Meet Dr. Grodin
Heart Failure and Transplantation Specialist in Dallas
Justin Grodin, M.D., has specialty training in caring for people who are living with end-stage congestive heart failure. And he emphasizes the focus on living.
Dr. Grodin says, “I take a lot of pride in helping my patients understand their diagnosis, and in reassuring them that even though heart failure is serious, we’re going to make sure they’re getting the most thorough evaluation and best, individualized treatment.”
In severe cases, the treatment of advanced heart failure may require a heart transplant or a left ventricular assist device (LVAD), but Dr. Grodin says that medications and modifications in diet and lifestyle may be effective in delaying or even preventing major surgical interventions.
“For a portion of patients, the use of routine heart failure medications can actually improve cardiac function over time. In addition, there are novel disease-specific medications which may also treat specific heart conditions," Dr. Grodin says. Other patients benefit from minor surgical options, such as implantable defibrillators or pacemakers that resynchronize the heart.
In every case, Dr. Grodin takes his patients through a comprehensive evaluation to identify the best treatment approach. For people who need a transplant or an LVAD, Dr. Grodin walks them through the entire process, from the initial evaluation to the hospital and ICU, and then he continues to see them for follow-up care after surgery.
Answering an Increasing Epidemic
Dr. Grodin has a master’s degree in public health and specializes in clinical epidemiology. He leads research to improve our understanding of heart failure and to identify better treatments.
“Treatment for heart failure is continually evolving and we are constantly identifying clinical features which better our understanding of patient risk and may lead to individualized therapy,” he says.
The incidence of heart failure in the United States is increasing, which makes research even more important.
“We have a growing need for improved treatment options,” Dr. Grodin says. “Heart transplants are great, but we’re limited by the number of organs available. There are going to be more people needing better medical therapies, better LVADs, and other alternatives to transplants.”
Attention to the Details
Dr. Grodin joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2016. In addition to treating patients with heart failure, he also cares for patients with cardiomyopathies and has significant experience with hypertrophic obstructive and nonobstructive cardiomyopathy.
No matter what heart issue he’s treating, Dr. Grodin says the best outcomes start with a meticulous, patient-centered approach to treatment.
“Sometimes heart failure is as bad as it sounds, but sometimes it might not be. When someone is frightened and you can offer reassurance, when someone is critically ill and you can offer a life-saving therapy, it’s incredibly gratifying.”
