Dr. Raj Makkar
Dr. Raj Makkar
Interventional Cardiologist
127 S. San Vicente Blvd., Suite A3600
Los Angeles, CA 90048
About Dr. Raj Makkar,
Interventional Cardiologist
Hello! My name is Dr. Raj Makkar and I am an interventional cardiologist having graduated from Gujarat University in 1987. To date, I have performed approximately over 25,000 cardiac operations, of which more than 7,000 involved heart valve procedures. I regularly perform cardiac procedures at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Read more...
2 Patient Reviews for
Dr. Makkar
"I was having my regular check up when my doctor heard a heart murmur. The next doctor I saw heard it too and had his own echo machine. Just having completed a 30-mile bike ride, my doctor said, “don’t do any more until you have your heart valve fixed.”
Then he referred me to Dr. Raj Makkar at Cedars because he’s “the best in the world.” Dr. Makkar is renowned as an innovator of minimally invasive heart valve surgery. Simply put – he could slide a new valve into place by running a catheter up through my leg. Consulting with Dr. Makkar was great. He answered all my questions.
I do stunts in movies and television. You may have seen my work in the Matrix and Avengers movies, and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” But I didn’t want to take any chances here.
I was so relieved when I was approved for Dr. Makkar’s procedure. Knowing I wouldn’t have my chest opened, I didn’t lose any sleep before the procedure. I did have to sign a consent for open surgery in case there was a problem. When I woke up afterwards, the first thing I did was run my hand over my chest to feel if I had an incision and I knew that Dr. Makkar’s procedure had been a success.
All I had to do was to stay overnight before I went home the next day. I felt nothing except for some tenderness where the catheter entered my groin, but that healed up within a few weeks. Then, I was back to all my regular activities, including movie stunts. I couldn’t be happier with my entire experience.
Not only is Dr. Makkar great, but his NP, Izabela Harutyunyan, is amazing. Izabela is extremely knowledgeable, answered all my questions, and asked really good questions to understand me as a patient. The entire staff at Cedars is great.
Recently, I did a conference call with Dr. Makkar and other doctors to share my experience. And in sharing my experience here, I can say that I’m back to all my regular activities and would 100% do this again with Dr. Makkar and his team. Having my heart valve replaced while hardly feeling a thing is incredible. Now I know why the doctor that referred me to him said that Dr. Makkar’s the best in the world!"
-- Jimmy Hart, Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, 04/11/2023
"Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement (TMVR). Dr. Makkar gave me great confidence and while it's only been weeks since the procedure, I feel confident and getting stronger."
-- Dana Torrey, Mitral Valve, Valve Replacement, 02/07/2023
My Specialities &
Clinical Interests
My specialties include:
- Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
- Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair (TMVR)
- Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement (TMVR)
In addition, I have research and clinical interests specific to:
- Bicuspid aortic valve disease
- Tricuspid valve replacement via catheter
- Clinical trials for minimally-invasive heart valve therapy
Education, Training & Certificates
Dr. Raj Makkar, interventional cardiologist, graduated from Gujarat University in 1987.
After medical school, Dr. Makkar completed residencies for Internal Medicine at Wayne State University and Cardiology/Interventional Cardiology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Dr. Makkar is a world-renowned leading expert in interventional cardiology and is one of the most widely cited researchers on the management of valvular heart disease.
He has performed the greatest number of transcatheter valve replacement (TAVR) procedures in the world and has led the field in advancing the procedure to ensure the best outcomes for patients. In 2020, he performed the most transcatheter mitral valve repair procedures with the MitraClip system in the United States and is the national principal investigator for mitral valve replacement research studies. He has authored over 500 manuscripts, abstracts and book chapters in peer-reviewed literature including practice-changing contributions in the New England Journal of Medicine and the Lancet.
His research interests focus on novel transcatheter therapies to treat structural heart disease, with a focus on studies that directly demonstrate improvements in patient outcomes. Since 2010, he has been the Stephen R. Corday Chair in Interventional Cardiology at Cedars-Sinai and has led the clinical program and trained over 50 fellows both from within the United States and internationally.
Schedule Appointment
with Dr. Raj Makkar, MD
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Makkar, you can:
- Call (310) 928-2507 right now
- Request an appointment by clicking here.
The office of Dr. Makkar is located at 127 S. San Vicente Blvd., Suite A3600, Los Angeles, CA 90048. To get driving directions to this office, please click the map below.
> Click for driving directions to Dr. Makkar’s office.
Watch Educational Videos with Dr. Raj Makkar
Learn about transcatheter heart valve procedures from Dr. Makkar in these videos:
-
Day In The Life Of An Interventional Cardiologist: Dr. Raj Makkar
-
TAVR & Age: Who Is Too Old? Who Is Too Young?
News & Online References Featuring Dr. Raj Makkar
Here is the latest news featuring Dr. Raj Makkar:
- Inside Access: Heart Valve Catheter Lab of Dr. Raj Makkar
- Wow! Advances in the Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease Symposium!
- A "Day In The Life" Of An Interventional Cardiologist with Dr. Raj Makkar
- TAVR & Age: Am I Too Old? Am I Too Young?
- Patient Success Story: Cathleen Can Breathe Again After TAVR-in-TAVR-in-SAVR
Page last updated: May 1, 2026