Dr. Ivan Petrov

Dr. Ivan Petrov is a senior interventional cardiologist at UMBAL Alexandrovska University Hospital, Bulgaria's largest academic medical center and the primary cardiovascular referral hospital in Sofia. With over 21 years of clinical experience, he is one of Bulgaria's most respected interventional cardiologists.

Dr. Petrov completed an interventional cardiology fellowship at the Heart Center of the University of Leipzig in Germany, where he gained expertise in complex coronary interventions and OCT-guided procedures. Returning to Bulgaria, he established the hospital's complex PCI program and introduced physiological coronary assessment techniques including FFR.

He is a key figure in the Bulgarian Cardiology Society and represents Bulgaria in European Society of Cardiology working groups. His work has been instrumental in aligning Bulgarian interventional cardiology practice with ESC guidelines.

Dr. Petrov oversees a high-volume catheterization laboratory and mentors junior cardiologists. He is an associate professor at the Medical University of Sofia and is known for combining rigorous clinical science with a warm, accessible bedside manner.

Dr. Petrov graduated from the Medical University of Sofia in 2000. He completed his internal medicine and cardiology residency at UMBAL Alexandrovska Hospital and undertook an interventional cardiology fellowship at the Heart Center, University of Leipzig, Germany (2005–2007). His PhD from the Medical University of Sofia in 2009 focused on myocardial viability assessment after coronary intervention. He is a Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology (FESC) and is certified by the Bulgarian Medical Union in cardiology.

Dr. Petrov specializes in complex coronary interventions including bifurcation PCI, chronic total occlusion (CTO) procedures, and left main coronary artery stenting. He performs physiological coronary assessment using fractional flow reserve (FFR) and instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR), and intravascular imaging with OCT and IVUS. He performs comprehensive echocardiography including stress echo and transesophageal echo, and manages the full spectrum of cardiovascular conditions from acute MI to chronic stable disease and heart failure.

Dr. Petrov has published over 30 peer-reviewed articles in the European Heart Journal and other cardiology journals. His research focuses on outcomes after complex coronary intervention, myocardial viability, and the application of intracoronary physiology in clinical practice. He collaborates with European cardiac centers and has been a principal investigator in multinational PCI outcome trials.

Dr. Petrov speaks Bulgarian, Russian, and English and regularly sees international patients from Russia, neighboring Balkan states, and Western Europe. UMBAL Alexandrovska has an international patient coordination service. Video consultations are available for pre-procedure review. Bulgaria offers EU-standard cardiac care at significantly lower costs, and Sofia is well-connected by direct flights from major European cities.

Dr. Petrov received the Bulgarian Cardiology Society Award for Excellence in Interventional Cardiology in 2016. He was recognized by the ESC for his contributions to interventional cardiology training in Eastern Europe. The Medical University of Sofia awarded him the Distinguished Clinician Teacher Award in 2022.