Dr. Christopher King takes on cases other cardiologists have deemed impossible.
“I am passionate about providing service to people who have been told that there may be little or nothing that can be done for their condition,” said King, who has been in practice with Alabama Cardiovascular Group for more than 10 years.
Overall, King specializes in diagnosing and treating cardiovascular disease, as well as interventional cardiology, echocardiography and nuclear stress testing. He treats all facets of cardiovascular disease, including peripheral vascular disease and high-risk coronary anatomy. But it’s the tough cases that draw his interest the most.
“I do a lot of work treating people for significant cardiac symptoms (such as chest pain and shortness of breath) who have been told that their blocked artery could not be opened with a stent or surgically bypassed,” he said. “I also treat many patients who have had previous bypass surgery but have experienced worsening of their disease since that time. A second bypass surgery can oftentimes present prohibitive risk. I work to treat these particular blockages in a less invasive way.”
King also treats peripheral vascular disease in people who have such poor circulation that they are in danger of needing amputation or are unable to walk distances because of the pain their conditions cause.
“In particular, I do work in the small vessels below the knee in which blocked arteries often lead to poor wound healing and significant disability,” King said. “This is a space that has been undertreated in patients for many years.”
King, a Birmingham native, holds a Fellowship in the American College of Cardiology. He received his medical degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and completed his general and interventional cardiology training at VA Commonwealth University/Medical College of Virginia in Richmond.
“I try to take the health needs of each individual patient into consideration as we develop a treatment plan together. Healthcare is not a ‘one size fits all’ endeavor,” King said. “I have a unique skill set for treating patients who may have previously been told there was little that could be done for their vascular condition.”
Though he works on highly developed cardiology problems, the first thing King advises is prevention.
“Always keep moving. The closest thing there is to a fountain of youth is exercise, both physical and mental. Both types of inactivity can create a vicious cycle of physical and mental decline,” King said.
King practices from the Alabama Cardiovascular Group, 3686 Grandview Parkway, Ste. 720. He can be reached at 205-971-7500.
—Virginia Martin
