History of Interventional Cardiology at UCLA
Find your care
Interventional cardiology teams provide care in multiple locations. To learn more about our services, call 310-825-9011.
Lawrence A. Yeatman, M.D
Dr. Yeatman is an Emeritus Professor of Medicine in Cardiology at UCLA. He joined UCLA in 1976 and served as the Director of Cardiac Catheterization laboratory at UCLA Medical Center and Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center from 1978 to 2015. Born in Texas, he attended Rice University, graduating in 1965. He graduated from Yale School of Medicine in 1970, followed with residency and fellowship training at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Yeatman developed the clinical interventional program at UCLA and under his vision, the catheterization laboratories increased four-fold. He was responsible for bringing cutting-edge technology at UCLA before any other medical center on the West Coast and expanded the program to its present size.
In his free time, Dr. Yeatman loves to read classics, listen to music, attend opera, and spend time with his grandchildren.
Jonathan Tobis, M.D.
Dr. Tobis is an Emeritus Professor of Medicine in Cardiology at UCLA and the Director of Interventional Cardiology Research. He joined UCLA in 1999 and served as the Director of Interventional Cardiology from 2010 to 2015. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he attended Amherst College, graduating in 1969 with Honors in Chemistry. He graduated from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 1973, followed with residency and fellowship training at University of California, Irvine. Under his leadership, the UCLA interventional program trained many fellows and placed the clinical and research program under international spotlight. Dr. Tobis is a leader in developing digital angiography for use in the cardiac catheterization laboratory. While at UC Irvine, Dr. Tobis performed the first digital left ventricular and coronary angiograms in the world. This work helped transform the cardiac catheterization laboratory from a film based procedure to a completely digital environment. In recognition of his seminal work in the field, he was awarded the honor of being named as a prestigious Master Fellow of the Society of Cardiac Angiography and Interventions, MSCAI.
Dr. Tobis helped to develop one of the first mechanically rotating intravascular ultrasound imaging devices which aids our understanding of coronary pathophysiology and the mechanism of action of multiple devices used in interventional cardiology.
Dr. Tobis has served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Society of Cardiac Angiography and Interventions. In addition to performing complex coronary angioplasty, Dr. Tobis is involved in the catheter-based treatment of structural heart disease, including closure of patent foramen ovale, atrial septal defect, and valvular heart disease. He is a proctor for Cardiac Dimensions teaching doctors in Europe and Australia how to use a new device to treat mitral regurgitation.
Dr. Tobis collaborated with Antonio Colombo in using IVUS technology to explain the high incidence of subacute thrombosis during the early experience with intracoronary stents. This led to the use of larger balloons and higher pressures with decreased subacute stent thrombosis and permitted a dramatic increase in the use of coronary stents for angioplasty.
In addition to authoring numerous peer reviewed articles, he is the co-author with Paul Yock of the textbook, "Intravascular Ultrasound Imaging" and with Antonio Colombo for "Techniques in Coronary Artery Stenting." His recent work has been devoted to understanding the role of patent foramen ovale (PFO) in relation to cryptogenic stroke, migraine headache, and orthodeoxia. He is a co-editor of a textbook on Patent Foramen Ovale.
In his free time, Dr. Tobis loves to ski with his granddaughter, travel, play tennis, and backpack through the Sierras. His most recent adventure is learning to speak Italian.
