125 Paterson St,  New Brunswick, NJ 08901
​​732-235-7231

Clinical Expertise

Dr. Russo is the Chief of Cardiac Surgery; the Director of Structural Heart Disease; and Associate Professor of Surgery at Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
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An internationally known expert in the treatment of heart valve disease, Dr. Russo specializes in complex and reoperative aortic and valvular surgery.  To achieve the best possible patient outcomes, Dr. Russo uses leading edge technologies including open and minimally invasive approaches, trans-catheter valve therapies (eg, TAVR, Mitraclip, and Watchman), and hybrid approaches; valve-preserving procedures; and advanced cardio-pulmonary perfusion--combined with minimalist and rapid recovery approaches.

Dr. Russo is one of the few heart doctors in the U.S. skilled at both open and catheter-based treatments.  He is among the highest volume Mitraclip implanters in the Northeast and one of the most experienced TAVR surgeons in the U.S. He has taught these novel procedures to hundreds of other physicians throughout the world.  Dr. Russo is also an experienced heart transplant surgeon, participating in over 500 successful organ transplants.  

Dr. Russo in the News

Awards

For his work, Dr. Russo has received awards from leading professional organizations, including:
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  • American Heart Association (AHA) 
  • European Society of Cardiology (ESC) 
  • Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)
  • Thoracic Surgery Directors Association (TSDA)
  • Thoracic Surgery Foundation for Research and Education (TSFRE)
  • Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS)
  • National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Dr. Russo was the 2nd recipient of the President's Award from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), the largest organization of thoracic and cardiovascular surgeons in the world.  In addition, he has been named a Healthcare Hero by Horizon Blue Cross and a Finalist for New Jersey Physician of the Year by NJBIZ.

Dr. Russo is a Diplomate of the American Board of Thoracic Surgery (ABTS).  He is a member of the STS and American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS), and he is one of only 65 surgeons in the world with membership in the prestigious 21st Century Cardiothoracic Surgical Society (21CCSS). ​
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Miracle transplant at RWJUH
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Research

Dr. Russo has coauthored more than 200 published manuscripts, abstracts, and textbook chapters focused on improving health care quality, outcomes for patients with cardiovascular disease.  His specific areas of interest include the adoption and diffusion of novel cardiac therapies, the application of artificial intelligence in clinical decision making, large dataset analysis, and the application of less invasive therapies and rapid recovery strategies.
Dr. Russo holds leadership roles for multiple national and international clinical trials. ​The findings of his work have been published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), the Journals of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Circulation, and Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC) and reported by major media outlets, including the New York Times, Washington Post, ABC News, U.S. News & World Report, and Newsweek.

Recent Broadcasts featuring Dr Russo

Background

Dr. Russo is a graduate of Phillips Academy in Andover, MA.  He received an undergraduate degree in Chemistry from the University of Rochester--where he also served as Captain of the Varsity Baseball team and Commencement Marshall as the member of the graduating class whom “most embodies the ideals of the College.” He later obtained a Master's in outcomes research from Dartmouth Medical School. He earned his Medical Doctorate from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City; as a medical student, he received the Deans Awards "in recognition of remarkable intelligence and exceptional patient care abilities, and thereby promise for the future of medicine." He completed residencies in General Surgery and Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Columbia University Medical Center in New York City; at Columbia, he was awarded the Blakemore Prize for "best body of research by a graduating resident." He also completed Post-Doctoral Research Fellowships at Columbia University and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute within the National Institutes of Health.

​Previously, he was Assistant Attending-in-Cardiothoracic-Surgery at New York/ Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia. Most recently, he was Co-Director of the Aortic Center, Director of Cardiac Surgery Research, and Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine.