Justin Pelberg, DO, FACC

Justin Pelberg, DO, FACC

Dr. Pelberg is a cardiologist who specializes in the care of patients with heart failure. Heart failure affects many people, and the number of cases continues to grow each year. It is a condition in which the heart either fails to pump and supply enough blood to the rest of the body or fails to relax and appropriately fill with blood. Heart failure has many causes and a wide spectrum of illness severity, but several treatment options are available to help produce good outcomes. If heart failure becomes severe and the heart can no longer pump to meet the body’s needs, a person may need advanced therapy, such as a surgically implanted mechanical pump—called a left ventricular assist device—or a heart transplant. Dr. Pelberg cares for patients with all types and stages of heart failure, including: 1) cardiomyopathy (a disorder of the heart muscle in which the heart has trouble pumping blood or relaxing to fill with blood, 2) pulmonary hypertension (high pressure in the lungs that may cause failure of the right heart chambers, or “right-sided heart failure”), 3) cardiogenic shock (a medical emergency that may require short-term use of a mechanical device to help circulate blood), and 4) end-stage heart failure (severe disease that may require a surgically implanted ventricular assist device or a heart transplant). Dr. Pelberg is dedicated to helping patients with heart failure manage their disease in an effort to allow the heart to recover and avoid the need for hospitalization or more advanced therapy. In addition to heart failure, Dr. Pelberg treats coronary artery disease, heart valve disorders, heart rhythm disorders, high blood pressure, and cholesterol disorders. He is focused on helping patients avoid worsening heart disease through lifestyle modifications, medical therapy, and—when needed—specialized care from other Lankenau Heart Institute physicians. Dr. Pelberg earned his medical degree from the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine. He then came to the Philadelphia region to pursue clinical training. He completed a residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in cardiovascular medicine at Lankenau Medical Center, followed by fellowship in advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology at Temple University Hospital. He was in private practice in Montgomery County for 3 years before joining Lankenau Heart Institute.