Nicholas Smedira, M.D.
| Appointed: |
1995 |
| Gender: |
Male |
| Languages: |
English |
Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
Transplantation Center
Biographical Sketch
Nicholas G. Smedira, MD, is Surgical Director of the Cleveland Clinic Kaufman Center for Heart Failure, Director of the Cardiac Transplantation and Ventricular Assist Device Therapy Program, and a Cardiac Surgeon in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at the Sydell and Arnold Miller Heart & Vascular Institute. He specializes in heart and heart-lung transplantation, ventricular assist devices, ECMO, heart failure surgery, aortic and mitral valve repair and replacement, off-pump coronary bypass grafting, myectomy, reoperations and ascending aortic replacement. Dr. Smedira is certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery.
One of his major accomplishments was the first implantation of the Syncardia Cardiowest Total Artificial Heart. In addition, he recently performed the cardiac portion of the first combined heart/liver transplant.
Dr. Smedira earned his undergraduate (Phi Beta Kappa; Magna Cum Laude) and medical (Alpha Omega Alpha; MD with Honors) degrees from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, New York. After completing his residency in general surgery at the University of California San Francisco Medical Center where he became Chief Surgical Resident, Dr. Smedira received fellowships in cardiothoracic surgery, critical care medicine and research from the University of California San Francisco Medical Center. He won a postdoctoral National Research Service Award fellowship. He then received a fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, where he was appointed in 1995 as a Staff Cardiac Surgeon.
Dr. Smedira was selected the 2004 Teacher of the Year in Cleveland Clinic’s Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery Department. He also has been a Visiting Professor at the Ministry of Health in Singapore, at the Atlantic Health System in New Jersey, Ottawa Heart Institute in Canada and the University of California at San Francisco. He was also appointed to the faculty of the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University as a Professor in 2007.
As principal or co-investigator in more than 100 clinical trials and studies, Dr. Smedira has focused his research efforts on his specialty interests. Currently, he is the Principal Investigator of multiple clinical trials including the surgical treatment of ischemic heart failure, gene transfer to promote angiogenesis in patients with advanced heart failure, bivalirudin as an alternative to heparin during cardiac surgery, rotary blood pumps such as the Debakey and Heartmate II used to support patients until transplant, and two permanent left ventricular assist device trials.
Dr. Smedira has been invited to present his clinical experience and research findings at hundreds of conferences and symposia worldwide. He is the author or co-author of numerous book chapters on subjects related to his specialty interests, including advances in cardiac intensive care, cardiac surgery, assistive devices and treatment of heart failure. He has authored or co-authored hundreds of published studies and abstracts related to his research in leading peer-reviewed publications, including the New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Annals of Thoracic Surgery, and Journal of the American College of Cardiology, among others.
Dr. Smedira is a Fellow in the American College of Cardiology, Fellow in the American College of Chest Physicians, Fellow in the American College of Surgeons and Fellow in the American Heart Association. He is a member of the American Association of Thoracic Surgeons, the American Society of Artificial Internal Organs, the Ohio Chapter of the American College of Surgeons, the Thoracic Surgery Directors Association, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, and the Scientific Advisory Board for the International Society of Heart Failure. He is on the editorial board of the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.
Dr. Smedira enjoys playing golf and spending time with his wife and three children.
Professional Highlights
- Polly and W. Neil Rossborough Term Chair in Cardiac Transplantation
- Nursing-Physician Excellence Florence Nightingale Award, Cleveland Clinic
- Professor of Surgery, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University
Education & Fellowships
| Medical School: | University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY |
|
| Internship: | University of California San Francisco Medical Center, General Surgery, San Francisco, CA |
| Residency: | University of California San Francisco Medical Center, Cardiothoracic Surgery, San Francisco, CA |
| Residency: | University of California San Francisco Medical Center, General Surgery, San Francisco, CA |
| Fellowship: | Cleveland Clinic, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Cleveland, OH |
| Fellowship: | University of California San Francisco Medical Center, Cardiothoracic Surg Research, San Francisco, CA |
| Other Education: | (Undergraduate) University of Rochester, Rochester, NY |
Additional Training
- Executive management course
- Professional development course
- Six Sigma (in progress)
Certifications
Specialty Interests
Heart and heart-lung transplantation, ventricular assist devices, ECMO, heart failure surgery, aortic and mitral valve repair and replacement, off pump coronary bypass grafting, myectomy, reoperations, ascending aortic replacement.
Innovations & Patents
Syncardia Cardiowest Total Artificial Heart
Awards & Honors
- Teacher of the Year, Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, 2004
- Innovator Award, Cleveland Clinic, 2007
- Best Docs, Cleveland magazine, 2007
- Polly and W. Neil Rossborough Term Chair in Cardiac Transplantation
- Nursing-Physician Excellence Florence Nightingale Award, Cleveland Clinic
Professional Memberships
- Society of Thoracic Surgeons
- International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation
- Fellow, American College of Cardiology
- American Association of Thoracic Surgeons
- Fellow, American Heart Association
Specializes in Diseases and Conditions
Specializes in Services
Industry Relationships
Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists may collaborate with the pharmaceutical or medical device industries to help develop medical breakthroughs or provide medical education about recent trends. The collaborations are reviewed as part of the Cleveland Clinic’s procedures. The Cleveland Clinic publicly discloses payments to its physicians and scientists for speaking and consulting of $5,000 or more per year, and any equity, royalties, and fiduciary relationships in companies with which they collaborate. In publicly disclosing this information, the Cleveland Clinic tries to provide information as accurately as possible about its doctors’ connections with industry and those of their immediate family members. As of 7/30/2008, Dr. Smedira has reported the financial relationships with the companies listed below. Patients should feel free to contact their doctor about any of the relationships and how the relationships are overseen by the Cleveland Clinic. To learn more about the Cleveland Clinic’s policies on collaborations with industry and innovation management, go to our
Integrity in Innovation page.
Consulting. Dr. Smedira receives fees of $5,000 or more per year as a paid consultant or speaker for the following companies:
Equity. Dr. Smedira owns stock or stock options in the following companies for activities as a founder, inventor, or consultant:
- PeriTec Biosciences, Ltd.
Inventor Share. Dr. Smedira may receive future financial benefits from the Cleveland Clinic for inventions or discoveries related to the companies shown below:
- PeriTec Biosciences, Ltd.
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