JOHNSON CITY (November 14, 2012) – Dr. Timir Paul, a board-certified cardiologist, has received an appointment to East Tennessee State University’s James H. Quillen College of Medicine, where he will practice with Quillen ETSU Heart and serve on the academic faculty in the Department of Internal Medicine.

Paul, who completed his medical residency in Internal Medicine at ETSU, returns to Quillen as an assistant professor in the Division of Cardiology after receiving cardiology training at Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans and the University of North Carolina.

An expert in a wide range of cardiovascular procedures, Paul is one of the few cardiologists in the region who can perform cardiac catheterization via the arm. This procedure, in which the physician inserts a thin, flexible tube through an artery to reach a patient’s heart, is used to diagnose and treat some heart conditions. Cardiologists most often access an artery through the patient’s groin area, but gaining arterial access through the arm provides many benefits, Paul said.

“One of the primary advantages of cardiac catheterization via the arm is a reduced risk for bleeding complications,” Paul said. “The recovery time is quicker, too. Patients can sit up right after the procedure and eat, and most will be able to go home in an hour or two depending on the type of procedure.”

Paul, who is also an expert in the intervention and treatment of peripheral arterial disease, has published articles as a first author in several leading academic journals related to cardiovascular medicine. He wrote a book chapter on medical management of acute coronary syndrome and has received numerous awards for his research and scholarship. Paul is board-certified in internal medicine and cardiovascular diseases.

After earning his medical degree at Dhaka Medical College in Bangladesh, Paul received his Ph.D. in cardiovascular epidemiology at Tulane University. He then completed two fellowships – one in general cardiology at Ochsner Clinic, and a second in interventional cardiology at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Quillen ETSU Heart is located at 329 N. State of Franklin Road. For more information, call (423) 979-4100.