When it comes to your health, the more you know, the better. We asked nine doctors from our 2024 Top Doctors list to share their thoughts why they chose their field, how they stay healthy, and to share memorable patient stories.
Dr. Robin West
Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation
Inova Medical Group
20 years in practice
Young athletes seem to be pushing themselves harder and harder. What should parents be on the lookout for to help their kids avoid injuries?
There is so much focus now on year-round early sport specialization. It is important to keep our children well-rounded athletes to improve their strength, neurological control, and to help them prevent injuries. Children also need a rest from structured sports and need time to just be a kid. I typically recommend one day of each week where there are no planned sports practices or games. Also, a well-balanced diet is key to the physical and mental development as well as the injury risk reduction of our children.
You’ve worked with a lot of professional athletes. Are you able to take what you’ve learned in working with them and apply it to other patients?
Yes, absolutely! Elite athletes help to keep us at the top of our game. We can take what we learn from them to help advance the care of our other patients. Professional athletes often push their limits regarding their injury recovery timeline. We have to be flexible but also strict, depending on the injury. We can learn so much from the medical teams involved with the professional athletes (physical therapists, athletic trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, mental performance specialists). Their recovery techniques and return-to-play functional guidelines are usually innovative and well researched.
Dr. Martin Paul
Surgery
Johns Hopkins Surgery, Sibley Memorial Hospital
35 years in practice
Many find the idea of having surgery scary. What tips can you offer to help them reduce their anxiety?
Fear often stems from the unknown.
Patients should discuss concerns, questions, and fears with their surgeon and medical team. Learn about the procedure, potential outcomes, and what to expect during and after surgery. Fully understanding that process can alleviate anxiety. Leading a healthy lifestyle prior to surgery can also improve overall well-being and help manage anxiety. The goal is to find techniques that promote relaxation and a sense of control before the surgery.
Share a memorable patient story with us.
One of the most remarkable cases I’ve been involved with was a young woman from Arlington who had just delivered a baby and then was diagnosed with a cancer of the appendix that was invading the abdominal wall. We performed a laparoscopic resection of the appendix and colon, to include a portion of the abdominal wall. She received postoperative chemotherapy and is now going on three years with no sign of recurrent cancer. I see her in the office every year to review her CT scans, and it is so gratifying for me to be able to tell this young mother of three that she has an excellent chance of being cured. I am blessed to be in a profession like this where we can restore health and hope to patients with such serious conditions.
Dr. Bhavin Suthar
Pain Medicine
Mary Washington Spine & Rehabilitation
22 years in practice
What advances have you seen in your field in recent years?
There have been novel advances in the therapeutic stimulation of the electrical signals of the nervous system, known as neuromodulation. It is used to treat pain from pinched nerves, complex regional pain syndrome, and axial spine pain. Regenerative medicine is another treatment that is fast becoming common. These are the two that I am most excited about.
People have much different tolerances to pain. When should someone consult a pain management doctor?
I absolutely believe that people should not wait to see a pain management physician as a last option. We in our field are fully trained to see and manage many spine conditions earlier rather than later, with our multitude of treatment options.
Share a memorable patient story with us.
My favorite story is about a gentleman who was getting married and going on his honeymoon in 10 days. He felt he may have to cancel his honeymoon because of his spine pain. We did a simple procedure to help him. When I walked into his exam room on follow up after several weeks, he had the biggest smile I have ever seen. I guess it all worked out!
Why did you choose your specialty?
I chose oncology because I knew tremendous treatment advances would come once the genetic basis of each cancer was worked out.
Dr. John Feigert
Oncology/Hematology
Virginia Cancer Specialists
34 years in practice
What’s one thing you wish your patients knew?
Patients should know that breakthroughs in treatment are coming fast, and they should be hopeful that they will benefit from these breakthroughs.
What changes have you seen in your field in recent years?
The big change has been the huge run-up in cost of all the new treatments.
What types of conditions or diseases does a hematologist handle?
Oncologists work up patients with suspected cancer or diagnosed cancer and establish an overall treatment plan. We are responsible for discussing side effects of treatment and discussing prognosis then following patients for years after it is completed.
Share a memorable patient story with us.
A recent patient was in a bad condition related to very advanced lung cancer. [The patient] was considering end-of-life care, but the patient’s cancer harbored a mutation that was responsive to a new targeted treatment. The patient is responding beautifully to this new treatment and will likely survive many years.
Dr. Carol S. Shapiro
Plastic Surgery
Sentara Wound Healing Center
50 years in practice
What’s one thing you wish patients knew?
Most of us do our best for each patient. With plastic surgery, perfect is not the goal. “Better, improved, less noticeable” — what is realistic, is what we strive for. I call it “realistic expectations.” The same is true with wound care; we treat injuries, ulcers from pressure, or bad veins or arteries. The cause of the wound has to be addressed, if possible, for the best outcomes. It’s important for a physician to communicate this with a patient. Mutual expectations get the best results.
What is new in wound care?
About five years ago, our clinic added Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. This therapy is not well known for wound care. Most folks think about it for athletes. We are using it successfully for complications of radiation therapy for cancer, diabetic foot ulcers, and skin flaps for cancer surgery that have compromised blood supply. I anticipate that in the future there will be many more approved diagnoses for which HBOT will be “the answer.”
What are some of the biggest changes you’ve seen during your years in practice?
Technology has made a huge difference. Reconstruction has changed immensely. Researchers are doing incredible work using HBOT on severely anemic patients who cannot get traditional blood transfusions. It can save lives.
Dr. Kristin Knight
Maternal & Fetal Medicine
Kaiser Permanente
11.5 years in practice
What’s one healthy habit you practice?
While perhaps not the most typical “healthy habit” that comes to one’s mind, I love fostering rescue animals. It is a passion I discovered several years ago. I would characterize this more as a healthy habit and less as a hobby because of the tremendous joy, stress relief, and perspective it provides me on a daily basis. Plus, it keeps me active!
What advances have you seen in your field in recent years?
The way to diagnose many common fetal genetic conditions has changed. We are able to more reliably screen for certain conditions from blood tests and do not need to rely as heavily on more invasive procedures. Imaging technology continues to improve, allowing for improved detection of birth defects.
What interests you about multiple gestations and high-risk pregnancies?
I am fascinated by high-risk pregnancies due to the complexity. I am caring for multiple patients at once (the patient and her fetus(es)), there is some form of complication occurring, and often what is best for the mother and for the fetus(es) is at odds with each other. My job is to navigate the situation to the best possible outcome for all involved. It is challenging, humbling, a huge responsibility. As a mom of twin girls, I enjoy caring for patients expecting multiples, and I also enjoy the added complexity each additional fetus brings.
Dr. Annette Ansong
Pediatric Cardiology
Children’s National Hospital
14 years in practice
What’s one healthy habit you practice?
Mindfulness. I try to take at least five minutes out of the day to pray and meditate. It centers me. With all the hustle and bustle in life, I need a moment out of the day to ground myself. Sometimes it is just me sitting in my car, for a moment, after a long day. Mindfulness allows me the opportunity to destress and hence may contribute to lowering my risk for heart disease.
For children old enough to understand they have a heart condition, how much should they know about it?
I would advocate that children with a heart condition, specifically congenital heart disease (CHD), learn as much about it as they are able to understand. At the same time, the pediatric cardiologist and parents should allay any fears or concerns that the child may have about their condition, especially as they grow up. The goal should be that as the children become adults, they are able to fully understand their heart condition and continued need for pediatric cardiology care, which eventually becomes adult congenital care.
What advances have you seen in your field in recent years?
I have greatly admired the field of fetal cardiology and how far it has come. Imaging and technology have advanced such that we can diagnose complex congenital heart disease early on in pregnancy in utero.
Dr. Stanley Washington
Vascular & Interventional Radiology
UVA Health Radiology Vein and Vascular Care Gainesville
19 years in practice
Why did you choose your specialty?
I chose my specialty because my grandfather suffered from the effects of diabetic vascular disease, including a partial amputation. I was unable to help him, but it is my goal to reduce the number of amputations that occur in our community.
What’s one thing you wish patients knew?
Lifestyle plays a major role in the development of vascular disease. … Tight control of blood glucose and smoking cessation are two of the major lifestyle changes that help control progression of disease.
Share a memorable patient story with us.
I have a great patient story. I took care of a middle-aged Asian male who presented to interventional radiology status post the failure of two bypasses and was scheduled for bilateral amputations. He was a diabetic and heavy smoker and was very reluctant to get amputated as he had young grandchildren at the time that he wanted to be able to play with.
Fortunately, I was able to reopen his native vessels and prevent the amputations. We then went on a 13-year journey, in which, through maintenance of his revascularization and having him stop smoking, he was able to keep his limbs until his passing. I felt very satisfied as he was able to interact with his grandchildren until their early teenage years.
Dr. Eric Levens
Reproductive Endocrinology
Shady Grove Fertility
22 years in practice
Why did you choose your specialty?
Fertility care kind of “chose” me, and from a very young age. When I was in high school, my history teacher connected me with her husband, who worked in a reproductive endocrinology lab, and introduced me to this fascinating field. I was hooked. Years later, when I went on to medical school, I was lucky enough to train under some of the most knowledgeable, world-class OB/GYNs in the field. For me, it was never really a choice — it always just seemed like what I was meant to do. I find it so meaningful to help our patients achieve their dreams of parenthood, whatever that looks like for them.
What changes have you seen in your field in recent years?
Over the years, I have watched a steady evolution in the way we run our labs and the best practices we employ to protect and preserve sperm, eggs, and embryos. Innovations in genetics are driving the future of our field. It’s amazing, the things we can now do to screen and rule out, for certain serious genetic issues, improving children’s lives into the future.
Feature image of Dr. Bhavin Suthar by Amie Otto
This story originally ran in our February issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.