Referring Providers
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Division of Cardiac Surgery
Cardiac Surgery Care, Research and Education
Cardiac Surgery is one of the three divisions of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center’s (BIDMC) CardioVascular Institute. We provide comprehensive, personalized care with excellent outcomes for conditions of the the heart muscle, heart valves and arteries.
We work closely with colleagues from across the CardioVascular Institute to provide our patients an unmatched depth of expertise and seamless service. As members of the Harvard Medical School faculty, our board-certified surgeons take pride in training the next generation of heart surgeons. Our research programs are also among the top-funded by the National Institutes of Health.
More About the Division
Care & Services
Our surgeons and support staff offer a personalized, communicative approach to care, ensuring patients are receiving treatment options that match their needs.
Our cardiac surgery options include both pre-operative and post-operative outpatient consultations and convenient telehealth appointments.
Our specialized hybrid operating rooms (ORs) equip multidisciplinary teams to perform complex procedures as well as dedicated Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) where patients first recover following surgery.
Advanced Surgical Procedures
Our skilled cardiac surgeons work closely with other specialists while deploying advanced technology and techniques, including minimally invasive, open and hybrid approaches, to provide patients with exceptional surgical care.
We have particular expertise in:
- Advanced and non-invasive imaging techniques to diagnose cardiovascular conditions
- Arrhythmia treatments, including minimally invasive atrial fibrillation therapies like Maze surgery
- Heart failure surgery, including placement of ventricular assist devices (VADs) and extra corporeal membrane oxygenation support devices
- Minimally invasive surgical therapies, including care of congenital heart conditions in adults
- Heart valve repair and replacement and structural heart care
We are passionate about providing our patients with unsurpassed heart care. Our surgical outcomes, highlighted by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, are among the best in the nation.
Aortic Center
A highly skilled team of cardiac surgeons and vascular surgeons work together in the Aortic Center to provide collaborative care and innovative treatments for both emergency and elective aortic procedures.
Our specialists use advanced technology and techniques, including aortic aneurysm repair, aortic reconstruction, thoracic aortic root surgery and stentless aortic valve replacement to deliver excellent outcomes for complex aortic surgeries.
Coronary Artery Bypass
Our high-volume coronary artery bypass grafts (CABG) program has a long history of surgical innovation and outstanding quality ratings among cardiac surgery programs nationwide. CVI surgeons perform more than 450 CABG surgeries every year, and 98% of those use endoscopic vein harvest techniques which minimize the risk of complications.
The Division of Cardiac Surgery has continually received a 3-star quality rating for isolated coronary bypass grafting from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Only 12 to 15% of hospitals nationwide receive this 3-star rating, the highest category of quality in selected surgical programs.
Heart Transplant Program
The BILH Heart Transplant Program at BIDMC brings together an experienced team who are experts in all aspects of heart transplantation. Under the leadership of Surgical Director Masashi Kai, MD, our team has performed over 300 heart transplants with outstanding results over the past decade.
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) Surgery
Hassan Rastegar, MD, HCM Surgical Director, is an internationally known expert in performing surgery (septal myectomy) to treat severe symptoms caused by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Dr. Rastegar has one of the most extensive surgical experiences with this disease and has performed more than 1,000 HCM surgeries with outstanding results.
Procedures are performed at BIDMC’s Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Clinic.
Quality Improvement & Patient Safety
The division of Cardiac Surgery participates in the STS National Database, which was established in 1989 as an initiative for patient safety among cardiothoracic surgeons.
Our participation in the database helps us identify new areas for quality improvement and provides a public record on the quality of care we deliver. We recently earned top honors in recognition of excellent patient care and outcomes in three categories: isolated coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG), isolated aortic valve replacement surgery (AVR) and combined AVR and CABG surgeries.
Education & Training
The CardioVascular Institute offers a variety of education and training programs in heart and vascular care, including residencies, fellowships and research opportunities. Program participants have the opportunity to leverage world-renowned procedures and technologies while working alongside some of the most experienced practitioners in cardiovascular medicine.
Research
We offer physicians a range of research opportunities at the leading edge of the study and practice of cardiovascular medicine and cardiac surgery. Our research laboratories are among the top-funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), while our Smith Center for Cardiology Outcomes Research uses clinical trials and data analysis to assess the current state of cardiovascular care.
