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John Elefteriades, MD

William W.L. Glenn Professor of Surgery (Cardiac)
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William W.L. Glenn Professor of Surgery (Cardiac)

Biography

Dr. John Elefteriades is the William W.L. Glenn Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery and former Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Yale University and Yale New-Haven Hospital. He has been among the most clinically active academic surgeons in the country.

Dr. Elefteriades graduated magna cum laude with a triple concentration in Physics, French and Psychology from Yale University. He received his MD degree from the Yale University School of Medicine. He trained at Yale in both general surgery and cardiothoracic surgery. After completing his training, he joined the faculty at the Yale University School of Medicine.

He has performed all aspects of adult cardiac and thoracic surgery. He is a recognized authority in interventions for the failing left ventricle, including coronary artery bypass grafting, left ventricular aneurysmectomy, and artificial heart implantation. Dr. Elefteriades directs the Aortic Institute at Yale, one of the nation's largest facilities for treatment of the dilated thoracic aorta. He conducts laboratory research in new techniques of heart transplantation. Among his research projects, he is working to identify the genetic mutations responsible for thoracic aortic aneurysms.

Dr. Elefteriades serves on multiple scientific advisory and editorial boards. He is a past President of the Connecticut Chapter of the American College of Cardiology and member of the national Board of Governors of the College. Dr. Elefteriades is also past President of the International College of Angiology. He serves on the editorial board of the American Journal of Cardiology, the Journal of Cardiac Surgery, Cardiology, and the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery as well as being Editor-in-Chief of the journal AORTA. He has been a member of the Thoracic Surgery Director's Association and has been named consistently in The Best Doctors in America. He is a frequently requested international lecturer, visiting professor and guest surgeon. He is the author of over 400 scientific publications on a wide range of cardiac and thoracic topics. He was selected as one of the ten best doctors in America by Men’s Health magazine. He has been featured in many dozens of print, radio, and television presentations. He has received the Walter Bleifeld Memorial Award for Distinguished Contribution in Clinical Research in Cardiology and the John B. Chang Research Achievement Award. In 2005 he was selected to lecture at the Leadership in Biomedicine Series at the Yale University School of Medicine. In 2006, he received the Socrates Award from the Thoracic Residents Association, Thoracic Surgery Directors' Association, and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, recognizing exceptional achievement in teaching and mentorship of residents.

Dr. Elefteriades was named the William W.L. Glenn Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery in 2006. This endowed chair honors the memory of Dr. Elefteriades’ mentor, Dr. Glenn. Dr. Elefteriades is the author of the books House Officer Guide to ICU Care (1st, 2nd, and 3rd Editions), Advanced Treatment Options for the Failling Left Ventricle, Your Heart: The Owner's Guide, Acute Aortic Disease, Extraordinary Hearts: A Journey of Cardiac Medicine and the Human Spirit, The Woman's Heart: An Owner's Guide, and the medical ethics thriller Transplant.

In 2017, Dr. Elefteriades was awarded an Honorary Phd degree from the University of Liege (Belgium) in recognition of his work in diagnosis and treatment of aortic diseases.

In 2020, Dr. Elefteriades was recognized by expertscape as the top aortic specialist in the world.

Appointments

Education & Training

Chief Resident
Yale-New Haven Hospital (1983)
Resident
Yale-New Haven Hospital (1982)
Chief Resident
Yale-New Haven Hospital (1981)
Resident
Yale-New Haven Hospital (1980)
MD
Yale University (1976)
BA
Yale University, Psychology (1972)
Fellow
Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT

Research

Overview

Dr. Elefteriades and his team at the Aortic Institute have contributed to our understanding of when (at what size) aneurysms are likely to rupture and when surgery is necessary. They have elucidated the family patterns of aneurysm disease, as well as determined the exact changes in "letters" of the genetic alphabet that allow aneurysms to develop. They have developed and advanced the techniques for safe, effective surgery on the thoracic aorta.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)

Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic; Coronary Artery Bypass; Genetics; Heart Aneurysm

Research at a Glance

Yale Co-Authors

Frequent collaborators of John Elefteriades's published research.

Publications

2024

2023

Academic Achievements & Community Involvement

  • honor

    "top expert in Aortic Aneurysm in the world"

  • honor

    Connecticut Magazine Top Docs 2015

  • honor

    Connecticut Magazine Top Docs 2016

  • honor

    Socrates Award

  • honor

    Most Outstanding Invited Faculty Presentation- "The Aneurysmatic Patient: From Large to Multifocal."

Clinical Care

Overview

John Elefteriades, MD, is one of the leading heart surgeons in the United States. He has performed all types of adult cardiac surgeries, including coronary artery bypass grafting and artificial heart implantation. He is founding director (Emeritus) of the Aortic Institute at Yale New Haven Hospital.

Dr. Elefteriades is a pioneer in the use of extreme cooling, or hypothermia, to allow surgeons to stop a patient's heart long enough to carry out cardiac surgery. Once the procedure is complete, the patient is warmed and the heart restarted.

He is a strong advocate of general screening to discover if people have aortic aneurysms, or bulges in the main artery connected to the heart. Left untreated, aortic aneurysms can lead to ruptures that cause death. “With aneurysm disease, the first symptom is death. Most people feel no pain. So, it would be a great advance to have a general screening test,” Dr. Elefteriades says.

At the Aortic Institute, one of the nation's largest facilities for treatment and study of the aorta, Dr. Elefteriades’ team has developed an “RNA Signature” blood test to detect aneurysm disease. This work is a step along the path to developing a general screening technique that’s affordable and accurate enough for widespread use.

Working with other researchers at Yale, he also has assembled a database of aneurysm disease cases, which enables the researchers to find patterns in patient populations. They already have discovered links between weightlifting and aneurysms. They also gathered evidence that allows physicians to decide when (that is, at what aneurysm size) it is necessary to perform surgery in order to prevent a cataclysmic event in patients with an aneurysm.

In addition to his work with aneurysms, Dr. Elefteriades is the author of a medical mystery/ethics fiction thriller called “Transplant,” which was a finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards as a best first novel. He also published a collection of inspirational patient stories entitled “Extraordinary Hearts: A Journey of Cardiac Medicine and the Human Spirit.” As well, he has published many medical textbooks and over 500 scientific articles and chapters. He has lectured and/or operated in 33 countries.

Dr. Elefteriades has been named among the Best Doctors in America consistently for two decades. He is a professor of cardiothoracic surgery at Yale School of Medicine. In 2018, Dr. Elefteriades was granted an Honorary PhD by the University of Liege (Belgium) for his contributions to scientific understanding and clinical care of thoracic aortic aneurysms. In 2020, he was named by expertscape as the leading aneurysm expert in the world.

Clinical Specialties

Cardiac Surgery

Fact Sheets

Board Certifications

  • Thoracic & Cardiac Surgery

    Certification Organization
    AB of Thoracic Surgery
    Latest Certification Date
    2014
    Original Certification Date
    1985

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Contacts

Academic Office Number
Appointment Number
Office Fax Number
Clinic Fax Number
Mailing Address

Cardiac Surgery

P.O. Box 208039

New Haven, CT 06520-8039

United States

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