Request an Appointment

Joseph A. Dearani, M.D.

  1. Chair, Cardiovascular Surgery
close video

My name is Joseph Dearani and I am the Chair of Cardiovascular Surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

My area of interest and expertise really focuses mostly on congenital heart disease and robotic heart surgery. It's really simple. The patient comes first. To see over years and decades that a child can grow and become a productive member of society, I mean that's it for me. I mean, the ability to participate in the care of somebody that has that kind of a future in front of them is why I love the specialty of cardiac surgery.

I have made a concerted effort for the last 25 years to improve my skills, to move with the changing times of health care in a way that is compassionate and caring to a patient and their family so they believe in me, they believe in the medical team, and they believe in the Mayo Clinic.

See Transcript

Departments

Specialty Groups

Location

  1. Rochester, Minnesota

Languages

English

Existing patients

Watch my video

Get to know me and my work at Mayo Clinic

Dr. Joseph Dearani is Chair of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at the Mayo Clinic and Professor of Surgery in the Mayo College of Medicine. He completed his undergraduate education at Fordham University in New York City (BA Biology and Spanish). He attended Medical School at Georgetown University and then did his General Surgery residency at Georgetown University Medical Center. During that interval, he spent two years as a surgical research fellow at Harvard Medical School and the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. He completed his Thoracic Surgery residency at the Mayo Clinic followed by a Congenital Cardiac Surgery fellowship at Loma Linda University. He returned to Mayo Clinic to join the staff in 1997 where he is currently Professor of Surgery and the Sheikh Zayed Professor of Cardiovascular Diseases.

His primary clinical interest includes pediatric and adult congenital heart surgery. He has specific expertise with Ebstein's anomaly, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, robotic heart surgery and multi-redo cardiac surgery. His research interests include innovative valve repair techniques, heart failure and regenerative medicine (stem cell) therapies in congenital heart disease.

  1. Congenital heart defects in adults
  2. Congenital heart defects in children
  3. Heart arrhythmias
  4. Heart failure
  5. Heart valve disease
  1. Aortic valve repair and replacement
  2. Congenital heart disease surgery
  3. Heart transplant
  4. Heart valve repair
  5. Minimally invasive heart surgery
  6. Mitral valve repair and replacement
  7. Neonatal and pediatric heart surgery
  8. Pulmonary valve repair and replacement
  9. Robotic heart surgery
  10. Septal myectomy
  11. Tricuspid valve repair and replacement
  12. Valve-sparing aortic root replacement
  • Pediatric and adult congenital heart surgery
  • Ebstein anomaly
  • Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
  • Aortic, mitral and tricuspid valve repair
  • Robotic and minimally invasive repair of structural heart defects
  • Multiple reoperations
  • Heart transplantation
  • Stem cell therapy and regenerative medicine
  1. 1997
    Fellow - Congenital Cardiac Surgery and TransplantationLoma Linda University Medical Center
  2. 1996
    Resident - Thoracic and Cardiovascular SurgeryMayo Clinic in Rochester
  3. 1993
    Chief Resident - General SurgeryGeorgetown University Hospital, Georgetown University
  4. 1992
    Resident - SurgeryGeorgetown University Hospital, Georgetown University
  5. 1990
    Research Fellowship - SurgeryBrigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School
  6. 1988
    Resident - General SurgeryGeorgetown University Hospital, Georgetown University
  7. 1987
    Internship - General SurgeryGeorgetown University Hospital, Georgetown University
  8. 1986
    MDSchool of Medicine, Georgetown University
  9. 1982
    BA - Biology/SpanishFordham University

Certifications

  1. 2010
    Congenital Cardiac SurgeryAmerican Board of Thoracic Surgery
  2. 1997
    Thoracic and Cardiac SurgeryAmerican Board of Thoracic Surgery

Awards and honors

  1. 2016
    Outstanding Editorial Board Member for 2016Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
  2. 2014
    Outstanding Editorial Board Member for 2014Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
  3. 2013
    2013 John A. Hawkins Top Scoring AbstractCongenital Heart Surgeons' Society
  4. 2008
    L.O.R.I. AwardHypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association (HCMA)
  5. 2006
    Dwight McGoon Mentorship AwardAmerican Association for Thoracic Surgery
  6. 1994
    O.T. Clagett Travelling Fellowship Award in Thoracic and Cardiovascular SurgeryMayo Clinic
  7. 1993
    Resident Teacher Award in SurgeryGeorgetown University
  8. 1993
    Marguerite George Award in Vascular SurgeryAwarding Organization
  9. 1993
    Harry B. Zehner Traveling Fellowship AwardWashington Chapter, American College of Surgeons
  10. 1993
    First Place, Basic ScienceWashington Academy of Surgery, Surgical Resident's Competitive Forum
  11. 1990
    Charles A. Hufnagel Research Award in SurgeryAwarding Organization
  12. 1986
    Alpha Omega AlphaGeorgetown University Hospital, Georgetown University
  13. 1979
    Dean's ListFordham University

Professional memberships

  1. 2019 - 2020
    First Vice PresidentSociety of Thoracic Surgeons
  2. 2019 - 2022
    Board of DirectorsSociety of Thoracic Surgeons
  3. 2018 - present
    PresidentCongenital Heart Surgeons' Society
  4. 2018 - 2019
    2nd Vice PresidentSociety of Thoracic Surgeons
  5. 2018
    ChairAmerican Board of Thoracic Surgery
  6. 2018
    Member, MOC/SESATS CommitteeAmerican Board of Thoracic Surgery
  7. 2017 - present
    MemberThoracic Surgery Foundation
  8. 2017 - present
    MemberSociety of Thoracic Surgeons
  9. 2016 - 2018
    President-ElectCongenital Heart Surgeons' Society
  10. 2014 - 2017
    ChairWorkforce on Humanitarian Outreach, Society of Thoracic Surgeons
  11. 2014 - 2016
    Advisory Board MemberJoint Council on Thoracic Surgery Education, Inc., Society of Thoracic Surgeons
  12. 2013 - 2017
    Director MemberAmerican Board of Thoracic Surgery
  13. 2013
    MemberSouthern Thoracic Surgical Association
  14. 2012
    MemberSouthern Thoracic Surgical Association
  15. 2010 - present
    ChairWorkforce on Congenital Heart Surgery, Society of Thoracic Surgeons
  16. 2008 - present
    MemberWorld Society for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery
  17. 2008 - present
    MemberAmerican Surgical Association
  18. 2008 - present
    MemberAmerican College of Surgeons
  19. 2008 - present
    MemberSurgeon Scientific Council, American College of Cardiology
  20. 2007 - 2010
    MemberWorkforce on Congenital Heart Surgery, Society of Thoracic Surgeons
  21. 2005 - 2008
    MemberTaskforce for Congenital Heart Disease, Society of Thoracic Surgeons
  22. 2005 - present
    MemberAmerican Association for Thoracic Surgery
  23. 2005 - present
    MemberCongenital Heart Surgeons' Society
  24. 1999 - 2009
    MemberSigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society
  25.  
    MemberAmerican Medical Association
  26.  
    MemberAmerican Heart Association
see more

Publications

See my publications

Research activities

See a description of research activities.