Ara M Maranian, MD, is a UVA Health heart and vascular disease specialist who sees patients in the Haymarket, Warrenton, and Manassas areas. He specializes in treating heart conditions with cardiac catheterization and pacemaker implantation. He also spent time deployed in Irag, serving as a critical care air transport physician in 2003-2004 and 2006-2007.
Get to Know a UVA Health Heart & Vascular Specialist
We asked Maranian our 7 quick questions.
1. What has most inspired and shaped your approach to patient care?
I think tailoring the way you manage a patient can really make a difference in your relationship with them.
I’ve realized over the years that each patient is a little bit different. And sometimes, when you’re meeting them for the first time, the most important thing is getting a sense of what they expect out of the visit and trying to meet them there. You may manage things one way and it won’t work for somebody else, and the way you manage that person may not work for the first patient. Patients are a lot more satisfied when you can meet them halfway with what they need to do and come up with a plan that they’re going to stick with.
2. What’s your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part of the job is probably interacting with patients. I really enjoy medicine because I am definitely someone who enjoys building relationships.
I think the part I enjoy the most is when I’ve established a relationship with a patient. If I haven’t seen them for a year, we get to see how they’re doing, both physically in terms of their health, but also just how their life is going. That’s always a lot of fun.
3. What’s your biggest fear when you’re a patient?
My biggest fear would be making sure that my thoughts and concerns are adequately expressed to the physician. You want to make sure that they’re working with good information, and that there’s good communication there.
4. What do you do for stress relief?
I enjoy any kind of sports. I was a runner, and I bicycle for stress relief and exercise. But I enjoyed playing all different sports growing up. Now, as my kids are playing sports, I enjoy getting out and doing things with them.
5. Dogs or cats?
Definitely a dog person.
6. Last movie you saw? Thumbs up or down?
The last movie I saw was probably Top Gun: Maverick. Thumbs up. Good movie.
7. Best advice you’ve ever heard?
The best advice I’ve ever heard came from my parents – just be true to yourself. Always be honest with yourself. Do what you know is to be the right thing at all times and don’t deviate because of external factors or other people’s opinions. If you just stick to what you know is right in your heart, things are always going to work out in the long run.