There is no reliable official ranking of the “best” PCI doctors in Armenia. Instead, patients should select an experienced interventional cardiologist and a hospital with strong PCI capabilities.
Doctors and specialists to consider
Dr. Narine Gojabashyan — Astghik Medical Center
She is associated with the invasive cardiology service at Astghik Medical Center. The department has experience with coronary angioplasty, stenting, acute coronary syndromes, multivessel procedures, left-main interventions, and other complex coronary cases.
Dr. Arthur Sahakyan — Astghik Medical Center
He is an interventional cardiologist with professional experience in invasive cardiology and coronary interventions.
Dr. Emil Poghosyan — Astghik Medical Center
He is part of the interventional cardiology team and is involved in coronary angiography, angioplasty, and stenting.
Dr. Yuri Makaryan — Astghik Medical Center
He is also listed as an interventional cardiologist within the invasive cardiology team.
Dr. Haykaz Mkhitaryan — Astghik Medical Center
He is another specialist associated with the center's interventional cardiology service.
Other cardiac teams to consider
Heratsi University Hospital No. 1 is an important cardiac center in Armenia. Its invasive cardiology service has substantial experience with coronary and peripheral angioplasty and can be considered for both routine and more complex coronary cases.
Erebuni Medical Center is another major option, with cardiology, intensive-care, emergency cardiac services, coronary angiography, PCI, and stenting.
What to consider when choosing a PCI specialist
Rather than selecting a doctor based only on reputation or online reviews, patients should ask about:
- Personal PCI volume: How many PCI procedures does the doctor perform each year?
- Complex PCI experience: Experience with left-main disease, bifurcation lesions, severe calcification, chronic total occlusions, and multivessel disease.
- Emergency PCI experience: Experience treating patients during acute heart attacks.
- Hospital facilities: Modern catheterization laboratory and cardiac intensive-care facilities.
- Advanced equipment: Availability of IVUS, FFR/iFR, atherectomy, and other technologies when required.
- Stent expertise: Experience selecting and properly positioning modern drug-eluting stents.
- Complication management: Availability of immediate treatment for bleeding, artery damage, abnormal heart rhythms, or other complications.
- International training: Documented fellowships, specialist training, professional education, and international experience.
- Patient outcomes: Ask about complication rates and outcomes for patients with similar coronary disease.
- Post-procedure care: Medication management, follow-up cardiology visits, cardiac rehabilitation, and long-term monitoring.
For complex coronary disease
If a patient has multiple blockages, left-main disease, severe calcification, or other complex anatomy, it is useful to obtain an opinion from a center experienced in both complex PCI and cardiac surgery. The decision between PCI and bypass surgery should ideally be made after evaluating the patient's coronary anatomy, overall health, and long-term treatment goals.### For emergency treatment During an acute heart attack, the priority should be rapid access to a hospital with 24/7 emergency PCI capability, rather than trying to locate a particular doctor. Fast restoration of blood flow can be critical.Overall, when choosing a coronary angioplasty specialist in Armenia, documented interventional experience, complex-PCI expertise, emergency capability, hospital infrastructure, patient outcomes, and post-procedure support are more meaningful indicators than simply choosing a doctor described as “the best.”