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Prof. Michael O. Zembala MD PhD MBA-HHM FETCS FESC

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EU-certified professor of cardiac and vascular surgery, transplant surgeon named one of 100 most influential people in Polish healthcare. 15-year history delivering outstanding patient care and outcomes; clinical experience in cardiovascular procedures, spanning complex cardiac procedures.

 

Proficiency in transcatheter, transfemoral valvular procedures (aortic and mitral) and minimally invasive surgical approaches. Healthcare manager and excellent multidisciplinary team collaboration skills and experience training professionals worldwide. Broad leadership experience: 4 years heading Silesian Center’s Department of Cardiac Surgery, Heart and Lung Transplantation and Mechanical Circulatory Support; Director of Heart Transplantation in Silesian Center for Heart Diseases (Poland’s largest heart transplant center with 80+ procedures annually); 10 years as Surgical Director of Transcatheter Therapies of Structural Heart Diseases.

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Highlights:

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  • Over 10 years of experience in training and teaching healthcare professionals around the globe (22 countries across EMEA and APAC) in transcatheter valvular procedures - TAVI. Hundreds of successful cases, multitude of HEARTTeams trained.

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  • Established and developed transcatheter aortic valve program with very low complication rate and high financial benefit (6 cases/day; 94% next-day discharge; 1,4% 30-day mortality; and 4.3% pacemaker rate). 

 

  • Reversed underperformance in inherited low-volume (<30/y) TAVI program; boosted volume to 200/y with three-day average hospital stay and increased profit margins by introducing SOPs, proceeding with public tenders, and restructuring operating room/patient flow. 

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  • Performed 300+ orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) cases in past five years. Conducted first successful heart re-transplantations in Poland. 

 

  • Increased heart transplant program profit margins; grew volume from 40/y to 80+/y and reduced hospital mortality from 20% to 10% by introducing novel team, establishing standard operating procedures, and providing training. 

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  • Introduced novel methods of LVAD implantation and management (HeartMate 3, less-invasive, sternum-sparring procedures). 

 

  • Initiated Syncardia Total Artificial Heart into Polish clinical practice and dual HeartMate 3s (HM6) as biVAD support. 

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  • Pioneered one of the most successful hybrid atrial fibrillation treatment strategies nationwide with totally endoscopic, transabdominal access combined with CARTO-guided endocardial ablation (Hybrid AF Ablation). 

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  • Lead the most active, high-volume cardiac surgical center in Poland. During height of COVID-19 pandemic, managed to host, treat, and provide medical assistance to patients suffering from acute respiratory failure (HFNC, CPAPs, ECMOs) and still maintain high volume of regular cases and heart transplants (1,300 cases in 2021; 1,400+ cases in 2020). 

 

  • Initiated and led development of a Physician Assistant profession in Poland in which nurses and paramedics specialize in surgical and intensive care tracks. 

 

  • Authored 120+ publications with cumulative IF=280; h-20. 

 

  • Honored with Zbigniew Religa award for best clinical research by the Foundation for Cardiac Surgery Development; awarded Golden Laurel for Outstanding Skills and Competences; recognized as 6th Best Medical Young Professional in Poland. 

 

  • Harvard Medical School Surgical Leadership Program Alumni;

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  • Harvard Business School Master Negotiator. 

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