When you have a heart condition or cardiac disease that requires surgery, you need a team of experts to handle your care and give you the best possible outcome.

Surgical excellence at Ohio State

Our experts provide cutting-edge treatment and procedures for patients with heart and vascular diseases. Learn more about our surgical areas of expertise:

Aortic Surgery

Coronary Artery Bypass

Heart Transplant

Lung Transplant

Minimally-Invasive Surgery

Transcatheter Aortic Valve (TAVR)

Valve Repair / Replacement

Ventricular Assist Devices (VAD)

View all cardiac surgery procedures and conditions

Cardiac surgery patient stories

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Second opinion saved Bob from heart failure

Bob Garner suffered with congestive heart failure for years, unable to do basic daily activities. Seeing no improvement in his heart health, Bob sought a second opinion at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Heart failure doctors at the Ohio State Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital created a new treatment path for Bob that involved advanced therapies, including a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) and, eventually, a heart transplant.

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Lung transplant offers second chance at life

George Kosta’s lungs were deteriorating and needed a lung transplant. Since it was difficult to find an organ donor suitable for George, he agreed to receive lungs that went through the ex vivo perfusion process, which is a way to clean and repair lungs making them viable for transplant. Since his lung transplant, George feels great and is back into life, thankful to Ohio State and his organ donor.

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Hope for a better tomorrow

Our skilled cardiac surgeons bring hope of a better tomorrow for you and your family. That is what our team gave 16-year-old Gigi when she arrived at our door and left with a new heart. From the most complex procedures to more common surgeries, when deciding where to go for heart care — the choice is clear.

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Proactively fixing a life-threatening condition

We always focus on improving the health of your entire heart. That’s how our team of heart surgeons realized a patient’s need of a heart valve repair was only part of the story. Learn how surgery addressed Paul’s potentially life-threatening abdominal aortic aneurysm.

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Getting the call for transplant

Sarah Whitley, suffering from a fatal lung disease, was in the intensive-care unit when she got the call that her 16-month wait for a lung transplant was finally over. Learn more about what that call is like for Sarah and other patients like her awaiting transplants.

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Recovering from advanced heart surgery

Steve Eastwood of Columbus, Ohio, started having trouble catching his breath when he walked up hills. He was later diagnosed with thickened heart muscle, a condition known as hypertropic cardiomyopathy. At The Ohio State University Heart and Vascular Center, cardiac surgeon Nahush Mokadam, MD, performed an open-heart surgery known as a septal myectomy, which involves shaving down the thickened part of the heart muscle.

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Christmas miracle heart transplant

Avid marathon runner Dan Leite was shocked to learn that he had developed heart failure. As his condition worsened, Dan turned to The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center's Ross Heart Hospital for his heart failure care, which ultimately resulted in a heart transplant on Christmas Eve.

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Proactively fixing a life-threatening condition

Why choose Ohio State for heart surgery?

Our team of skilled cardiac surgeons (sometimes referred to as cardiothoracic surgeons) trained at some of the most highly regarded institutions around the world and continue to bring the most advanced techniques and skills to the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center. Each of our cardiovascular surgeons performs a variety of procedures and specializes in unique areas, allowing us to serve the full spectrum of heart surgery needs for our patients.

We offer treatments from the simplest procedures to the most complex, including open-heart surgeries, heart and lung transplants, placement of heart pumps and even total artificial heart procedures. Because we’re an academic health center, our surgeons are leading or participating in research and clinical trials to develop and test new lifesaving surgical options.

We guide you through a personalized journey to deliver the right surgical treatment — whether it’s a traditional heart surgery or a minimally invasive surgery — that will deliver the best outcome for you.

World-class facilities and the full spectrum of treatments

Heart surgery at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center is performed at the world-class Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital, where we have dedicated heart surgery suites and an entire floor and staff dedicated to people recovering from heart surgery. This means our nurses and staff are acutely experienced in the unique recovery needs of those who have just had heart surgery.

Cardiac Surgery at a Glance

1,009 total operations performed in 2023
4 cardiac procedures ranked high performing
$8M+ in research funding
675+ heart transplants performed all time
600+ lung transplants performed all time

Outstanding patient care

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Cardiac surgery for prevention and quality of life

Nahush Mokadam, MD, cardiac surgeon at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, explains how cardiac surgery can be an effective and appropriate treatment option to improve quality of life and actually prevent life-threatening heart conditions.

Cardiac surgery research and training

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Cardiac surgery simulation training

Ohio State cardiac surgery fellows are among only a handful in the nation to receive training on the KindHeart™ cardiac surgery simulator. Watch as Nahush Mokadam, MD explains how the curriculum and simulator work to give our fellows an invaluable hands-on experience.

Excellence and innovation in patient care, education and research

The Ohio State Heart and Vascular Center cardiac surgery team brings together highly skilled surgeons, the most advanced technology and world-class facilities to deliver exceptional surgical heart care.

Learn more about the Division of Cardiac Surgery

Meet our cardiac surgeons

Bryan Whitson, MD, PhD

Director, Division of Cardiac Surgery;
Interim Co-Director, Heart and Vascular Center;
Section Chief, Thoracic Transplantation

John Bozinovski, MD

Associate Medical Director, Aortic Center;
Program Director, Cardiothoracic Surgery Traditional Residency

Kukbin Choi, MD

Assistant Professor, Division of Cardiac Surgery

Matthew Henn, MD

Surgical Director, Ross Heart Hospital Perioperative Services;
Interim Surgical Director, Heart Transplantation and Mechanical Circulatory Support;
Associated Program Director, Cardiothoracic Surgery Integrated Residency

Nahush Mokadam, MD

Program Director, Cardiothoracic Surgery Integrated Residency

Our nurse practitioners and physician assistants

Advanced practice providers, or APPs, are medical providers (nurse practitioners) who are trained and educated similarly to physicians. They work in all areas of the hospital and clinic, and patients can be treated by an APP in the emergency department, operating room or during routine visits.

View our advanced practice providers