Dr. Russo is Chief of Cardiac Surgery, Director of Structural Heart Disease, and ​Associate Professor of Surgery at Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Dr. Russo is an internationally-known expert in the treatment of heart valve disease.

He is one of the few heart doctors in the United States skilled at open, minimally-invasive, and catheter-based
​cardiac therapies.

Dr Russo is one of the most experienced transcatheter valve surgeons (including TAVR and Mitraclip) in the U.S.

He has participated in more than 500 successful organ transplants.

Expertise

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 minimally-invasive, transcatheter, and hybrid approaches; valve-preserving techniques; and advanced cardio-pulmonary support.  Dr Russo is among the most experienced transcatheter surgeons in the U.S, and he has taught these novel procedures to physicians throughout the world.  He is also an experienced heart transplant surgeon, participating in over 500 successful organ transplants.  

Dr. Russo is a thought leader in minimalist and rapid recovery approaches, which focus on using least invasive cardiac therapies and other strategies designed to minimize pain, minimize hospital stay, and achieve the fastest possible recovery for patients. 

Commonly Performed Procedures

Minimally invasive valve surgery is a specialized approach to treating heart valve disease that avoids the need to "crack the chest."  This method uses sophisticated instruments to perform the surgery through a smaller incision at the side of the chest and offers the patients less pain and faster recovery.  We perform nearly all of our isolated valve surgeries minimally invasively.
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A "bypass" or "cabg" surgery is the most commonly performed heart surgery.  It is necessary when the coronary arteries, which provide blood to the heart become narrow preventing sufficient blood from passing  through, and thus depriving the heart of oxygen and nutrients. RWJUH has CABG outcomes that exceed national benchmarks. 
An aortic aneurysm is a bulging, weakened area in the wall of main blood vessel in the body. The risk of  aortic catastrophe, including dissection and rupture, increases dramatically with an aneurysm.  Surgery may be recommended when the aorta is larger than 4.5-6 cms. Factors including family history, lifestyle, and need for other heart surgery guide decisions about surgery.​
When other treatments are insufficient, a heart transplant is a surgical procedure offered to patients with the most severe damage to the heart.  RWJUH is one of a limited number of centers in the US that offer advance heart failure surgery, including heart transplant.  Dr. Russo has participated in 500+ successful transplant surgeries.
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), also known as transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), is a minimally invasive approach to the treatment of aortic stenosis.  In most patients, it requires no incision and typically patients are discharged within 1 day.  Dr Russo is among the most experienced TAVR surgeons in the US.
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.The MitraClip procedure does not require opening the chest or stopping the heart. Instead, through a vein in the leg, a thin tube (called a catheter) is guided to the mitral valve The MitraClip device is a small clip that helps your mitral valve to close more completely.  Dr. Russo is among the highest volume Mitraclip operators in the Northeast.​

To schedule an in-person or telemedicine consultation with Dr. Russo,
please call 732-235-7231 or send an email.

Research​​

Dr. Russo has coauthored more than 200 published manuscripts, abstracts, and textbook chapters focused on improving health care quality, outcomes, and access for patients with cardiovascular disease.  His specific areas of interest include the adoption and diffusion of novel cardiac therapies, access to care, artificial intelligence in clinical decision making, large dataset analysis, and less invasive therapies and rapid recovery strategies.

​Dr. Russo holds leadership roles for numerous national and international clinical trials. ​The findings of his work have been published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), the Lancet, the Journals of the American Medical Association (JAMA), and Circulation and reported by major media outlets, including the New York Times, Washington Post, ABC News, U.S. News & World Report, and Newsweek.
Dr. Russo has published more than 200 scientific articles and abstracts.

His work has appeared in leading medical journals including the New England Journal of Medicine, the Lancet, and Circulation. 

​Dr. Russo holds leadership roles for multiple national and international clinical trials.  
For his work, Dr. Russo has received awards from leading scientific and professional organizations.

Awards

For his work, Dr. Russo has received awards from leading professional organizations, including:

  - American Heart Association (AHA) 
  - ​European Society of Cardiology (ESC) 
  - Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)
​  - Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS)
  - Thoracic Surgery Directors Association (TSDA)
  - Thoracic Surgery Foundation for Research and Education 
  - National Institutes of Health (NIH)
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​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 was been named a Healthcare Hero by Horizon Blue Cross and a Finalist for New Jersey Physician of the Year by NJBIZ.

To schedule an in-person or telemedicine consultation with Dr. Russo, 
please call 732-235-7231 or send an email.

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 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 earned a Master's in outcomes research from Dartmouth Medical School. He obtained his Medical Doctorate from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City; as a medical student, he received the Dean's 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. Prior to joining RWJBarnabas Health, 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.

Dr. Russo is a Diplomate of the American Board of Thoracic Surgery (ABTS); a member of the STS and American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS); a Board member for the patient advocacy group, Heart Valve Voice; and one of only 65 surgeons in the world with membership in the prestigious 21st Century Cardiothoracic Surgical Society. ​
Dr. Russo is a thought leader in minimalist and rapid recovery approaches, which focus on using less invasive treatments and other strategies designed to minimize pain, minimize hospital stay, and provide the fastest possible recovery for patients.
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