Meet Dr. David Wood, an interventional and structural cardiologist at VGH. As part of the Centre for Heart Valve Innovation in Vancouver, he is at the leading edge of a new, innovative, minimally invasive treatment called TAVR (transcatheter aortic valve replacement) for people with valvular heart disease. Dr. Wood is one of the foremost cardiologists in the world performing this revolutionary procedure. Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association, calls the TAVR procedure “one of the most exciting events in cardiology in the last 50 years.”

Get to know a little more about the doctor behind Vancouver’s renowned TAVR Program.

How long have you worked at VGH?

Five years. My family and I returned from New York in 2009 after I completed additional subspecialty training in minimally invasive therapies for structural heart disease.

What do you like most about your job?

The balance between clinical medicine and research. By treating one patient and helping to improve their quality of life, you can answer broader research questions that could potentially help thousands of patients in the future.

What is the most interesting thing you have been paid to do?

Perform minimally invasive heart valve surgery on pigs. The Centre for Heart Valve Innovation is continually working with companies and design engineers from around the world to refine and improve new devices and techniques for treating valvular and structural heart disease.

Tell us one thing (professionally or personally) that we might be surprised to find out about you?

My wife and I love competing in triathlons.

Three things you always have in your fridge?

We have four daughters under age 8 so our fridge is in a constant state of flux.

How do you like to spend your days off?

Playing with my girls.

Which character from any movie best represents you?

Father of the Bride…but hopefully not until they are all 30.