About me
Ajay Kadakkal, MD, is a board-certified advanced heart failure specialist at MedStar Washington Hospital Center’s Heart and Vascular Institute. He treats patients with advanced diastolic heart failure and congestive heart failure. He also treats patients who are in need of a heart transplant and require mechanical service support from devices like the left ventricular assist device (LVAD). In addition, Dr. Kadakkal takes a special interest in infiltrative and inflammatory heart conditions like cardiac amyloidosis and sarcoidosis, which are often underdiagnosed. He is dedicated to building MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute as a referral base and top local center for referrals for patients with these conditions.
Dr. Kadakkal is part of a strong clinical practice at Medstar that provides a variety of diagnostic tests, ranging from imaging to cardiac stress testing. As part of this practice, he contributes to a team that is at the forefront of LVAD device placement and management at one of the top LVAD implant centers in the country. Dr. Kadakkal is passionate about continuing to develop and improve the durability and size of LVADs. His goal is to contribute to clinical trials that will improve the design of LVADs to be fully implantable, smaller, and less intrusive to the patient’s quality of life.
He is part of a group research effort at MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute that involves a variety of clinical trials currently researching and providing new technology to patients who require mechanical circulatory support. His team is also currently building a database that observes patients with sarcoidosis and amyloidosis, looking at the difference in hemodynamic parameters among specific treatments for these conditions.
Dr. Kadakkal received his medical degree from the University of Virginia School of Medicine. He then joined University of Pittsburgh Medical Center for residency and fellowship training before completing a specialty fellowship at Stanford University Medical Center.
Philosophy of Care
“Today, cardiovascular care is heavily influenced by technology. For this reason, it’s important that I am able to offer my patients the most advanced technology available while adhering to evidence-based practices.
“I take the time to help each patient understand the process of his/her disease and clearly understand what treatment options are available to either improve his/her health or stay within the lines of what his/her goals of care are. I believe that a holistic approach to patient care provides the best results. The ability to provide compassionate care lies in the time I take to listen to my patients in order to provide them with the best quality of life and survival available to them by implementing what I feel is the newest and most advanced technology.
“I am available to share information with providers and coordinate care with them for any referral patients.”
Clinical areas of focus
- Cardiac Cardiomyopathy Treatment
- Cardiomyopathy
- Congestive Heart Failure Management
- Heart Failure Management
- Heart Pacemaker Implantation
- Hypertension Treatment
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
- Left Ventricular Assist Device
- MRA With Contrast
- Transplant Evaluation
- Ventricular Dysfunction
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Advanced Heart Failure
- Advanced Heart Failure (ADHF)
- Advanced Heart Failure (AHF)
- Advanced Heart Failure Care
- Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy
- Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC)
- Cardiac Prosthetic Device Complications
- Cardiac Sarcoidosis
- Cardiomyopathy
- Chagas' Disease
- Heart Disease
- Heart Failure
- Heart Transplant Failure
- Heart Transplant Rejection
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
- Liver Transplantation
- Multiple Myeloma With Amyloidosis
- Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension
- Presence Of Cardiac And Vascular Implants
- Pulmonary Edema
- Restrictive Cardiomyopathy
- Rheumatic Heart Disease
- Valve Disease With Congestive Heart Failure
- Venous Embolism
Procedures I perform
- A1c Testing
- Aldosterone Antagonist Therapy
- Cardiac Biopsy
- Cardiac Cardiomyopathy Treatment
- Cardiac Catheterization
- Cardiac Contractility Modulation
- Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy
- Cardiac Sarcoidosis Treatment
- Cardioversion
- Computerized Tomography (CT) Scan
- Congestive Heart Failure Management
- Cushing Syndrome Management
- Echocardiography
- Electrophysiology Study
- Heart Failure Management
- Heart Pacemaker Implantation
- Heart Transplant
- Hypertension Treatment
- Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Placement
- Inotropic Therapy
- Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump Insertion
- Live-In Care
- MRA With Contrast
- Neonatal Advanced Life Support
- Pulmonary Exercise Testing
- Pulmonary Function Tests
- Renal Artery Denervation
- Stem Cell Therapy
- Stress Echocardiography
- Transesophageal Echocardiography
- Transplant Evaluation
- Transthoracic Echocardiography
- Ventricular Assist Device
- Ventricular Tachycardia Ablation
- Watchman Device Implantation
Insurance
MedStar Health accepts most major health insurance plans. If you are uncertain as to whether your individual health insurance plan is accepted at MedStar Health, please call your insurance company.
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List of insurance plans we accept
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- Choice POS II
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- CIGNA PPO
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- Tricare Reserve Select
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- IH-Open POS Plus
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- First Health PPO
- First Health PPO
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- OA Plus
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- IH-Open HMO Option
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- Sentara Health
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- Beech Street PPO
- Blue Choice Advantage
- Aetna Classic 3500
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- Core Essential (HMO)
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- MultiPlan, Inc
- United Healthcare Choice
- BlueChoice Open Access
- Network OA
- CIGNA Indemnity
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- CareFirst NASCO
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- IH-Open POS II
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- IH-POS
- TRICARE for Life East
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- TRICARE East Select
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- Choice Fund PPO
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- Medicare FFS
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- Choice POS II Open Access
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Police and Fire Clinic
- Choice POS
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- POS OA
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- IH-Open HMO
- IH-POS Plus
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- Aetna VA Exchange
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Navigate
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- Aetna HMO
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- IH-Network Only Plus
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- IH-PPO
- CIGNA EPO
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- CareFirst Administrators
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- IH-EPO Plus
- CareFirst EPO
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- Aetna Basic
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- UHC Passport
- IH-HMO
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- HighMark
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- United Student Resources
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- IH-Indemnity
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- TRICARE East Prime
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- Optimum Choice
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- Aetna Classic 5000
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- HumanaChoice PPO
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- Medicare Direct
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- Employee Health Plan
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine
Fellowship: Stanford University School of Medicine (2017)
Fellowship: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (2016)
Residency: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (2012)
Medical School: University of Virginia School of Medicine (2009)