Dr. Sameer Dani — Chief Interventional Cardiologist & Founder, Apollo CVHF
Dr. Sameer Dani is a senior interventional cardiologist in Ahmedabad with more than 30 years of experience in cardiovascular medicine and catheter-based interventions. He is the Founder and Chief Interventional Cardiologist of Apollo CVHF Heart Institute and also serves as Director, Department of Cardiology at Apollo Hospitals, Gandhinagar, and Programme Director for DrNB Cardiology at Apollo Hospitals.
Dr. Dani's clinical practice encompasses the broad spectrum of interventional cardiology, including complex coronary intervention, structural and congenital heart interventions, cardiac rhythm management and implantable devices, peripheral vascular intervention, and advanced catheter-based cardiovascular procedures. His career combines extensive clinical experience with academic cardiology, medical education, cardiovascular device research and clinical innovation.
He has performed thousands of coronary and vascular procedures and has particular experience in complex and high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), including chronic total occlusion (CTO) PCI, bifurcation intervention, rotational atherectomy, complex calcified coronary disease, and PCI in patients who are unsuitable for or have been turned down for coronary artery bypass surgery.
Academic Career in Ahmedabad
Dr. Dani's academic career is closely associated with the development of interventional cardiology in Ahmedabad.
He began his academic and clinical career at the Institute of Cardiology & Research Centre, Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad, and subsequently served as Professor and Chief of the Department of Cardiology at the U. N. Mehta Institute of Cardiology & Research Centre, Ahmedabad.
His academic work has included clinical cardiology, interventional cardiology, cardiovascular research and postgraduate medical education. He has subsequently continued this academic role through his association with Apollo Hospitals, where he serves as Programme Director for DrNB Cardiology and is involved in training and mentoring cardiologists.
Early Interventional Cardiology and Procedural Milestones
Dr. Dani has been involved in several early developments in catheter-based cardiovascular treatment in Gujarat.
In 1994, while at the U. N. Mehta Institute of Cardiology & Research Centre, Ahmedabad, he performed some of the first catheter-based device closures of congenital heart defects in Gujarat, including atrial septal defect (ASD), ventricular septal defect (VSD), and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA).
His subsequent practice has encompassed pediatric and adult congenital heart disease, including diagnostic cardiac catheterisation and catheter-based treatment of selected congenital and structural heart conditions.
He was also among the first operators in Gujarat to perform several advanced interventional procedures, including CRT-D implantation, rotational atherectomy (rotablation), Balloon Pulmonary Valvuloplasty (BPV), and Balloon Mitral Valvotomy (BMV).
Complex and High-Risk Coronary Intervention
Dr. Dani has extensive experience in complex coronary intervention and high-risk PCI.
His coronary interventional practice includes:
- Chronic total occlusion (CTO) PCI
- Bifurcation PCI
- Rotational atherectomy and treatment of heavily calcified coronary lesions
- Complex and high-risk PCI
- PCI in patients considered unsuitable for coronary artery bypass surgery
- Complex coronary revascularisation
- Drug-coated balloon angioplasty
- Stentless PCI
His experience spans both conventional coronary stenting and newer approaches intended to achieve coronary revascularisation while reducing or avoiding permanent metallic implants in appropriately selected patients.
Drug-Coated Balloons and Stentless PCI
Dr. Dani has a longstanding clinical and research interest in drug-coated balloon (DCB) technology and coronary intervention without permanent stent implantation.
He was involved in the early clinical development of sirolimus-coated balloon technology and was the first author of the published 12-month report from the NANOLUTE Registry, a multicentre Indian real-world registry evaluating a sirolimus-coated balloon for coronary interventions.
The NANOLUTE research programme subsequently generated further clinical analyses examining drug-coated balloon treatment in areas including diabetes, small-vessel coronary disease and coronary in-stent restenosis.
Dr. Dani's work in this field forms part of a broader research programme spanning the development, clinical evaluation and real-world application of drug-coated balloon technology in coronary intervention.
At Apollo CVHF, his clinical practice includes coronary drug-coated balloon angioplasty, also described as stentless PCI, as well as peripheral DCB angioplasty for selected patients with peripheral arterial disease.
Research in Indian Coronary Stent Technology
Dr. Dani has also played a role in the clinical evaluation of indigenously developed Indian coronary stent technologies.
He was the first author and Principal Investigator of the meriT-1 first-in-human study evaluating the BioMime sirolimus-eluting coronary stent. The prospective clinical study evaluated the safety, feasibility and clinical performance of an Indian-developed drug-eluting coronary stent in patients undergoing coronary intervention.
Earlier, he was the first author of the SERIES I prospective first-in-human study evaluating the Supralimus biodegradable-polymer sirolimus-eluting coronary stent. The study provided prospective angiographic and clinical follow-up of an Indian-developed drug-eluting coronary stent, with clinical follow-up extending to 30 months.
He has also contributed as an investigator and author to other clinical studies and registries evaluating coronary drug-eluting stents and their performance in Indian patients.
This research represents a significant part of Dr. Dani's academic contribution to the clinical evaluation of Indian coronary device technology.
Congenital and Structural Heart Intervention
Dr. Dani's interventional experience extends beyond adult coronary disease to congenital and structural heart conditions.
His experience includes catheter-based treatment of both pediatric and adult congenital heart disease, including ASD, VSD and PDA interventions, as well as diagnostic congenital cardiac catheterisation and selected transcatheter structural procedures.
His early involvement in congenital device closure in Gujarat dates back to 1994 at the U. N. Mehta Institute of Cardiology & Research Centre, reflecting his longstanding involvement in catheter-based cardiovascular intervention beyond conventional coronary angioplasty.
Cardiac Rhythm Management and Implantable Devices
Dr. Dani has extensive experience in cardiac rhythm management and implantable cardiac devices.
His experience includes:
- Cardiac resynchronisation therapy with defibrillator (CRT-D)
- Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD/AICD)
- Dual-chamber pacemakers (DDDR)
- Permanent pacemaker implantation
- Leadless pacemaker implantation, including Micra
- Device-based treatment of bradyarrhythmias and conduction disorders
He was among the first operators in Gujarat to perform CRT-D implantation and has continued to work across conventional and newer cardiac device technologies.
Peripheral and Vascular Intervention
Dr. Dani's interventional practice also extends to peripheral vascular disease and endovascular treatment.
His experience includes:
- Above-knee and below-knee peripheral angioplasty
- Peripheral arterial stenting
- Renal artery intervention
- Treatment of aorto-arteritis
- Peripheral drug-coated balloon angioplasty
- Selected catheter-based treatment of venous thromboembolic disease
- Mechanical thrombectomy for selected cases of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism
This combination of coronary and peripheral vascular intervention gives his practice a broad cardiovascular scope extending beyond the coronary arteries.
Research, Education and Professional Leadership
Dr. Dani has contributed to clinical research in interventional cardiology, coronary stent technology and drug-coated balloon treatment, with research presented at national and international cardiology meetings and published in peer-reviewed medical journals.
He has held leadership positions within the Cardiological Society of India, including Secretary of the Ahmedabad and Gujarat Chapters and Organising Secretary for the West Zone at CSI NIC.
He has also served on panels and professional bodies concerned with cardiovascular and metabolic health, including the Lipid Association of India.
As Programme Director for DrNB Cardiology at Apollo Hospitals, he remains involved in postgraduate cardiology education, specialist training and mentorship.
Qualifications and Professional Recognition
Dr. Dani holds a DM in Cardiology from B.J. Medical College, Ahmedabad, and an MD in Medicine from Sheth K.M. School of Post-Graduate Medicine & Research.
He completed an Interventional Cardiology Fellowship at Hospital Charles Nicolle, Rouen, France.
He is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology (FACC), the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (FSCAI), and the Cardiological Society of India.
During his academic training, he ranked first in the university in his MD examination in 1990 and was the first candidate in the state to pass the DM (Cardiology) examination in 1993. He received the Dr. N.H. Patel Gold Medal of Cardiology.
His recognitions include the Pride of Gujarat Award (2012) from the Government of Gujarat and the Dr. B.C. Roy Award (2018).
Founder of Apollo CVHF Heart Institute
Dr. Dani founded Apollo CVHF Heart Institute with the vision of creating a centre dedicated specifically to cardiovascular disease, rather than cardiology functioning only as one department within a general hospital.
The institute brings together cardiology, cardiac intervention, vascular expertise and supporting cardiovascular services around the management of patients with heart and vascular disease.
Clinical and Research Expertise
Dr. Sameer Dani's clinical and academic expertise spans:
Interventional Cardiology
- Complex and high-risk PCI
- Chronic total occlusion (CTO) PCI
- Bifurcation PCI
- Rotational atherectomy
- Complex calcified coronary intervention
- Drug-coated balloon angioplasty
- Stentless PCI
Congenital and Structural Intervention
- Pediatric and adult congenital cardiac catheterisation
- ASD, VSD and PDA device closure
- Catheter-based congenital and structural interventions
- Balloon Pulmonary Valvuloplasty
- Balloon Mitral Valvotomy
Cardiac Devices and Rhythm Management
- CRT-D
- ICD/AICD
- DDDR pacemakers
- Permanent pacemakers
- Leadless pacemakers including Micra
Peripheral and Vascular Intervention
- Peripheral angioplasty
- Peripheral arterial stenting
- Renal artery intervention
- Peripheral DCB angioplasty
- Aorto-arteritis intervention
- Selected mechanical thrombectomy procedures
Cardiovascular Research
- Drug-coated balloon technology
- Stentless coronary intervention
- Indian-developed coronary stent technology
- Clinical registries and prospective interventional studies
With more than three decades spanning academic cardiology, complex coronary intervention, congenital and structural intervention, cardiac devices, peripheral vascular intervention, cardiovascular research and specialist medical education, Dr. Sameer Dani has built a broad interventional cardiology practice rooted in Ahmedabad and extending across multiple areas of catheter-based cardiovascular treatment.
