Skip to Main Content

Christopher Regan, MD, FACC, FSCAI, RPVI

Associate Professor of Medicine (Cardiovascular Medicine)
DownloadHi-Res Photo

About

Titles

Associate Professor of Medicine (Cardiovascular Medicine)

Biography

Dr Regan is a board certified interventional cardiologist with clinical interests in coronary artery and peripheral vascular disease.

Appointments

Other Departments & Organizations

Education & Training

Interventional Cardiology Fellowship
Yale New Haven Hospital (2015)
Cardiology Fellowship
UT Southwestern (2014)
Chief Residency
Yale New Haven Hospital (2011)
Residency
Yale New Haven Hospital (2010)
MD
Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine (2007)
MA
Georgetown University, Physiology and Biophysics (2002)
BS
Dartmouth College (2001)

Research

Research at a Glance

Yale Co-Authors

Frequent collaborators of Christopher Regan's published research.

Publications

2024

2023

2021

2020

2019

Academic Achievements & Community Involvement

  • activity

    "Cardiology for the Internist" CME Conference Lawrence + Memorial Hospital

  • activity

    Subclavian Intervention: Patient Selection and Technical Aspects

  • activity

    SCAI

Clinical Care

Overview

Christopher Regan, MD, is an interventional cardiologist, a specialist who uses minimally invasive catheter-based procedures to treat coronary artery disease and peripheral vascular disease—the narrowing or blocking of the arteries usually caused by cholesterol and fatty deposits.

Dr. Regan says he chose his field when he was in training and seeing patients with severe chest pain. “There was an interventional cardiologist who would do his work, and within an hour the patient would be thanking him and shaking his hand,” he says.

Almost 20 years later, some cases still require open heart surgery, but catheterization is providing an easier alternative in more situations. “No incision is needed for these procedures. We go through the skin and just use needles and tubes to fix the problem,” Dr. Regan says. He inserts a flexible tube, or catheter, through the skin and into the artery to guide in a small balloon to push the artery open. Then, he places a tube called a stent to keep it open.

Catheterization itself is changing, says Dr. Regan, who is also a researcher investigating ways to improve the devices he uses. While the procedure traditionally involves inserting a catheter in through the femoral artery in the groin area, smaller, specially designed tubes are making it possible to start more procedures in the radial artery from the wrist area. “That’s a fantastic advance because the patient doesn’t have to lay flat for a four- to six-hour period to allow the artery in the leg to heal,” he says. “The risk of bleeding and damage to the artery is reduced because the artery is so small that you would see even a small amount of blood right away, and you can just put some pressure on it.”

He especially enjoys his work when he walks a patient through a procedure and watches as the patient starts to understand it. “It brings a lot of comfort to them, and I can see that,” he says. “They may still be nervous, but I can see the change in them in the office visit. Also, these are procedures that only require moderate sedation, so patients are awake enough that I can tell them what's going on during the procedure. Then, I go over everything with them afterwards. And that's very gratifying.”

Clinical Specialties

Interventional Cardiology; Cardiovascular Medicine

Fact Sheets

Board Certifications

  • Interventional Cardiology

    Certification Organization
    AB of Internal Medicine
    Original Certification Date
    2015
  • Cardiovascular Disease

    Certification Organization
    AB of Internal Medicine
    Original Certification Date
    2014

Yale Medicine News

Get In Touch

Contacts

Academic Office Number
Appointment Number

Locations

  • Patient Care Locations

    Are You a Patient? View this doctor's clinical profile on the Yale Medicine website for information about the services we offer and making an appointment.