12 Best Heart Surgeons in the World- Updated 2023

• Best Heart Surgeons in the USA
• Best Heart Surgeons in the UK
• Best Heart Surgeons in India
• Best Heart Surgeon in Spain
• Criteria for choosing the best heart surgeon

Heart disease is one of the most severe illnesses in the world. It is estimated that over 17 million people will receive some form of heart surgery each year. This is a more than 50% increase compared to figures recorded ten years ago. 

Due to the ever-increasing number of patients who require heart surgeries, the demand for qualified heart surgeons is also increasing.

The best heart surgeons in the world are medical doctors with extensive training and experience in a wide variety of heart surgeries. They are fully versed in the latest innovations in their field and can precisely perform the most complex procedures and heart disease treatments. 

Here is a list of the best heart surgeons in the world. The surgeons we have mentioned here are recognized for their achievements and services in their illustrious careers. They are an inspiration to all the budding young heart surgeons worldwide.

Some of the treatments provided by these surgeons are:

• Cardiac MRI
• Heart transplants
• Positron emission tomography
• Cardiac Arrhythmia
• Open Heart Surgery
• Coronary Artery Disease
• 2D Echo
• Cardiomyopathy

People from all over the globe sought their treatments. You can learn more about them below:

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

• He is among the best heart transplant surgeons in the world. He has performed over 5000 cardiac surgeries and over 1000 heart transplants, including artificial hearts. 

• Dr. Valluvan is the first surgeon in the world to successfully implant CardioVad, a device that enhances the heart of patients. It was a revolutionary moment in medical history. It gave hope to the patients for whom a heart transplant was not an option.

• He again shook the world by performing a triple organ transplant twice in 27 hours. He transplanted healthy kidneys, hearts, and livers to two different patients. This feat led him to get recognized as the best heart transplant surgeon in the world.

2. Dr. William W O'Neill, USA

• Dr. O'Neill is the Medical Director of the Center for Structural Heart Disease at the Henry Ford Health System. He is also the founding member of the American Board of Internal Medicine interventional cardiology board. 

• He is regarded as the world leader in Interventional Cardiology and Structural Heart Disease. He is also a profound researcher who continuously seeks new methods to seek and treat various heart diseases.

• Dr. O'Neill is among the selected 50 Master Fellows out of 4500 international members of the Society of Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (MSCAI).

• He has mastered using Angioplasty to treat heart attacks, which is now a mainstream treatment globally. He was the first surgeon in the US to perform the transcranial aortic valve replacement using a catheter.

• As of now, he is practicing several principles to treat the life-threatening side effects of severe heart attacks. His work leads to an increase in survival rates of patients from 50% to 76%.
• His achievements are

Best Heart Surgeons in the UK

The UK is among the prominent destinations in the world for cardiac surgery. The UK has the top cardiac surgeons in the world. They are experts in all the major domains of cardiac surgeries. Whether you need an expert cardiothoracic surgeon or a heart bypass surgery specialist, you can avail yourself of them in the UK. 

3. Kulvinder Lall, UK

• Dr. Lall is the best cardiothoracic surgeon in the world. He has over 30 years of experience as a cardiac surgeon. He joined the St. Bartholomew Hospital as one of the youngest cardiac surgeons in the UK.

• He has performed over 5000 cardiac surgeries with astonishing success, according to the "Care Quality Commission and Department of Health."

• He is among the world's best cardiac surgeons in coronary, atrial, mitral, and electrophysiological surgeries. He has published over 15 journal articles in these fields globally.

• He is the first surgeon to perform a stentless heart valve implantation in Asia.

• Currently, he is practicing the upcoming generation of advanced sutureless heart valve implantations in London. He is actively presenting the results of his practice in several International meetings across the world.  

4. Dr. Franco Ciulli

• Dr. Ciulli is the Clinical Director of the Bristol Heart Institute. He is one of the most senior heart surgeons in the UK. Dr. Ciulli is recognized as an expert in adult cardiac surgeries.
• In his extensive career of over 30 years, he has performed over 5000 open heart surgeries. He also has performed numerous complex heart surgeries with an astonishing success rate of 98%. With these figures, he was recognized among the best cardiac surgeons in the world.
• Dr. Ciulli led a team in Sydney, the first to perform heart-lung and double lung transplants. 
• He also was the first to perform minimally invasive mitral valve replacement surgery in the UK.
• He specializes in:

Best Heart Surgeons in India

India is the world's most popular medical tourism destination. This is mainly because of their doctors. The leading doctors in India are highly successful in their field worldwide. Below you can find some of the best heart surgeons in the world practicing in India:

5. Ramakanta Panda

• He is the Vice Chairman and the Managing Director of the Asian Heart Institute. He is also the Chief Consultant for Cardiovascular Thoracic Surgery. He has a vast experience of over 44 years in this field. He is recognized as the best heart surgeon in India and the among the best heart surgeons in the world by many.
• Dr. Ramakanta has performed over 20,000 in his extensive career. He has performed over 1000 redo bypass surgeries and over 3000 complex cardiac surgeries.
• He is known as the surgeon with the safest hands, with a success rate of 99.7 % in bypass surgeries.
• He specializes in Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery, Redo Bypass Surgery, Complex Aneurysms, Beating Heart Surgery, and Valve Repair. 

• His training includes:

• Awards and Recognitions:

6. Dr. Vijay Dikshit

• Dr. Dikshit is a senior consultant in the cardiology department at Apollo Hospital, Hyderabad. He is among India's most experienced cardiac surgeons, with an illustrious career of over 40 years.

• In his career, he has performed over 10,000 open heart surgeries, for which he was honored by the Apollo Group and Medtronic Inc., USA. He was honored as one of the top cardiac surgeons in the world for this achievement.

• He is among the first surgeons in India to perform the Stentless Bioprosthetic Valve Replacement Surgery.

• His achievements are:

    7.    Dr. Naresh Trehan

• Dr. Trehan is the Chairman of Medanta - The Medicity, the founder and a former director of the Fortis Escorts Heart Institute. He is recognized as one of the most successful cardiac surgeons in India.

• In his extensive career of over 40 years, he has performed over 48,000 cardiac surgeries so far. Making him one of the best heart surgeons in the world.

• It is associated with: 

• His Achievements are:

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.

8. Dr. Josep Brugada

• Dr. Brugada is the director of the Pediatric Arrhythmias Unit at the Sant Joan de Deu Hospital and a senior consultant at the Centro Medico Teknon Hospital in Barcelona. He has a vast experience of over 40 years of.
• He, alongside his brother, discovered the Brugada Syndrome. Their discovery was a breakthrough in cardiology. Their research enabled cardiologists to uncover the reason behind "sudden cardiac deaths." This made Dr. Brugada one of the top cardiac surgeons in the world.
• Dr. Brugada has published over 500 articles in the field of cardiology for various International Journals.

• He has received King Jaimie I prize for his clinical excellence in Spain and the Fritz Acker Prize from the German Society of Cardiology.

• His qualifications are:

• His specializations include:

    9. 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 Barcelona International Health Centre.
• In his illustrious career of over 25 years, he has performed over 3000 heart surgeries with severe complexities. He achieved a success rate of 98.2% in those surgeries, making him one of the best cardiac surgeons in the world.
• Dr. Abella specializes in Pediatric Cardiology and Congenital Heart Disease. He has treated over 5000 such cases in 9 different countries.

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!

10. Dr. Gideon Cohen, Canada

• Dr. Cohen is the leading heart surgeon in North America and among the best heart surgeons in the world. He has over 30 years of experience as a heart surgeon. 
• Dr. Cohen was the first surgeon in Canada to perform a minimally invasive maze procedure explicitly modified to treat chronic atrial fibrillation.

• He has published over 50 journal articles on surgical innovations and quality improvement in cardiac surgeries.

• As of now, he is holding various positions in the top medical institutes across Canada; they are:

• Awards and Recognitions:

11.  Prof. Souilamas Mohammed Redha

Dr. Redha is among the best cardiothoracic surgeon in the world. He has a total experience of 36 years in this field and over 25 years as a specialist. He is the president of the Thoracic Surgery Council at the Emirate Thoracic Society.

• His Qualifications are:

• He specializes in:

• He is Associated with:

12. Prof. Rob Kinsley, South Africa

• Prof. Kinsley is the founding member of the World Society of Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery. He is also the founder and Chairman of the Children's Cardiac Foundation of Africa.

• He has an experience of over 54 years of in cardiology. Due to his vast experience, he is among the most respectable and best cardiac surgeons in the world.

• He has received the lifetime achievement award in cardiology from the Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons, South Africa. He has also received the Paul Harris Rotary Award from the South African Heart Association.

• His Qualifications are:

• His Specializations Include:

Criteria for choosing the best heart surgeon

Some factors you should keep in mind while choosing a heart surgeon are the following: 

Specialization – 

A heart surgeon who specializes in the type of surgery you need is more likely to have more experience in dealing with your condition. This makes them a more suitable choice than a general surgeon. 

Education – 

Learning about a surgeon's educational qualifications is essential before choosing them. Most surgeons in the western world have an undergraduate degree in general surgery followed by at least five years of postgraduate training in a specialty such as cardiac surgery. 

Board certification – 

It is essential to find out if the surgeon you are considering is board certified in the specialty of cardiac surgery. This shows that they have the necessary training and experience to perform the surgery you need.

Referral

The best way to find a heart surgeon is to get a referral from a family member or a friend who has previously received heart surgery. If you don't know anyone who has undergone this procedure, you can also reach out to your doctor for a recommendation. 

It is also essential to find out about the credentials and experience of the surgeon you are considering to ensure that they are a suitable match for your condition.