Top Docs 2012: Matters of the Heart

Meet the Top Doctors who keep an eye on the rhythms of the city.

GET IT NOW: To see 5280's 2012 list of Top Doctors, click here. 

We ascribe much of the human experience to an 11-ounce, cone-shaped muscle that beats rhythmically inside our chests about 100,000 times a day. We are heartsick when tragedy strikes, heartbroken when love goes awry, faint of heart when we lack courage, and heartless when compassion escapes us. Yes, these are turns of phrase—simple constructs of the English language—yet there’s no denying that the one organ we can all feel is just a little more compelling than the ones we can’t. This connection we have with the heart becomes particularly apparent when there’s something wrong with it. It is especially poignant when a heart struggles to beat—and, sadly, struggling hearts are all too common. In fact, 26 percent of Colorado-area deaths—and one in three deaths in America—can be attributed to some form or complication of heart disease. The good news is that the past 25 to 30 years have seen incredible improvements in cardiac care. Today, progress is happening at an exponential rate. And many of Denver’s physicians—including the Top Docs profiled on the following pages—are at the forefront of new treatments, cutting-edge procedures, and promising research into how we can further heal an ailing heart.