Dr. Stephen A. Gaeta

Name: Dr. Stephen A. Gaeta, MD

Specialty: Cardiology | Cardiac Electrophysiology

Qualification/Board Certification: MD – Weill Cornell Medicine

Affiliation(s): Inova Alexandria Hospital | Inova Fairfax Hospital | Inova Loudoun Hospital | Inova Health Care Services

Location (City/State): Fairfax, Virginia

Languages Spoken: English

Accepting New Patients: Yes

NPI Number: 1265731491

About the Doctor

Dr. Stephen A. Gaeta is one of the most distinguished and highly regarded cardiologists and cardiac electrophysiologists in the Commonwealth of Virginia, bringing an extraordinary depth of clinical training, subspecialty expertise, and patient-centered dedication to his practice at Inova Health Care Services in Fairfax, Virginia. He earned his medical degree from Weill Cornell Medicine — one of the nation’s most elite and respected medical schools — and proceeded to complete an internal medicine residency at the University of California, San Francisco from 2011 to 2014, one of the country’s top academic medical centers. He then pursued not one but two highly competitive fellowships at Duke University Hospital — a fellowship in Cardiovascular Disease from 2014 to 2017, followed by an advanced fellowship in Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology from 2017 to 2019 — establishing himself as a rigorously trained specialist at the absolute forefront of both general cardiology and the complex subspecialty of cardiac electrophysiology.

Cardiac electrophysiology is one of the most technically demanding and academically rigorous subspecialties in all of medicine, focused specifically on the diagnosis and interventional treatment of heart rhythm disorders — including atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, ventricular arrhythmias, and conditions requiring pacemaker or implantable defibrillator therapy. Dr. Gaeta’s dual fellowship training at Duke — a program consistently recognized as one of the finest cardiac electrophysiology training centers in the United States — has equipped him with skills and procedural expertise that are rare even among experienced cardiologists.

Dr. Gaeta practices at Inova Health Care Services within a distinguished team of cardiologists and cardiovascular specialists, and holds hospital affiliations with three of Virginia’s most highly ranked cardiac care facilities. Inova Fairfax Hospital — ranked #1 in Virginia — is High Performing in an extraordinary ten cardiac care categories including Cardiology, Heart & Vascular Surgery, Heart Arrhythmia, Heart Attack, Heart Bypass Surgery, Heart Failure, Pacemaker Implantation, and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). Inova Alexandria Hospital (#12 in Virginia) and Inova Loudoun Hospital (#16 in Virginia) are both recognized as High Performing in Heart Arrhythmia, Heart Attack, Heart Failure, and additional cardiac categories — ensuring Dr. Gaeta’s patients have access to the very highest level of cardiovascular institutional care available anywhere in the region.

His patient satisfaction record is nothing short of remarkable. With a perfect 5 out of 5 overall rating based on 166 total reviews — and perfect scores in thoroughness of examination, ability to answer questions, and clarity of instructions — Dr. Gaeta has earned all seven available patient experience awards, including Patients’ Top Choice, Makes Time for Patients, Listens Attentively, Clearly Explains, Performs Thorough Exams, and Great Bedside Manner. This perfect combination of elite academic credentials, advanced subspecialty training, world-class hospital affiliations, and extraordinary patient satisfaction makes Dr. Gaeta one of the most complete and accomplished cardiologists practicing in the United States today. He holds an active Virginia State Medical License through 2026.

Education & Training

Medical School – Weill Cornell Medicine (MD)

Residency – Internal Medicine, University of California San Francisco (2011–2014)

Fellowship (Cardiology) – Cardiovascular Disease, Duke University Hospital (2014–2017)

Fellowship (Electrophysiology) – Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology, Duke University Hospital (2017–2019)

Subspecialty Focus – Cardiology | Cardiac Electrophysiology | Heart Rhythm Disorders | Pacemaker & Device Management | Coronary Artery Disease | Heart Failure

Medical Conditions Treated

• Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) and Atrial Flutter
• Cardiac Arrhythmias and Heart Rhythm Disorders
• Ventricular Tachycardia and Ventricular Fibrillation
• Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and Atherosclerosis
• Cardiomyopathy (Dilated, Hypertrophic, Ischemic)
• Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
• Chronic Hypertension and Hypertensive Heart Disease
• Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT)
• Syncope (Fainting) and Presyncope
• Sick Sinus Syndrome and Heart Block
• Palpitations and Unexplained Rapid Heartbeat
• Sudden Cardiac Arrest — Prevention and Management
• Valvular Heart Disease (Aortic, Mitral)
• Peripheral Artery Disease and Vascular Conditions
• Post-Cardiac Event Monitoring and Recovery

Medical Procedures Performed

• Cardiac Electrophysiology Study (EPS) — Diagnostic
• Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation (AFib Ablation)
• Catheter Ablation for Supraventricular and Ventricular Arrhythmias
• Pacemaker Implantation and Replacement
• Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD) Implantation and Management
• Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT) Device Implantation
• Cardioversion (Electrical Restoration of Normal Heart Rhythm)
• Electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG) Interpretation
• Holter Monitor and Ambulatory Cardiac Event Monitoring
• Echocardiography (Transthoracic and Transesophageal)
• Stress Testing and Exercise Tolerance Evaluation
• Coronary Artery Disease Risk Assessment and Management
• Cardiac Device Interrogation and Remote Monitoring
• Heart Failure Management and Optimization
• Preventive Cardiovascular Risk Reduction Planning

Services Offered

Dr. Gaeta offers a comprehensive and highly specialized range of cardiovascular and cardiac electrophysiology services at Inova Health Care Services in Fairfax, Virginia. His practice addresses the full spectrum of cardiovascular disease — from general cardiology evaluation and chronic disease management to advanced interventional electrophysiology procedures that require the highest level of technical expertise and subspecialty training.

Cardiac electrophysiology is the defining core of Dr. Gaeta’s clinical practice. He specializes in the diagnosis and catheter-based treatment of heart rhythm disorders, with particular expertise in atrial fibrillation ablation — one of the most complex and technically demanding procedures in cardiovascular medicine. For patients living with AFib, atrial flutter, SVT, or ventricular arrhythmias, Dr. Gaeta offers comprehensive electrophysiology evaluation and minimally invasive catheter ablation therapy designed to restore normal heart rhythm and reduce the long-term risks associated with untreated arrhythmias, including stroke and sudden cardiac death. His dual fellowship training at Duke University Hospital provides a level of procedural depth and scientific rigor in this subspecialty that is unmatched by most cardiologists.

Pacemaker and cardiac device management represents another central pillar of Dr. Gaeta’s practice. He performs pacemaker implantations, replacements, and revisions, as well as ICD and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) device implantations for patients at risk for sudden cardiac arrest or those with advanced heart failure. His affiliations with Inova Fairfax Hospital — recognized as High Performing in both Pacemaker Implantation and Heart Failure — ensure that device procedures are performed in a facility with demonstrated excellence in these interventions.

General cardiology services form the outpatient foundation of Dr. Gaeta’s practice, encompassing the evaluation and management of coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy, heart failure, and hypertension. He provides thorough diagnostic workups, echocardiographic evaluation, stress testing, and individualized cardiovascular risk reduction strategies for patients at all stages of heart disease. His exceptional patient satisfaction scores — particularly for thoroughness of examination and clarity of instructions — reflect a physician who ensures that patients fully understand their cardiac condition, their treatment plan, and what to expect at every step of their care journey.

Services include:

• Comprehensive cardiovascular evaluation and consultation
• Cardiac electrophysiology study (EPS) and diagnostic workup
• Catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, and SVT
• Catheter ablation for ventricular arrhythmias
• Pacemaker implantation, replacement, and device management
• ICD and CRT device implantation and management
• Cardioversion for restoration of normal heart rhythm
• Holter monitor and long-term cardiac event monitoring
• Echocardiography (transthoracic and transesophageal)
• Stress testing and exercise cardiac evaluation
• Coronary artery disease evaluation and management
• Heart failure evaluation, optimization, and management
• Cardiomyopathy diagnosis and long-term management
• Hypertension evaluation and cardiovascular risk reduction
• Remote cardiac device monitoring and follow-up care

Acceptd Insurances

• Aetna (EPO, HMO, Medicaid, Medicare, POS, PPO)
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (HMO, Medicare, POS, PPO)
• CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (HMO, PPO)
• CMS Medicare
• Elevance (EPO, HMO, Medicaid, Medicare, POS, PPO)
• Humana (Medicare, PPO)
• Molina (HMO, Medicaid, Medicare)
• Regence Health Plans (PPO)
• United Healthcare (HMO, Medicaid, Medicare, POS, PPO)

Practice Locations

Location 1 Inova Health Care Services 8081 Innovation Park Dr, Suite 602 Fairfax, VA 22031 📞 (571) 472-3270

Hospital Affiliations

Inova Fairfax Hospital: Falls Church, VA (Ranked #1 in Virginia | High Performing in Cardiology, Heart & Vascular Surgery, Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair, Aortic Valve Surgery, Heart Arrhythmia, Heart Attack, Heart Bypass Surgery, Heart Failure, Pacemaker Implantation, and TAVR)

Inova Alexandria Hospital: Alexandria, VA (Ranked #12 in Virginia | High Performing in Heart Arrhythmia, Heart Attack, and Heart Failure)

Inova Loudoun Hospital: Leesburg, VA (Ranked #16 in Virginia | High Performing in Heart Arrhythmia, Heart Attack, Heart Failure, and Pacemaker Implantation)