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Dr. Ciuffo's expertise in Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery and Bloodless Heart Surgery is the result of a career dedicated to the development and improvement of these techniques. Dr. Ciuffo speaks fluent Italian and Spanish. He currently runs a busy Cardiothoracic Surgery practice and directs a dedicated Minimally Invasive and Bloodless Heart Surgery Center, where he cares for patients coming from the region and from the rest of the country.
Giovanni B. Ciuffo, MD is board certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery. He is a member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. His current academic and clinical activity is entirely devoted to the surgical therapy of coronary, valvular and thoracic aortic disease with the most advanced blood sparing, minimally invasive and beating heart surgery techniques. Dr. Ciuffo earned his M.D. degree, “Summa cum Laude”, from one of Italy’s oldest Medical Schools. He subsequently fulfilled his military obligations by serving as an artillery lieutenant in the Italian Armed Forces and then moved to the U.S. to get his postgraduate surgical training. He went on to complete his General and Cardiothoracic Surgery residency training in New York City with an intense clinical and research experience at the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Albert Einstein Hospital, Flushing Hospital Medical Center and Long Island Jewish Medical Center. His research activity at Albert Einstein focused on clinical and prognostic aspects of the use of mechanical and biological heart valves in cardiac surgery. He has been also responsible for investigational studies on the improvement of durability in biological materials for cardiac surgery.
Following his surgical training, he joined the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh, where he furthered his experience in the clinical and technical aspects of his current areas of interest as well as in blood sparing techniques, high risk cardiac surgery, heart and lung transplantation, heart failure and atrial fibrillation surgery. Dr. Ciuffo then volunteered to go back to Italy on an international assignment for the University of Pittsburgh to set up and implement an active cardiac surgery and transplant program in Sicily and another one in Cairo, Egypt, in cooperation with the local governments and ministries of health. After he completed his international mission, he returned to New York City where he refined and further developed his techniques in minimally invasive coronary and valve surgery.
“Our specialty has radically changed over the last ten years”, Dr. Ciuffo says. “What we strive for is the ability to devise new surgical techniques that allow our patients a rapid and uneventful return to a healthy and productive lifestyle. Our clinical practice has shown outstanding improvements in the surgical management of cardiovascular disease thanks to very effective minimally invasive techniques and postoperative care protocols. These new techniques and protocols allow us excellent results and greatly improved quality of life even in the sickest and oldest patient population. The development of Minimally Invasive Aortic and Mitral Valve Surgery techniques constitutes one of the most challenging and revolutionary chapters in the history of my specialty and in my professional career. These state-of the-art surgical procedures are carried out through a small incision on the chest wall, right over the valve to be repaired or replaced. The end result is a procedure performed with a great level of accuracy, no cutting of any chest bone, less postoperative pain, greatly diminished transfusion requirements and wound problems, a quicker recovery and excellent cosmetic results. In most women the surgical incision is completely hidden in the skin fold underneath their breast. This approach can also be applied to many other complex procedures, including the repair of Atrial Septal Defects, Ventricular Septal Defects, cardiac tumor excisions, etc. These minimally invasive techniques are also available to coronary patients with Minimally Invasive Coronary Bypass procedures known as MIDCAB and MICS CABG. These procedures are carried out on the beating heart, without the use of the heart-lung machine. In addition, instead of the traditional long midline incision used in most cardiac surgery centers in the U.S., a tiny transverse incision is all that is necessary to access the heart and perform a coronary bypass. After these operations, the patient experiences minimal pain with a small surgical scar and can often go home within the next 48 to 72 hours."
Dr. Ciuffo practices and performs the full range of the most advanced options and procedures in modern heart surgery. He is fluent in Italian, French, Spanish and English and has been a very active promoter of health awareness in the general community of the metropolitan area. He serves as cardiovascular surgeon and consultant in the Hospital Liaison Committee for the Jehovah's Witnesses for his expertise in bloodless surgery techniques and strategies. He is often invited to teach and demonstrate his minimally invasive techniques in European and American cardiac surgery centers. He is often an invited speaker to meetings and conventions of medical and civic associations and the author of a health column on America Oggi, a daily Italian language newspaper in the U.S.
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