Lars Svensson, MD, PhD
Primary Location
Cleveland Clinic Main Campus
- Appointment:
- 216.445.4813
- Desk:
- 216.445.4813
- Fax:
- 216.636.9509
Additional Locations
Treatment & Services
- Adult Cardiothoracic Surgery
- Adult Congenital Cardiothoracic Surgery
- Aorta Center
- Aorta Graft
- Aorta Surgery
- Aortic Dissection Repair
- Aortic Valve Repair
- Aortic Valve Replacement
- Aortic Valve Surgery
- Atherosclerosis Surgery
- Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) Surgery
- Atrial Fibrillation Center
- Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) Closure
- Bypass Surgery
- Bypass Surgery Re-operation
- Cardiac Surgery
- Cardiovascular Disease Surgical Treatments
- Cardiovascular Surgery Department
- Cardiovascular Surgery Section
- Complex Aorta Surgery
- Congenital Cardiac Surgery
- Congenital Heart Surgery in Adults
- Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) Surgery
- Coronary Artery Reoperation
- David Procedure
- David Reimplantation Operation
- Endovascular Aorta Treatment - Thoracic
- Endovascular Surgery
- Endovascular Treatment of the Abdominal Aorta
- Heart Surgery
- Heart Surgery for Marfan Syndrome
- Heart Surgery Reoperation
- Heart Valve Repair
- Heart Valve Replacement
- Heart Valve Surgery
- Infective Endocarditis Surgery
- Marfan Syndrome Surgery
- Maze Surgery
- Minimally Invasive Aortic Surgery
- Minimally Invasive Aortic Valve Repair
- Minimally Invasive Aortic Valve Replacement
- Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery
- Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery
- Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Repair
- Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Surgery
- Minimally Invasive Surgery
- Mitral Valve Repair
- Mitral Valve Replacement
- Mitral Valve Surgery
- Modified David's Reimplantation Procedure
- Myectomy
- Off-Pump Bypass Surgery
- Off-Pump Heart Surgery
- Percutaneous and Endoscopic Interventions for Atrial Fibrillation
- Percutaneous Valve Repair
- Percutaneous Valve Replacement
- Percutaneous Valve Treatment
- Pericardiectomy
- Pericardiocentesis
- Pericardium Surgery
- Pulmonary Autotransplant
- Pulmonary Embolism Surgery
- Pulmonary Vein Ablation Procedure
- Radial Artery and Saphenous Vein Harvesting
- Removal of Atrial Myxoma
- Removal of Cardiac Tumors
- Reoperation Surgery
- Reoperation Valve Surgery
- Reoperative Heart Surgery
- Stent Grafting
- Surgical Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation
- Surgical Procedures for Atrial Fibrillation
- Surgical Treatment of Adult Acquired Heart Disease
- Surgical Treatment of Valve Endocarditis
- Thoracic Aorta Surgery
- Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm Repair
- Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm Surgery
- Thoracic Surgery
- Thoracic Surgery Section
- Valve Sparing Surgery
- Valve Surgery
- Ventricular Aneurysm Surgery
Specialty in Diseases & Conditions
- Abnormal Heart Rhythms
- Acquired Adult Cardiac Disease
- Acquired Valve Disease
- Adult Congenital Heart Disease
- Aneurysms
- Angina
- Aorta Disease
- Aortic Aneurysms
- Aortic Dissection
- Aortic Insufficiency
- Aortic Regurgitation
- Aortic Stenosis
- Aortic Valve Disease
- Aortic Valve Regurgitation
- Atherosclerosis
- Atrial Fibrillation
- Atrial Septal Defects
- Cardiomyopathy
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Coarctation of the Aorta
- Collagen Vascular Disease
- Colorectal Cancer
- Congenital Disorders of the Heart
- Congenital Heart Defects
- Congenital Heart Disease
- Congenital Valve Disease
- Connective Tissue Disorders
- Constrictive-Pericarditis
- Coronary Artery Disease
- Dilated Cardiomyopathy
- Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
- Endocarditis
- Giant Cell Arteritis
- Heart Attack
- Heart Disease
- Heart Failure
- Heart Valve Disease
- Heart Valve Infections
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
- Infective Endocarditis
- Ischemic Cardiomyopathy
- Marfan Syndrome
- Mitral Valve Disease
- Mitral Valve Prolapse
- Mitral Valve Regurgitation
- Mitral Valve Stenosis
- Myxomas
- Patent Foramen Ovale
- Pericarditis
- Pulmonary Artery Stenosis
- Pulmonary Embolism
- Pulmonary Valve Disease
- Pulmonic Regurgitation
- Pulmonic Stenosis
- Rheumatic Heart Disease
- Superior Vena Cava Syndrome
- Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm
- Thoracoabdominal Aortic Aneurysm
- Tricuspid Regurgitation
- Tricuspid Stenosis
- Tricuspid Valve Disease
- Ventricular Aneurysm
Insurance
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View All PlansAbout Lars Svensson, MD, PhD
Lars Georg Svensson, MD, PhD, is the Chairman of the Sydell and Arnold Miller Family Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute at Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Svensson is an internationally known cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon. His research has led to many innovative surgical treatments and techniques. Dr. Svensson is board-certified in thoracic, cardiovascular and general surgery. He is a Professor of Surgery at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University. Prior to being appointed to Chair of the institute, Dr. Svensson’s leadership positions at Cleveland Clinic included Director of the Aorta Center; Director of the Marfan Syndrome and Connective Tissue Disorder Clinic; Director of Quality and Process Improvement, Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery; Director of Affiliate Cardiothoracic Surgery Programs; and Co-Director, Transcatheter Valve Program.
Specialty/Clinical interests: Aortic valve surgery, aortic valve and bicuspid valve repair, cardiac surgery, complex aorta surgery, surgery for thoracic aortic aneurysm, endovascular aorta treatment – thoracic, heart surgery for patients with Marfan syndrome, modified David's reimplantation procedure, percutaneous treatment for patients with valve disease, minimally invasive heart surgery, Marfan syndrome and connective tissue disorders
Number of Procedures Performed: Cleveland Clinic performs more than 4,000 heart surgeries each year. All Cleveland Clinic cardiac surgeons complete between 300-400 cardiac cases per year.
Success rates: Among top US hospitals for cardiac surgery, Cleveland Clinic’s volume is the highest with the best quality outcomes. You can view success rates for specific procedures at http://my.clevelandclinic.org/heart/about-heart-vascular-institute/treatment-outcomes.aspx
Education and Training: Dr. Svensson was born in Barberton, South Africa. He completed his undergraduate work at Treverton College in Mooi River, South Africa. He earned his medical degree and PhD in blood flow pathophysiology from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, where he received numerous fellowships and awards.
Dr. Svensson received his training in cardiology and general surgery at the Johannesburg Hospital, South Africa, and his training in cardiothoracic surgery at Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, for which he received a fellowship. He also completed a cardiovascular surgery fellowship and residency at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX.
In 2005, Dr. Svensson was named King James IV Professor of Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. His academic appointments have included Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Houston, TX; Clinical Instructor in Surgery at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; Clinical Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Tufts University, Boston; and Assistant Professor of Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston.
Research, Publications and Speaking: Dr. Svensson has received numerous research grants and fellowships. He has contributed to advances in protecting the brain, spinal cord and kidneys during major cardiac and aortic surgery, and has been instrumental in developing minimally invasive keyhole surgical techniques. He is currently the principal investigator in a number of clinical research trials, including research to investigate percutaneous methods to replace and repair aortic and mitral valves.
Dr. Svensson is the author of the reference text book, Cardiovascular and Vascular Diseases of the Aorta, and has authored or co-authored hundreds of journal articles, reviews, book chapters, abstracts, and commentaries. He has been an invited speaker at hundreds of regional, national and international symposia and conferences. He is the former Associate Editor of the Annals of Thoracic Surgery, and serves on several editorial boards, including the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Journal of Cardiac Surgery, and the Annals of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery.
Dr. Svensson chairs the American Association for Thoracic Surgery Guidelines Committee. He has chaired multispecialty guidelines writing committees for endovascular treatment with stents for the thoracic aorta, aortic valve surgery, and for the treatment of thoracic aortic disease.
About Dr. Svensson: “I believe my greatest strength as a heart surgeon is my ability to offer patients a variety of treatment approaches, from transcatheter to standard heart surgery, all geared toward maximizing safety and optimizing outcomes.
Leisure Activities: Traveling, photography, sailing, nature and hiking
Videos: To learn more about Dr. Svensson and his expertise, watch the video Giants of Cardiothoracic Surgery: An Interview with Lars Svensson, CTSNetVideo
In addition to the videos featuring Dr. Svensson on the bottom of this page, there are videos on HeartValveSurgery.com:
View Dr. Svensson's presentations 2017 Randall B. Griepp, MD Visiting Professorship: "TAVR, AVR Surgery and Root Repair and LGS Reimplantation Surgery. In addition, Dr. Svensson has treated athletes with aorta disease.
Education & Professional Highlights
Appointed
2001
Education & Fellowships
Residency - Baylor College of Medicine
Cardiothoracic Surgery
Houston,
TX
1991
Fellowship - Baylor College of Medicine
Cardiovascular Surgery
Houston,
TX
1989
Fellowship - Cleveland Clinic
Cardiovascular Surgery
Cleveland,
OH
1987
Residency - Johannesburg General Hospital
General Surgery
Johannesburg,
1986
Medical Education - University of Witwatersrand
Johannesburg,
1986
Internship - Johannesburg General Hospital
Cardiology & Surgery
Johannesburg,
1980
Medical Education - University of Witwatersrand Faculty of Medicine
Johannesburg, South Africa,
1978
Undergraduate - Treverton College
Mooi River, South Africa 3300,
1972
Professional Highlights
- Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Tufts University in Boston
- Instructor at Harvard University
- Houston VAMC Chairman of Cardiovascular Surgery
- Lahey Clinic Board of Governors, Director of Surgery Operating Rooms, and Finance Committee
- Director of Aortic Surgery Center, Cleveland Clinic
- Directs and Supervises, Cleveland Clinic Affiliate Cardiac Surgery Programs Processes and Quality of Outcomes
Certifications
- General Surgery
- Thoracic & Cardiac Surgery
Specialty Interests
Aortic valve surgery, cardiac surgery, complex aorta surgery, surgery for thoracic aortic aneurysm, endovascular aorta treatment – thoracic, heart surgery for marfan syndrome, modified david's reimplantation procedure, percutaneous valve treatment, minimally invasive heart surgery, marfan syndrome
Awards & Honors
- 2013, National Marfan Foundation, Hero with a Heart Award
- 2008, King James IV Professor of Surgery, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
- 2007, Second Place, Cleveland Clinic Top 10 Innovations of 2007
- 2000, Who's Who in Finance and Industry
- 1999, Top Doctors
- 1997, Who's Who in Medicine
- 1997, Who's Who in the World
- 1996, Who's Who in America
- 1996, Who's Who in Science and Engineering
- 1996-1998, Lahey Clinic Neurocognitive Research Grant
- 1994, Dana Fund Research Fellowship
- 1993, Lahey Clinic Research Grant
- 1992, Director's Award for Professional Leadership, Houston V.A.M.C
- 1992, V.A. Rag Research Fund Award
- 1991, DeBakey Heart Fund Research Award
Innovations & Patents
- Minimally invasive valve surgery
- Prevention of stroke and paralysis after heart surgery
- Reduction of wound infections
- Percutaneous valves
- Percutaneous aortic root replacement
- Developed techniques for aortic valve repair and bicuspid valve repair
- Developed operations for aortic arch surgery (elephant trunk procedure)
- Developed methods for reducing stroke after heart surgery
- Developed techniques to reduce paralysis after descending aortic, thoracoabdominal, and endovascular stent graft surgery
- Chaired the Expert Consensus and Guidelines Committee on the use of Endovascular Stent Grafts for Aortic Surgery
Memberships
- Fellow, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
- Fellow, South African College of Surgeons
- American College of Physician Executives
- American Association for Thoracic Surgery
- American College of Surgeons
- American College of Cardiology
- The European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery
Research & Publications
See publications for Lars Svensson, MD, PhD.
(Disclaimer: This search is powered by PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. PubMed is a third-party website with no affiliation with Cleveland Clinic.)
Industry Relationships
Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists may collaborate with the pharmaceutical or medical device industries to help develop medical breakthroughs or provide medical expertise or education. Cleveland Clinic strives to make scientific advances that will benefit patient care and support outside relationships that promise public benefit. In order for the discoveries of Cleveland Clinic physicians' and scientists' laboratories and investigations to benefit the public, these discoveries must be commercialized in partnership with industry. As experts in their fields, Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists are often sought after by industry to consult, provide expertise and education.
To assure professional and commercial integrity in such matters, Cleveland Clinic maintains a program that reviews these collaborations and, when appropriate, puts measures in place to minimize bias that may result from ties to industry. Cleveland Clinic publicly discloses the names of companies when (i) its physicians/scientists receive $5,000 or more per year (or, in rare cases, equity or stock options) for speaking and consulting, (ii) its physicians/scientists serve as a fiduciary, (iii) its physicians/scientists receive or have the right to receive royalties or (iv) its physicians/ scientists hold any equity interest for the physician's/scientist's role as inventor, discoverer, developer, founder or consultant.* In publicly disclosing this information, Cleveland Clinic tries to provide information as accurately as possible about its physicians' and scientists' connections with industry.
As of 6/11/2024, Dr. Svensson has reported the financial relationships with the companies listed below. In general, patients should feel free to contact their doctor about any of the relationships and how the relationships are overseen by Cleveland Clinic. To learn more about Cleveland Clinic's policies on collaborations with industry and innovation management, go to our Integrity in Innovation page.
Royalty Payments. Dr. Svensson receives or has the right to receive royalty payments for inventions or discoveries commercialized through the companies shown below:
- Posthorax GmbH
Public Health Service-Reportable Financial Conflicts of Interest. Cleveland Clinic scientists and physicians engage in basic, translational and clinical research activities, working to solve health problems, enhance patient care and improve quality of life for patients. Interactions with industry are essential to bringing the researchers' discoveries to the public, but can present the potential for conflicts of interest related to their research activities. Click here to view a listing of instances where Cleveland Clinic has identified a Public Health Service (PHS)-Reportable Financial Conflict of Interest and has put measures in place to ensure that, to the extent possible, the design, conduct and reporting of the research is free from bias.
* Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists subscribe to the guidance presented in the PhRMA Code on Interactions with Healthcare Professionals and the AdvaMed Code of Ethics on Interactions with Health Care Professionals. As such, gifts of substantial value are generally prohibited.
148 Patient Satisfaction Reviews
The Patient Satisfaction Rating is an average of all responses to the care provider related questions shown below from our nationally-recognized Press Ganey Patient Satisfaction Survey. Patients that are treated in outpatient or hospital environments may receive different surveys, and the volume of responses will vary by question.
Responses are measured on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the best score.
The comments are submitted by patients and reflect their views and opinions. The comments are not endorsed by and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cleveland Clinic.
| Overall | Star Ratings | |
|---|---|---|
| Explains | 4.8 | |
| Listens | 4.8 | |
| Courtesy, Respect & Concern | 4.9 | |
| Patient Rating of Doctor | 4.8 |
4 Patient Comments
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Reviewed on Oct 8, 2024
Dr. Svensson was very friendly and took the time to answer all my questions. I appreciated his straightforward approach regarding my condition and his recommendations. I am grateful I had the opportunity to consult with a surgeon of his caliber. I traveled to Cleveland Clinic from out of state and the trip was well worth it.
Reviewed on Oct 1, 2024
Great DR. LARS SVENSSON AND NURSE MISS LINDSY .
Reviewed on Apr 16, 2024
Dr Svensson is world renowned and the care I got reflected that along with his entire team
Reviewed on Mar 13, 2024
Dr. Svensson provided a thorough explanation of the planned procedure, how it would rectify my issue, the risks involved and what the recovery process would be. He addressed both my and my husband's questions and ensured I was comfortable with what procedure. Even asked about my brother whose surgery he had also performed a couple years ago! Feel very fortunate that I was able to have him as my surgeon for my aortic valve replacement and he and incredible staff helping me through my recovery process.