Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology

The University of Texas Medical School at Houston

Dr Denktas joined The University of Texas at Houston in March 2005 as an Assistant Professor of Medicine.  From 1997-2000 Dr Denktas was a Clinical Fellow in the department of Cardiology at the University of Texas at Houston.  He completed his internal medicine residency training and interventional cardiology training at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Dr Denktas received the Dean’s Teaching Excellence Award in 2006 and 2008.  In 1999 he was awarded the Leadership in Cardiology Research and was the top student at the Istanbul University Cerrahpasa in 1991.  He is currently a Fellow of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions and the American College of Cardiology

Dr. Denktas' clinical interests include interventional Cardiology, Peripheral Vascular Intervention, Valvular Heart Disease, Percutaneous Closure of Patent Foramen Ovale and Atrial Septal Defects in Adults with Cryptogenic stroke and significant left to right or right to left shunt.

Ongoing Research:
HSC-MS-00-180-A Smalling (PI) 12/2002 – Present
AGA Medical Corporation
AMPLATZER PFO HDE Occluder Compassionate Use Study and Registry.

Overall goal: The AMPLATZER® PFO Occluder is a percutaneous, transcatheter occlusion device intended for the non-surgical closure of patent foramen ovale (PFO) in persons who have had a cryptogenic stroke due to presumed paradoxical embolism.. The AMPLATZER PFO Occluder has been developed as a potential alternative to the current standard of care. Current standard of care is medical treatment with either anticoagulation or antiplatelet agents. Standard of care medical treatment is used to prevent recurrent symptomatic cryptogenic strokes in subjects with PFO and presumed paradoxical emboli. This study enrolls patients whom are at high risk of a repeat stroke, that are not candidates for a protocol. Role: Co-Investigator

HSC-MS-02-186 Smalling (PI) 2/2003 – Present
AGA Medical Corporation
Protocol AGA-006: RESPECT TRIAL: Randomized Evaluation of Recurrent Stroke, TIA, or Peripheral Embolism Comparing PFO Closure to Establish Current Standard of Care Treatment & Rev B dated (8/02)& Revision G (dated 6/03) & Revisions H (dated 5/2004).

Overall goal: The major of this study is to investigate whether percutaneous PFO closure is superior to current standard of care medical treatment in the prevention of recurrent embolic stroke or transient ischemic attacks.
Role: Co-Investigator

HSC-MS-03-021 Smalling (PI) 9/2003 – Present
University of Texas Houston Health Science Center, Centocor/Scios
Pre-Hospital Administration of Thrombolytic Therapy with Urgent Care Artery Revascularization (PATCAR) Pilot Trial.

Overall goal: The major overall goal is to determine that the strategy of pre-hospital or rural (spoke) hospital thrombolysis using partial dose thrombolytic therapy, followed by emergent transport to a level 1 Cardiovascular Center (Hub Hospital) for full dose glycoprotein 11b/111a receptor antagonist administration (Abciximab), and acute angioplasty and stenting of the culprit artery (Group B), will result in a combined endpoint of lower mortality and reduced re-infarction rate compared to pre-hospital standard thrombolytic therapy and usual care (Group A) at 30 days post intervention.
Role: Co-Investigator

HSC-MS-07-0272 Denktas (PI) 7/2008 – Present
Houston Aortic Symposium Research Grant
Circulating Vascular Stem Cells: A Predictor of Outcomes after Acute Myocardial Infarction

Overall goal: The hypothesis to be tested in this research proposal is that the inability to launch a robust circulating stem cell response to acute vascular events leading to myocardial ischemia or infarction or sudden cardiac death (SCD) may attenuate the post-infarct cardiac tissue repair, thus, resulting in a larger infarct and worse outcomes as well as poor neurologic status in the case of sudden cardiac death.
Role: Principal Investigator

HSC-MS-08-0404 Denktas (PI) 08/31/2008 – Present
Abiomed, Inc.
RECOVER II Trail: A Prospective Randomized Trial Investigating the use of the IMPELLA RECOVER LP 2.5 System in patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction Induced Hemodynamic Instability

Overall goal: The main objective of this study is to assess the safety and effectiveness of the IMPELLA® RECOVER® LP 2.5 System in treating patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) induced hemodynamic instability. The primary endpoint will be the observed reduction of Major Adverse Event (MAE) in the IMPELLA RECOVER LP 2.5 through 30 days or hospital discharge, whichever is longer, as compared to the control group treated with IABP. The MAE rate for IMPELLA will be tested for superiority to the IABP group.
Role: Principal Investigator

HSC-MS-08-0080 Denktas (PI) 10/31/2008 – Present
Abiomed, Inc.
PROTECT II: A prospective, multi-center, randomized controlled trial of the IMPELLA RECOVER LP 2.5 System versus Intra Aortic Balloon Pump (IABP) in Patients Undergoing Non Emergent High Risk PCI

Overall goal: The main objective of this study is to compare the efficacy and safety of the IMPELLA RECOVER 2.5 System to intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) use in subjects undergoing non-emergent high risk percutaneous coronary intervention. Circulatory assist device use during high-risk PCI may reduce hemodynamic instability thereby improve procedure-related morbidity and mortality. The IABP has inherent limitations including the need for residual cardiac function, the need for a stable rhythm and its efficacy to unload the left ventricle is not optimal. The IMPELLA RECOVER 2.5 System is a miniature catheter based cardiac assist device that pumps up to 2.5 l/min of blood from the left ventricle to the systemic circulation across the aortic valve. Clinical experience has shown that the IMPELLA RECOVER 2.5 System potentially enables immediate and sustained unloading of the left ventricle while increasing the overall systemic cardiac output.
Role: Principal Investigator

HSC-MS-08-0530 Kantharia (PI) 10/31/2008 – Present
Biotronik, Inc.
The IMPACT of BIOTRONIK Home Monitoring Guided Anticoagulation on Stroke Risk in Patients with Implanted ICD and CRT-D devices

Overall goal: The purpose of this study is to investigate the clinical benefit of the combined use of BIOTRONIK Home Monitoring (HM) technology and a predefined anticoagulation plan compared to conventional device evaluation and physician-directed anticoagulation in patients with implanted dual-chamber defibrillators or cardiac resynchronization devices.
Role: Co-Investigator

HSC-MS-09-0042 Smalling (PI) 2/28/2009 – Present
Angel Medical System, Inc.
ALERTS (AngeLmed for Early Recognition and Treatment of STEMI) Study

Overall goal: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the Guardian System in comparison to the standard of care in treating patients with a high risk of a heart attack.
Role: Co-Investigator

HSC-MS-09-0033 Smalling (PI) 2/28/2009 – Present
Datascope, Corp and Duke Clinical Research Institute
A Multi-center, Randomized, Controlled Study of Mechanical Left Ventricular Unloading with Counterpulsation to Reduce Infarct Size Pre-PCI for Acute Myocardial Infarction—CRISP AMI

Overall goal: To determine whether placing an Intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) before mechanical reperfusion decreases anterior myocardial infarct (MI) size and also to assess the effect of IABC before mechanical reperfusion on cardiovascular function and MACE.
Role: Co-Investigator