John Elefteriades, MD
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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
Cardiac Surgery
ProfessorPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
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
Academic Achievements and Community Involvement
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
Fact Sheets
AVNeo (Aortic valve neocuspidization, Ozaki Procedure)
Learn More on Yale MedicineHeart Valve Replacement
Learn More on Yale MedicineAortic Aneurysm
Learn More on Yale MedicineHeart Failure Surgery
Learn More on Yale Medicine
Board Certifications
Thoracic & Cardiac Surgery
- Certification Organization
- AB of Thoracic Surgery
- Latest Certification Date
- 2014
- Original Certification Date
- 1985
Yale Medicine News
Links & Media
Media
Aneurysms are silent until they tear or rupture
This image from our Scientific American article conveys vividly the threat represented by aneurysms of the ascending aorta, which are silent until they tear or rupture. If you have a family history of such aneurysms, you should be investigated.The Thumb-Palm Sign for Aneurysm Disease
If you can cross your thumb all the way over the edge of your flat palm, it is possible that you have aneurysm disease. This Thumb-Palm Sign is evidence that the long bones are excessive and the joints are lax.. This should be called to the attention of your doctor. An ECHO or CT scan of your thoracic aorta will probably be needed.
News
- January 02, 2024Source: Medscape
Ascending Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms: A 'Silver Lining'?
- August 17, 2022
AHA Scientific Sessions 2022: Latest updates from Yale Cardiovascular Medicine
- May 25, 2021Source: YaleNews
All in Favor of a Test for Aortic Aneurysms, Raise Your Hand
- May 21, 2021
Leading in times of crisis: Yale physicians on team dynamics and effective leadership
Get In Touch
Contacts
Cardiac Surgery
P.O. Box 208039
New Haven, CT 06520-8039
United States
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