Internal Medicine

George Carayannopoulos, M.D.
Director, Heart Rhythm Center
Assistant Professor
Division of Cardiology
Department of Internal Medicine

University of Texas Medical Branch
301 University Blvd.
Galveston, TX 77555-0553
Phone: 409.772.4630
gncaraya@utmb.edu

Clinical Expertise

1. Implantation of pacemaker, ICD, and biventricular Resynchronization Device
2. Ablation of cardiac arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation
3. Community outreach on sudden cardiac death, syncope, and other arrhythmia related conditions

Research Interests

1. Clinical trials on new rhythm management devices
2. Clinical outcome of atrial fibrillation
3. Innovative procedures to address cardiac arrhythmias
4. Developing new methods for risk stratification of Sudden Cardiac Arrest

Overview

Dr. George Carayannopoulos was born and raised in Dallas, Texas and completed all of his academic and medical training in the University of Texas educational system. After completion of his Cardiac Electrophysiology training at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, he was selected as one of six cardiologists to care for all of the international athletes and staff residing in the Olympic Village for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. Upon the completion of the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, Dr. Carayannopoulos moved to Long Island, New York where he started Heart Rhythm Consultants of New York a practice created to address the cardiac electrophysiology needs of the community on Long Island.

During his time in New York he held the position of Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the State University of New York – Stony Brook University Hospital. He also served in several leadership positions including Director of Cardiac Electrophysiology at St. Catherine of Siena Hospital, Vice-chair of Suffolk County H.E.A.R.T. (a task force he created in conjunction with the Suffolk County Health Commissioner to raise the awareness of heart disease in the community), Co-Founder of Suffolk County Life Savers (support group for at risk patients and survivors of Sudden Cardiac Arrest), and Vice President of the New York Hellenic Medical Society.

He is actively involved in the Heart Rhythm Society and has served on its Reimbursement and Regulatory Committee for six years. He is an international speaker and gives many lectures annually on Sudden Cardiac Arrest, Syncope, Congestive Heart Failure, and Medical Practice Building. In June 2010 he received Greek America Magazine's 40 most influential young Greek-Americans award. Dr. Carayannopoulos and his wife are active members in the Greek Orthodox community, and they enjoy living on Galveston Island.

Education

Degree	Year	Institution
B.A. Arts with Honors in Biochemistry	1992	University of Texas, Austin, TX
M.D.	1996	University of Texas Southwestern Medical School
Residency Internal Medicine	1999	University of Texas Southwestern Medical School
Fellowship Cardiovascular Disease Cardiac electrophysiology fellowship	2002 2004	University of Texas Southwestern Medical School University of Texas Southwestern Medical School

Select Publications

1. Rajjit Abrol, George N. Carayannopoulos, Robert C. Kowal P4-116: Inappropriate ICD therapy due to transcutaneous pacing during CPR Heart Rhythm May 2006; Vol. 3, Issue 5, Pages S257-S258.
2. Kowal RC, Wasmund SL, Smith ML, Sharma N, Carayannopoulos GN, Le B, Cogan J, Kizilbash AM, Joglar JA, Hamdan MH. Biventricular pacing reduces the induction of monomorphic ventricular tachycardia: a potential mechanism for arrhythmia suppression. Heart Rhythm. 2004 Sep; 1(3):295-300.
3. George N. Carayannopoulos, Robert Schwarzberg, Carol L Nguyen, Robert C Kowal, Mohammed H Hamdan, Richard L Page, Jose A Joglar, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. Clinical Efficacy of a Novel Auto-Trigger Monitor Designed to Automatically Detect Atrial Fibrillation. Abstract.