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Dr. Sam Afshar, MD

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Specializes in: Interventional Cardiology and Adult Cardiology

University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, School of Medicine (2006)

Professional interests include: cardiomyopathy, angioplasty, angina, and more.

2410 Round Rock Avenue Suite 110
Round Rock, TX 78681

(903) 934-5490

Dr. Sam Afshar, MD is an interventional cardiologist in Round Rock, TX specializing in interventional cardiology and adult cardiology. He graduated from University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, School of Medicine in 2006 and has 18 years of experience. Dr. Sam Afshar, MD is affiliated with Austin Heart, St. David's HealthCare, St. David's Georgetown Hospital, ST DAVIDS HEART AND VASCULAR PLLC, St. David's Round Rock Medical Center St. David's Georgetown Hospital and St. David's Round Rock Medical Center.

Office Locations

Address:

2410 Round Rock Avenue Suite 110
Round Rock, TX 78681

Some issues Dr. Sam Afshar, MD can help you with:

Angioplasty

Angioplasty is a common, minimally invasive procedure performed to restore blood flow in arteries and veins that have become narrowed or blocked. Age or illness can cause plaque to build up at certain spots within the veins and arteries, and if enough collects, it can restrict the flow of blood. Angioplasty uses a tiny balloon at the end of a small, flexible tube to inflate within the narrowed section and open it up again.

Angioplasty may be performed in several different areas of the body and for a variety of reasons, most often:

Peripheral arterial disease, which reduces blood flow in the arms or legs
Atherosclerosis, or general hardening of the arteries
Carotid artery stenosis, or narrowing of the arteries in the neck that supply the brain
Coronary artery disease, or narrowing of the arteries near the heart
Renal vascular hypertension, or narrowing of the arteries in the kidney, leading to increased blood pressure

During angioplasty, a patient is given a sedative while lying on a table under an x-ray machine. A catheter (a thin, flexible, and hollow tube) is inserted into the patient's skin in the arm or groin and guided into the blocked artery. Dye is injected via the catheter, and x-rays are used to position the tip of the catheter exactly at the blockage. The tiny balloon is guided through the catheter and inflated with saline. It pushes the plaque out of the way, squishing it against the walls of the artery. The balloon may be inflated and deflated several times to let blood pass by. A stent, a tiny tube of metal mesh like a spring, may be inserted to help keep the artery open. Then the x-ray is used again to check that blood is flowing properly, the catheter is removed, and the tiny incision is bandaged.

There are no nerves within veins and arteries, so an angioplasty is generally not painful. However, there may be some discomfort at the site of the incision and when the balloon is inflated. Overall, angioplasty is a very effective and low-risk procedure, useful for helping patients avoid more difficult bypass surgery.

Heart Attack

A heart attack is a serious medical event that happens when the blood supplying oxygen to the heart is cut off, usually because of a blockage in an artery. This results in damage or death of part of the heart muscle. The heart can heal, but like any part of the body that was injured it leaves a scar. This scar tissue does not contract effectively, so the ability of the heart to pump is lowered after a heart attack.

A heart attack, sometimes called a myocardial infarction, can happen without warning. However there are certain factors that raise the risk of heart attack. Some of these are:

Age
Gender (most heart attack sufferers are male)
A family history of heart attacks
Smoking
Obesity
High cholesterol
High blood pressure
Diabetes
Unhealthy lifestyle choices (lack of exercise, poor diet, too much alcohol or stress)

Heart attacks typically feel like pain or pressure in the chest that can radiate out to the back, arm, or jaw. Some other symptoms can include fatigue or weakness, shortness of breath, sweating, and nausea.

Treatment aims to increase blood flow to the heart muscle by opening up blocked blood vessels. Medications are sometimes used to dissolve clots in the arteries. Aspirin and other medications such as Plavix can thin the blood and make clots less likely to form. Dilators can widen blood vessels to make room for more blood to flow. Doctors can also use a procedure called catheterization to look at the blood vessels around the heart directly, place stents, or widen vessels using angioplasty. In extreme cases bypass surgery can be used to help blood flow better. After recovery, it is important to lead a healthy lifestyle and take any prescribed medications in order to protect the heart.

Heart Problems

The heart is one of the most important organs in the body. This smooth muscle expands and contracts rhythmically an entire lifetime, pumping blood to the lungs and then to every other cell in the body. When heart problems occur, it becomes difficult for the body to get the nutrients and oxygen it needs via the blood. So while there are a variety of illnesses and disorders that affect the heart, most of them cause weakness, exhaustion and shortness of breath. The most common heart conditions include heart disease, angina, arrhythmia, and valve disorders.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women. This includes coronary artery disease, heart attacks, congestive heart failure, and congenital heart disease. Some conditions, such as genetics, cannot be controlled. But there are many other things one can do to lower their risk for heart disease. Controlling high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, reducing or stopping smoking, exercising more and losing weight if needed, and eating a diet low in sodium can all protect the heart.

Angina is a squeezing type of chest pain that happens when the muscles around the heart don't get enough oxygen. It can be regular or infrequent. Usually, angina is caused by coronary heart disease. However, not all chest pain is angina. Chest pain can also be caused by a lung infection or panic attack, for example, so it is important to have any sudden pain checked.

Arrhythmia is the word for when the heart beats too fast, too slow, or irregularly with skipped beats. It can feel frightening, and depending on the type it can be dangerous, but in most cases arrhythmia is not serious and can be treated. It is very common, especially in older adults.

Heart valve problems can happen in any one of the the heart's four valves that keep blood flowing where it needs to go. Babies can be born with problems in their heart valves, or valves can be damaged by infections. The valves can stiffen and become less mobile, or they can stop closing properly and 'leak' when the heart beats. Valve problems can usually be repaired surgically.

cardiac procedures	313
doctor visit	59
hospital care	182
inpatient care	183
stress testing	24
ultrasound (sonogram)	290

**Gender**
Male	324
Female	420

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	507
Black	223
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	275
From 75 to 84	212
85 and over	115
Less than 65	142

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	65
Stroke	14
Ischemic Heart Disease	51
Depression	33
Chronic Kidney Disease	43
Asthma	11
Osteoperosis	12
Atrial Fibrilation	17
Heart Failure	45
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	36
Diabetes	46
Dementia	22
Cancer	10

cardiac procedures	445
catheterization	13
diagnostic procedures	13
doctor visit	425
hospital care	155
inpatient care	156
minimally invasive procedures	12
nuclear scan	18
stress testing	118
ultrasound (sonogram)	314
vascular procedures	13

**Gender**
Male	321
Female	457

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	538
Black	221
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	300
From 75 to 84	222
85 and over	108
Less than 65	148

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	69
Stroke	14
Ischemic Heart Disease	51
Depression	28
Chronic Kidney Disease	43
Asthma	10
Osteoperosis	10
Atrial Fibrilation	17
Heart Failure	48
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	35
Diabetes	45
Dementia	19
Cancer	9

cardiac procedures	879
catheterization	21
diagnostic procedures	21
doctor visit	320
hospital care	422
inpatient care	375
minimally invasive procedures	20
nuclear scan	70
outpatient care	47
stress testing	147
ultrasound (sonogram)	711
vascular procedures	21

**Gender**
Male	1540
Female	2154

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	2664
Black	910
Hispanic	74
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	24

**Age**
From 65 to 74	1422
From 75 to 84	1006
85 and over	568
Less than 65	698

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	66
Stroke	16
Ischemic Heart Disease	50
Depression	30
Chronic Kidney Disease	47
Asthma	21
Osteoperosis	9
Atrial Fibrilation	18
Heart Failure	44
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	35
Diabetes	46
Dementia	18
Cancer	12

cardiac procedures	773
catheterization	42
diagnostic procedures	42
doctor visit	724
hospital care	379
inpatient care	369
minimally invasive procedures	56
nuclear scan	92
outpatient care	10
stress testing	181
ultrasound (sonogram)	550
vascular procedures	42

**Gender**
Male	653
Female	917

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	1199
Black	327
Hispanic	29
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	603
From 75 to 84	448
85 and over	217
Less than 65	302

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	67
Stroke	12
Ischemic Heart Disease	51
Depression	28
Chronic Kidney Disease	50
Asthma	34
Osteoperosis	8
Atrial Fibrilation	20
Heart Failure	46
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	32
Diabetes	46
Dementia	16
Cancer	13

cardiac procedures	832
catheterization	41
diagnostic procedures	41
doctor visit	798
hospital care	410
inpatient care	411
lab tests	12
minimally invasive procedures	40
nuclear scan	107
stress testing	217
ultrasound (sonogram)	574
vascular procedures	41

**Gender**
Male	610
Female	686

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	978
Black	274
Hispanic	26
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	522
From 75 to 84	382
85 and over	203
Less than 65	189

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	63
Stroke	13
Ischemic Heart Disease	57
Depression	30
Chronic Kidney Disease	51
Asthma	7
Osteoperosis	7
Atrial Fibrilation	22
Heart Failure	53
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	33
Diabetes	47
Dementia	20
Cancer	11

cardiac procedures	604
catheterization	23
diagnostic procedures	23
doctor visit	477
hospital care	261
inpatient care	262
minimally invasive procedures	22
nuclear scan	107
stress testing	217
ultrasound (sonogram)	364
vascular procedures	23

**Gender**
Male	509
Female	653

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	904
Black	213
Hispanic	28
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	458
From 75 to 84	317
85 and over	172
Less than 65	215

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	71
Stroke	11
Ischemic Heart Disease	51
Depression	31
Chronic Kidney Disease	49
Asthma	8
Osteoperosis	8
Atrial Fibrilation	20
Heart Failure	46
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	32
Diabetes	44
Dementia	17
Cancer	12

cardiac procedures	725
catheterization	25
diagnostic procedures	25
doctor visit	531
hospital care	250
inpatient care	251
minimally invasive procedures	24
nuclear scan	103
stress testing	214
ultrasound (sonogram)	486
vascular procedures	25

**Gender**
Male	566
Female	637

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	956
Black	202
Hispanic	32
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	521
From 75 to 84	346
85 and over	138
Less than 65	198

Hypertension	0
High Cholesterol	74
Stroke	13
Ischemic Heart Disease	54
Depression	33
Chronic Kidney Disease	50
Asthma	9
Osteoperosis	6
Atrial Fibrilation	22
Heart Failure	48
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	33
Diabetes	45
Dementia	16
Cancer	12

cardiac procedures	281
catheterization	13
diagnostic procedures	13
doctor visit	227
hospital care	102
inpatient care	103
minimally invasive procedures	12
nuclear scan	37
stress testing	73
ultrasound (sonogram)	195
vascular procedures	13

**Gender**
Male	274
Female	296

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	457
Black	88
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	235
From 75 to 84	162
85 and over	92
Less than 65	81

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	73
Stroke	14
Ischemic Heart Disease	61
Depression	31
Chronic Kidney Disease	54
Asthma	8
Osteoperosis	10
Atrial Fibrilation	24
Heart Failure	52
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	34
Diabetes	48
Dementia	20
Cancer	13

cardiac procedures	51
doctor visit	32
hospital care	23
inpatient care	24
stress testing	23
ultrasound (sonogram)	29

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2013 - 2021

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Sam Afshar, MD for Medicare patients.

The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. Sam Afshar, MD treated as an interventional cardiologist in Round Rock, TX were cardiac procedures, ultrasound (sonogram), hospital care and inpatient care.

cardiac procedures	546
catheterization	25
diagnostic procedures	25
doctor visit	401
hospital care	243
inpatient care	237
lab tests	12
minimally invasive procedures	27
nuclear scan	76
outpatient care	28
stress testing	135
ultrasound (sonogram)	391
vascular procedures	25

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2013 - 2021

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Sam Afshar, MD.

**Gender**
Male	479
Female	622

**Ethnicity**
Black / African American	245
Asian / Pacific Islander	0
Non-Hispanic White	820
Native American / Alaskan Native	2
Hispanic	18
Other	0

**Age**
75 to 84	309
85 and over	161
Less than 65	197
65 to 74	433

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Sam Afshar, MD From 2013 - 2021

The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. Sam Afshar, MD treated were high cholesterol, hypertension, ischemic heart disease and chronic kidney disease.

Hypertension	52
High Cholesterol	54
Stroke	10
Ischemic Heart Disease	42
Depression	24
Chronic Kidney Disease	38
Asthma	10
Osteoporosis	7
Heart Failure	38
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	27
Diabetes	36
Atrial Fibrillation	16
Cancer	9
Dementia	14

Education & Training

Dr. Sam Afshar, MD graduated from University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, School of Medicine in 2006. He completed residency at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas and Affiliated Hospitals. He has a state license in Texas.

Medical School: University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, School of Medicine (2006)

Residency: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas and Affiliated Hospitals

Licensed In: Texas

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. Sam Afshar, MD is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

Austin Heart

St. David's HealthCare

St. David's Georgetown Hospital

ST DAVIDS HEART AND VASCULAR PLLC

St. David's Round Rock Medical Center St. David's Georgetown Hospital

St. David's Round Rock Medical Center

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General Payments

These charts describe general payments received by Dr. Sam Afshar, MD. Doctors may receive payments for a number of reasons, including meal compensation, travel compensation, and consulting.

**Payments by Company**
BIOTRONIK INC.	$4,301 Bradycardia products $233	Solia $163	Setrox $70	Inventra $61	Etrinsa $45	Other $3,729
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation	$1,414 EDWARDS SAPIEN 3 TRANSCATHETER HEART VALVE (THV) $1,241	$173
Boston Scientific Corporation	$958 Brady Generator $423	Brady System $97	RHYTHMIA $62	GENERAL EP $55	SYNERGY $45	Other $276
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.	$714 ELIQUIS $714
Medtronic Vascular, Inc.	$556 CoreValve Evolut $342	Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators - ICDs $92	Micra $36	ClosureFast $22	Claria MRI $22	Other $41
Other	$3,746 ENTRESTO $373	Repatha $347	ASAHI PTCA Guide Wire $317	CoreValve Evolut $311	BRILINTA $288	Other $2,110

**Types of Payments**
Food and Beverage	$8,206
Travel and Lodging	$3,471
Education	$13

Biography

Dr. Sam Afshar is a medical specialist in adult cardiology and interventional cardiology. He is affiliated with Austin Heart. He attended medical school at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, School of Medicine.