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Best Heart Surgeons In The World

icon-blog By -Dr. Aaksha Shukla
icon-blog By -February 6, 2024

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Best Heart Surgeons In The World

The field of cardiac surgery has made great advancements, and the expertise of heart surgeons has played a vital role in changing the landscape of cardiovascular care. These surgeons are at the forefront of innovation, continuously working to improve surgical procedures and patient results. Their efforts not only enhanced the level of treatment, but also set the path for ground-breaking procedures and technology. In this blog, we will look at the profiles of some of the world's best heart surgeons, their exceptional accomplishments, and the impact of their work on the area of cardiac surgery. We will look at the most recent advances, cutting-edge techniques, and patient-centered approaches that these well known  surgeons use to treat their practice.

List of Best Heart Surgeons in The World

Below is a list of the world's best heart surgeons.

Best Heart Surgeons In The USA

The USA is the global leader in medical science. They have developed top-tier facilities for the research and development of cardiology. They have attracted some of the best heart surgeons in the world to pursue their professional careers and research work.  You can find some of the best heart surgeons in the world practicing in the US below:

1. Valluvan Jeevanandam

Among the world's top heart transplant surgeons, Dr. Valluvan is well-known. His record of performing nearly 5000 heart operations is excellent. Over a thousand heart transplants, including ones incorporating artificial hearts, have been performed by Dr. Valluvan. Being the first surgeon to successfully implant CardioVad, a revolutionary gadget that improves heart function, he created medical history. For people for whom heart transplants were not practical, this offered hope. In just over 27 hours, Dr. Valluvan achieved an amazing accomplishment by successfully carrying out a triple organ transplant twice. He gave two distinct patients healthy kidneys, hearts, and liver transplants. His ground-breaking accomplishments earned him the title of the world's greatest heart transplant surgeon.

2. Dr. William W O'Neill

Dr. O'Neill is the medical director of Henry Ford Health System's Center for Structural Heart Disease. A founding member of the American Board of Internal Medicine's interventional cardiology board. Internationally recognized as a leader in interventional cardiology and structural heart disease. Actively engaged in pioneering research to discover and treat a variety of cardiovascular disorders. Selected as one of 50 Master Fellows by the Society of Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (MSCAI) from among 4500 international members. Pioneer in the use of angioplasty to treat heart attacks, which is now a global standard treatment. The first surgeon in the United States to conduct transcranial aortic valve replacement utilizing a catheter. Implements methods to manage life-threatening side effects of major heart attacks, resulting in a considerable increase in survival rates of 50% to 76%.

Awards & Accolades

  • America's Top Doctors Lifetime Achievement Award.
  • Founding chair of the Innovation in Intervention Summit at the American College of Cardiology.
  • Recipient of the Seymour Gordon Award by the American Heart Association

3. Dr. Barry A. Boilson

Education: MD
Hospital: Mayo Clinic-Rochester
Experience:21+ Yrs

Dr. Barry A. Boilson practices cardiology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He earned his medical degree from the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland and has been in practice for over 20 years. Dr. Barry A. Boilson specializes in treating heart failure and other illnesses; see all areas of competence. He accepts a variety of insurance types, including Medicare, Humana, Blue Cross, and United Healthcare. Dr. Barry A. Boilson comes highly recommended by patients.

Area Of Expertise

Adult Congenital Heart Disease
Cardiac Electrophysiology
Heart Failure & Transplantation

4. Dr. Joseph B. Porder

Education: MD
Experience: 21+ Yrs
Hospital: Mount Sinai Hospital

Dr. Joseph B. Porder is a cardiologist in New York, New York and is affiliated with Mount Sinai Hospital. He received his medical degree from Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and has been in practice for more than 20 years. Dr. Joseph B. Porder has expertise in treating chronic high blood pressure along with other conditions of the cardiovascular System .

Area Of Expertise 

  • Echocardiography
  • Preventive Cardiology

Best Heart Surgeons In The UK

The United Kingdom is one of the world's leading destinations for heart surgery. The UK boasts the best cardiac surgeons in the world. They are professionals in all major areas of cardiac surgery. Whether you require a professional cardiothoracic surgeon or a bypass surgery specialist, you may find them in the UK. Some of the greatest cardiac surgeons in the world are practicing in the UK, as listed below:

5. Kulvinder Lall

Dr. Lall is the world's top cardiothoracic surgeon. He has nearly thirty years of expertise as a heart surgeon. He entered St. Bartholomew Hospital as one of the UK's youngest cardiac surgeons.He has performed over 5000 heart procedures with remarkable success, according to the "Care Quality Commission and Department of Health. "He is one of the world's leading cardiac surgeons in coronary, atrial, mitral, and electrophysiological procedures. He has published more than 15 academic publications in these disciplines worldwide. He is Asia's first surgeon to undertake stentless heart valve implantation. He is currently practicing the next generation of sophisticated sutureless heart valve implantations in London. He regularly presents the results of his profession at many international meetings.

6. Dr. Franco Ciulli

Dr. Ciulli is the Clinical Director at the Bristol Heart Institute. He is one of the most experienced heart surgeons in the UK. Dr. Ciulli is a known expert in adult heart surgery. In his 30-year career, he has performed over 5000 open-heart procedures. He has also conducted multiple difficult heart procedures, with an incredible 98% success rate. With these credentials, he was considered as one of the top cardiac surgeons in the world. Dr. Ciulli led a team in Sydney that performed the first heart-lung and double-lung transplants.  He also performed the first minimally invasive mitral valve replacement operation in the United Kingdom.

Area Of Expertise 

  • Minimally invasive cardiac procedures
  • Beating Heart Surgery
  • Mitral Valve Repair
  • Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Aortic

Know: Best Heart Hospital in the World

7. Mr George Asimakopoulos

Education: Cardiothoracic surgeon in London
Education: MD PhD FRCS
Experience: 30+ years

Mr. George Asimakopoulos is a renowned specialist heart surgeon based in London. He specializes in aortic root surgery, aortic valve replacement, endocarditis surgery, Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG), and atrial fibrillation surgery. He focuses on difficult problems involving the aortic valve, aortic root, ascending aorta, and arch. He also has vast experience treating endocarditis and operating on individuals who have already undergone cardiac surgery. Mr Asimakopoulos received his medical degree from the University of Hamburg in Germany in 1992. From 1999 to 2006, he completed his cardiothoracic surgery rotation in West London. He later spent a year as a fellow in heart and lung transplantation at The Harefield Hospital. Mr Asimakopoulos spent seven years as a consultant cardiac surgeon at The University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust. Mr Asimakopoulos was one of the most in-demand cardiac surgeons in the United Kingdom while in Bristol. He performs over 230 heart surgery procedures each year. In February 2014, he joined The Royal Brompton Hospital and Harefield Hospital as an aortic surgeon and continues to see patients at these prestigious institutions.
Mr Asimakopoulos also serves as an instructional supervisor for trainee doctors in adult cardiac surgery. He regularly supervises medical students and serves on the national selection and interview panels for surgical trainees. He has written nearly 80 peer-reviewed scientific articles. He is currently involved in ongoing research on sutureless aortic valve performance, aortic dissection outcomes, and cardiac surgery training.

Area Of expertise 

  • Coronary bypass surgery
  • Coronary heart disease
  • Heart valve surgery
  • Aortic valve replacement (minimally invasive)
  • Aortic valve replacement
  • Aortic stenosis

Best Heart Surgeons In India

India is the world's leading medical tourism destination. This is primarily due to their doctors. India's top doctors are world-renowned for their achievements. Below are some of the greatest heart surgeons in the world who practice in India: Some of the world's greatest cardiac surgeons are practicing in India, as listed below:

8. Dr. Ramakanta Panda

Designation: Vice Chairman & Managing Director
Education: MBBS, MCh - Cardio Thoracic and Vascular Surgery
Experience : 37+ years
Hospital: Asian Heart Institute, Mumbai 

Dr. Ramakanta is an internationally renowned cardiothoracic surgeon having nearly four decades of experience in this field .He is Managing Director and Vice chairman of Asian Heart Institute in Mumbai which received recognition as Best Heart Hospital in India in 2011, 2012, and 2014, as well as the highest accredited hospital with JCI, ISO and NIAHO accreditations.He received his professional education from prestigious institutions of India and abroad .He has to his credit more than 20,000 cardiac surgeries including over 1,000 Redo Bypass Surgeries and over 3,000 high risk surgeries.He is one of the safest heart surgeons in the world with a 99.7% success rate in bypass surgery.He has various first in the country to his credit including  first in the country to introduce the concept of 'Total Arterial Revascularization', as well as being one of the pioneers of "off-pump" bypass surgery, redo bypass surgery, and high risk surgery.

Area Of Expertise:  

  • Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting using only arterial grafts, beating heart surgery, redo bypass surgery, valve repair, complex aneurysms.

Awards & Accolades 

  • The Padma Bhushan
  • Utkal Ratna in 2015.
  • RashtriyaSamman -one of the highest taxpayers during the assessment years 1994-95 to 1998-99, by the Central Board of Taxes, Government of India.
  • Chief Consultant for Cardiovascular Thoracic Surgery

9. Dr. Naresh Trehan

  • Designation: Chairman and Managing Director of Medanta - The Medicity
  • Education: MBBS,Diplomate
  • Experience: 50+ years 
  • Hospital: Medanta -The Medicity ,Gurugram 

Dr. Naresh has over five decades of experience in the field of cardiovascular surgery and is an internationally known cardiovascular and cardiothoracic surgeon.  He is Chairman and Managing Director of Medanta.He is recipient of prestigious awards from Government of India for distinguished service in medicine i.e Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awards.Dr. Trehan has to his credit  over 48,000 successful open heart surgeries to his credit and is the driving force behind the one-of-its-kind hospital.He received his medical degree from K.G. Medical College Lucknow and further received Diplomate from The American Board of Surgery, U.S.A.and The American Board of Cardiothoracic Surgery

Area Of Expertise

  • Cardiothoracic Surgery,Cardiovascular Surgery,Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery,Heart Transplant

Memberships & Certifications

  • Ex-President of the International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery
  • Member of Society of Thoracic Surgeons of U.S.A.
  • Member of the Scientific Council of the American College of Angiology U.S.A.
  • Member of Association of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons of Asia
  • Member of The European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery
  • Member of Key Advisory Group of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India
  • Awards & Achievements:
  • Personal surgeon to the President of India since 1991
  • The Padma Shri, the third-highest civilian award
  • The Padma Bhushan for distinguished services in medical science
  • The Lal Bahadur Shastri Award
  • Dr. B. C. Roy National Award
  • Lifetime Achievement Award for services in cardiology

10. Dr. Ashok Seth

Designation: Chairman Cardiac Science
Hospital:  Fortis Okhla, New Delhi 
Education: FRCP (Lond, Edin, Irel), FACC, FESC, MSCAI, FAPSIC, FIMSA, FCSI, DSc ( BHU, AMU, Amity U, TMU, Shiv Nadar U ), D Litt ( Jamia Millia U )
Experience: 35+ years 

Dr Ashok Seth is a renowned name in the field of Cardiology having more than three decades of experience in this field .HE is working as  Chairman of Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, New Delhi, Chairman of Fortis Healthcare Medical Council, and Adjunct Professor of Cardiology at JN Medical College (Aligarh Muslim University) and National Board of Examinations. Dr. Seth has been the pioneer in the field of Interventional Cardiology in his career span of more than three decades in this field and has contributed extensively to the development, scientific progress and education in this field .Dr. Seth has pioneered several angioplasty techniques for India and Asia Pacific. Dr.Seth has been revered by Doctorates from six prestigious national universities BHU, AMU, Jamia Millia Islamia, Amity, Shiv Nadar and Teerthanker Mahaveer University. He has been conferred Adjunct Professorship of Cardiology of J N Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University and the National Board of Examinations. He is Course Director of five major National & International Angioplasty Teaching Courses.Dr. Seth has been a guest lecturer at more than 450 national & international meetings .He has over 350-publications to his credit in peer reviewed Indian and International medical journals and has chapters in 30-books on Cardiology and has been the Editor of 3-books. He is an acclaimed teacher and has trained more than 500-cardiologists of India and abroad in advanced techniques of angioplasty.

11. Dr. Yugal Kishore Mishra

Designation : Chief Of Clinical Services, Head Of Cardiac Sciences And Chief Cardio Vascular Surgeon
Education: MBBS, MS (Surgery),Ph.D (Cardiovascular Surgery)

Dr. Yugal is one of the renowned cardiac surgeon in the world .He has extensive experience of four decades .HE has received  his professional education from some of the prestigious institutes of India & abroad.He has worked in institutes of repo in his career span in the field of cardiology .He is an expert in treating various conditions of heart .Dr. Yugal is an active member of various national and international  medical associations .

Fellowship & Membership

  • President, Indian Association of Cardiovascular Thoracic Surgeons of India.
  • President, Society of Minimally Invasive Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgeons of India.
  • Council Member, Association of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons of Asia.
  • Executive Committee Member, Society for Heart Failure and Transplantation.
  • Member, European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery.
  • Member, International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery.
  • Member, The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.
  • Member, Asian Society for Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery.
  • Founder, Indian College of Cardiology.
  • Fellow Association of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons of India.
  • Life Member, Cardiological Society of India.
  • Fellow (Cardiovascular Surgery), Thoracic Centre, University Hospital Uppsala, Sweden.
  • Fellow, Association of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons of India.

Area of Expertise

  • Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery
  • Robotic Cardiac Surgery
  • Redo Valve and Coronary Surgeries
  • Surgery of ascending aortic aneurysms and dissections
  • CABG in patients with poor ventricular function
  • Valve repair and replacement
  • Surgery for heart failure including heart transplantation & ventricular assist devices
  • Total Arterial Coronary Bypass
  • Carotid Angioplasty And Stenting
  • Coronary Angioplasty / Bypass Surgery
  • TAVI
  • TAVR
  • Aortic surgery including aortic aneurysm and aortic dissection with open surgical and endovascular stenting

Awards & Accolades

  • Rashtriya Ratan Award by International Study Circle-2005.
  • Lifetime Achievement Award by World Congress on Clinical and Preventive Cardiology (WCCPC) conferred by Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam - 2006.

12. Dr. Krishna Subramony Iyer

Designation: Executive Director Paediatric CTVS 
Education: MBBS, MS, M.Ch (AIIMS)
Experience: 40+ years
Hospital: Fortis Okhla, Delhi 

Dr. Krishna Iyer is one of India's leading pediatric cardiac surgeons, renowned for his clinical expertise and wide ranging involvement with cardiac care for children in India and other developing nations. Dr. Iyer started the first dedicated pediatric cardiac care program in Northern India , a pioneering initiative, at Escorts Heart Institute Research Centre in 1995. Dr. Iyer has operated on more than 10,000 babies, children and adults with congenital heart diseases comprising various cardiac procedures. He has done original work on rapid two-stage arterial switch procedure and performed the first successful rapid two-stage arterial switch and double-switch operation in India. After primary training, he joined AIIMS as Additional Professor and then he moved to Escorts Heart Institute to set up its pediatric cardiac care division. He received his training in pediatric and infant cardiac surgery under the guidance of the renowned pediatric cardiac surgeon Dr. R.B.B.Mee as Senior Fellow at the Department of Paediatric Cardiac Surgery at Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne in Australia in 1989. 

13. Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty

Education: MS, FRCS
Designation: Founder, Chairman and Senior Consultant Cardiac Surgeon
Experience: 40+ years 
Hospital - Narayana Institute of Cardiac Sciences,Bangalore 

Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty is the Founder, Chairman and Senior Consultant Cardiac Surgeon at Narayana Health.Dr. Shetty and his team have performed over 1,20,000 heart surgeries, 40% of them on children in his career span of more than four decades . He also had the privilege of being the personal Physician to Saint Teresa of Kolkata. In 2000, he established  Narayana Health in Bangalore. Since its inception, NH has now grown to be one of India’s largest healthcare groups providing world-class, affordable, safe and quality care for all.Dr. Shetty, a specialist in Cardiac Surgery, has been invited by the National Board of Examinations to serve as an independent examiner for fellowship students in Cardiac Surgery as well as to evaluate institutions as training centers for CardioThoracic Surgeons. Dr. Shetty developed the concept of micro health insurance to address the need to make healthcare accessible to the poorest members of society. The 'Yeshaswini Micro Health Insurance' scheme allows customers to pay a minimal monthly cost and receive over 800 surgical procedures as needed at over 400 network facilities around the state.Dr. Shetty is known for his thought leadership in crafting national health policy and innovative ways for providing affordable healthcare. He appears on panels with the Indian government, state governments, and trade associations regularly.Dr. Shetty himself, a major promoter of the use of technology in healthcare delivery, is involved in projects that aim to save time and expense while improving clinical efficacy.In his extensive career in field of cardiology he has worked in various prestigious institutes of India and abroad .

Area of Expertise

  • Pediatric cardiac surgery, Valve Repairs in infants and children
  • Pulmonary Endarterectomy, Ross procedure
  • Redo Heart Surgery
  • Surgery for Aortic Aneurysms 

Awards & Recognition

  • Lifetime Achievement – Clinical Care (Gold), 2018.
  • Lifetime Achievement – Public Leadership (Gold), 2018.
  • Dr. Ida S. Scudder Humanitarian Oration, 2015.
  • Doctor of Science from Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, 2014.
  • Padma Bhushan – 2012 
  • The Economist Innovation Award 2011 for Lowering Health Care Costs.
  • The President’s Award by Minnesota Chapter 2011.
  • Indian of the Year 2010 – Awarded by NDTV 15th February 2011.
  • Commendation for driving affordable and quality healthcare for all 2010 - Healthcare Awards Program by ICICI Lombard & CNBC TV18 2010.
  • Dr. B C Roy Award – 2004 (Highest Indian award for the Doctor from Medical council of India).
  • Padmashree – 2003 
  • Rajyotsava Award – 2002.

Best Heart Surgeon In Spain

Spain is one of the most popular destinations in Europe for heart surgeries. They are capable of performing the most advanced surgical procedures at top standards. They have developed world-class facilities for cardiac surgeries, and their best cardiac surgeons can fully utilize their potential.
You can find some of the best heart surgeons in the world practicing in the Spain below:

14. Dr. Josep Brugada

Dr. Brugada heads the Pediatric Arrhythmias Unit at Sant Joan de Deu Hospital and serves as a senior consultant at Barcelona's Centro Medico Teknon Hospital. He has more than 40 years of experience. He and his brother discovered Brugada Syndrome. Their discovery was groundbreaking in cardiology. Their research enabled cardiologists to discover the cause of "sudden cardiac deaths." As a result, Dr. Brugada became one of the world's leading heart surgeons. Dr. Brugada has written over 500 publications in the field of cardiology for several international journals.
He received the King Jaimie I Prize for clinical achievement in Spain, as well as the Fritz Acker Prize from the German Society of Cardiology.

Qualifications:

  • Bachelors in Medicine and Surgery, University of Barcelona.
  • Ph.D. in Medicine and Surgery, University of Barcelona.
  • Cardiology Specialist, Sports Medicine, and Biology Specialist, Montpellier.
  • Masters in Integrated Health Services Management, ESADE Business School.

Area Of Expertise 

  • Pacemaker Surgery
  • CMR (Cardiac Magnetic Resonance)
  • Cardiac Arrhythmias
  • Heart Failure

15. Dr. Raúl F. Abella

Dr. Abella is the head of Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery at Vall d'Hebron University Hospital. He is also the director of the Barcelona International Health Centre. In his stellar 25-year career, he has conducted over 3000 heart procedures with significant complications. He had a 98.2% success rate in those surgeries, placing him among the world's greatest cardiac surgeons. Dr. Abella focuses on Pediatric Cardiology and Congenital Heart Disease. He has treated more than 5000 such patients in nine different nations. There are several world-class heart surgeons in countries other than we discussed earlier. These surgeons are well renowned for their skills and achievements. You can find them below!

16. Xavier Ruyra Baliarda

Education: Cardiothoracic surgeon
Experience: 32 years of experience
Hospital : Centro Médico Teknon ,Barcelona , Spain

Dr. Xavier is one of the most renowned surgeons in Spain .He has more than three decades of experience with him .He is an expert in treating various cardiac conditions .

Area Of Expertise 

  • Heart Valve ReplacementCoronary artery bypass graftingOpen heart surgery Replacement of the aortic valvePlastic surgery for cardiac valveAortic aneurysm surgery

How To Choose The Best Heart Surgeon

Some of the criteria that one has to keep in mind before choosing a cardiac surgeon are the following: 

  • Specialization: Specialized heart surgeons who are providing treatment for the same condition as you are suffering from  are more experienced in treating your disease and are a better choice than a general surgeon. 
  • Education: Before choosing a surgeon, it's crucial to understand their educational background. The majority of surgeons in the West have an undergraduate degree in general surgery followed by a minimum five years of postgraduate training in a specialization like cardiac surgery. 
  • Board Certification: Check for board certification of the chosen specialist  before going for treatment . It indicates that they have the needed expertise and experience to perform the procedure that you require.
  • Referrals: Before choosing a heart surgeon, get referrals from your visiting doctor , friends and relatives.Check the surgeon's certifications and expertise to confirm if they are a good fit for you.

Latest Advancement in Cardiac Surgery

The latest advancements in cardiac surgery include innovative and minimally invasive methods such as advanced sutureless heart valve implantation, Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR),Robotic Assisted Surgery,Genetic tests,3D printing for surgical planning and use of avant garde technology such as  virtual reality and 3D imaging systems  to increase surgical precision.These are just a few examples; the area of cardiac surgery is constantly evolving. Internationally renowned cardiac surgeons are known for their expertise in complex surgeries ,innovation in treatment methods and contribution in cardiac research .They have made remarkable advancements in cardiac surgery to provide comprehensive  multidisciplinary treatment to the patient .The emphasis on patient centric care makes sure that every patient is treated with best possible expertise and compassion .

Conclusion 

The best heart surgeons are constantly leading the charge in advancing the frontiers of cardiac surgery. Their expertise, ultramodern technology, and patient-first approach have raised the bar internationally for patients. It is essential for patients to carefully evaluate their options and select a surgeon best suited to their needs based on experience, area of expertise, and treatment success rate.

FAQ's

How is a heart attack treated?

Treatment for a heart attack may include medications to dissolve the blood clot causing the blockage and procedures to open the blocked artery and restore blood flow to the heart.

How long after bypass surgery can a heart attack occur?

A heart attack can occur at any time after bypass surgery, but the risk is highest in the first few months after the surgery.

What is the recovery time after a heart attack after bypass surgery?

The recovery time after a heart attack after bypass surgery varies depending on the severity of the heart attack and the individual's overall health. It may take several weeks or months to fully recover, and rehabilitation and follow-up care are often required.

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