention, and where Dr. Shawl and other trained physicians can train local physicians in the use of interventional cardiac techniques pioneered by Dr. Shawl and others.

Srinagar in Kashmir, India, the birth place of Dr. Shawl, will be the locale for the first cardiac specialty hospital. (see pictures of Kashmir) Dr. Shawl is very keen to give practical shape to his vision of “good health” for the Kashmiri people. He is in the process of finalizing the purchase of a plot of land in the foothills of the Zabarwan range near the picturesque Nishat Garden area. The Foundation intends to build a 50-bed cardiac specialty hospital along with a cardiac wellness Center on this land. This Cardiac wellness center will educate and promote healthy living habits, which is essential in the prevention of heart disease. After the completion of this Center, The Foundation plans to set up additional cardiac specialty hospitals in other areas of the world, including Washington, D.C. These cardiac specialty centers will treat the underprivileged at no cost regardless of the patient's ethnicity, religious preference, or country of origin. However, there will charges to those who can afford to pay for these highly specialized quality services.

For more information, including video documentary, clips from live demonstration, cardiovascular information, and links to published news articles, please visit www.ShawlTechnique.com.