NOTICE: The Taxi stand/drop-off point at the Medical Centre will be closed on November/December 24. Alternative drop-off locations are available at the Medical Centre (after the carpark gantry) or at the Main Lobby of Mount Elizabeth Hospital.

Adj Professor Theo Kofidis

Cardiothoracic Surgery

Fellow of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery
Chair, Education committee , Asian Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery

Credentials MD, FRCS, PD(Ger), FAHA, FAATS, FAMS
Language English, German, Greek
Info

Professor Theo Kofidis is an expert, high-volume Adult Cardiac Surgery- and minimally invasive heart surgeon. A globally renowned Cardiac Surgeon, covering the entire Adult Cardiac Surgery spectrum, Bypass, Heart Valve- and Aortic procedures, he is a strongly sought-for proctor and surgical teacher around the world. One of only few members of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery n SE Asia, he is also an Ambassador / Steering Committee of the World Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery for the same region. Until recently, he was the Head of the Department of Cardiac-, Thoracic- and Vascular Surgery, at the National University Hospital of Singapore, and had formed Asia’s most renowned minimally invasive heart surgery program.

Associated Treatments

Professor Kofidis’s expertise covers coronary artery disease and heart valve surgery, including diseases of the aorta and heart rhythm. He is world renowned for his contribution to the surgical treatment of such diseases, in both open and minimally invasive fashion, and has contributed discoveries of both tools and methodologies which furthered the field globally.

His spectrum includes:

Aortic valve replacement and repair

Mitral valve replacement and repair

Tricuspid valve replacement and repair

Pulmonary valve replacement

Coronary artery bypass surgery of all forms (totally arterial, beating heart, off pump, anaortic)

Atrial ablation for atrial fibrillation

Aortic repair and replacements (Aortic root reconstruction)

Combinations thereof

 

All of the above , he performs both open and minimally invasively, as a matter of high volume routine for many years now, depending on the special needs and conditions of the patient, in a very personalized, patient-centered fashion.

Special Treatments

Minimally Invasive procedures (Bypass, Valves, Aortic, Atrial Ablation)

Endoscopic [procedures on the heart (using cameras)

Hybrid Heart Surgery (together with the Cardiologist)

Robotic Heart Surgery

 

(Less invasive procedures redefine the Patient’s journey, by reducing pain, trauma, scar, immobility, blood loss, infections, arrhythmias, and all together improve the patient’s experience and speed and quality of recovery)

Publications

Professor Theo Kofidis is a world-renowned surgical proctor and teacher, who has published THE book with which many Cardiac Surgeons learn in Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery (Taylor&Francis, NY/London).

He has contributed multiple book chapters, invented numerous technologies and techniques, as well as surgical tools. He holds multiple patents, and has authored more than 300 papers, of which 185 are featured in PubMed, with a high volume of citations.

His Intellectual Property has translated in spinoffs, and ground-breaking surgical methods used in daily practice today, across many countries around the world.

His scientific work has been published multiple times in world-leading Journals, such as Nature Medicine, New England Journal of Medicine, Circulation, and more.

Achievements

Professor Kofidis is decorated with multiple awards by international bodies, such as the European Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, The Onassis Heart Center, The Hellenic Cardiology Society (Life-Time Achievement Award), the SMICTSI (Indian Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery: Life-Time achievement award) and others. He serves as Consultant or Advisory Board Member for prominent Industry, such as Medtronic, Johnson&Johnson, Abbott, Livanova and others. With his innovative, QR-code-based book on Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery (Taylor&Francis/CRC Press, NY/London), he launched an entirely novel educational concept of Read-Scan-Watch. He also serves as Chairman of the Education Committee of the Asian Society for CardioVascular and Thoracic Surgery (ASCVTS) and Chairman of the CT Surgery Chapter of the Singapore Cardiac Society.

Professor Kofidis has trained in some of the world’s leading institutions (Rochester, NY/Texas Heart, Houston/Hannover Germany, Stanford, CA, USA). carries various offices and commitments internationally. He has lectured for the American Medical Association, the FDA, the Bill Gates Research Institute and more. As an academic teacher, proctor and Consultant for a number of companies in the field-related industry, he is holding events and workshops in various countries around the world, bringing Minimally Invasive knowhow to doctors and patients alike.

Associations

2000 – German Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (Member)

2001 – European Association for Cardiothoracic Surgery (Reviewer, Member)

2002 – American Heart Association (Scientific Councils, Reviewer, Abstract Grader, Premium Professional Member)

2003 – International Society for Heart and lung Transplantation  (Member, Reviewer, Organizing Co-Chair).

2004 – International Society of Tissue Engineering (Member)

2006 – International Society of Minimal Invasive Cardiac Surgery  (Member, Reviewer, Scientific abstract committee)

2006 – Society of Thoracic Surgeons (Member)

2006 – Cardiothoracic Surgery Network (Member)

2007 – Asian Society for Cardiac, Vascular and Thoracic Surgery (ASCVTS) (Member, Scientific, Organizing Committees)

2007 – Asian Cardiovascular and Thoracic Annals (Editorial Board)

2007 – Scientific Board WSCTS – 18th World Congress of Cardiovascular Surgeons

2007 – 2008 DSRB member for the section cardiovascular research

2007 – 2008 National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs), UK (Grant reviewer)

2008 – Hellenic Society of Cardiothoracic Surgery (Member)

2009: MRTB space allocation committee

2009: Senior advisor to Research-Gate, the international scientists’ communication forum.

2012 – Member of the Steering Committee of the World Society of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Representative for Far East.

2013 – Association of Cardiothoracic Surgeons of Asia (Member, Organizing Committee)

2014 – The Swiss Healthcare Concierge (Official Surgeon, Asia)

2014 – National Medical Research Council, Singapore (Appointed Reviewer)

2015 – Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh

2015 – Fellow of the American Association of Thoracic Surgeons

2015 – Editorial team for the Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation

2016 – Ministry of Health Cardiovascular Disease Research Group

2020 – Member of the Board of the Cape Town University Heart Institute

2021 – Chairman of the Singapore JCST Accreditation program for Cardiothoracic Surgery

2021 – Member of the Singapore Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency Advisory Committee (RAC)

2021 – Chairman of the Ecucational Committee, and Councilor, Asian Society for Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery (ASCVTS)

2025: President of the ASCVTS annual conference, Singapore May 2025

Fellowships and Accreditations

Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (FRCS)

Fellow of the Academy of Medicine of Singapore (FAMS)

Fellow of the American Heart Association

Fellow of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery

Media

Innovation / Books