Ioannis Eleftheriadis is Professor of Cardiac Surgery at Yale University, Emeritus Director of the Aortic Institute at Yale New Haven Hospital and one of the leading in its field internationally. He has saved thousands of lives and trained “armies” of young heart surgeons, “I operate every working day. If I do not go to the operating room, I feel that I have not offered anything to society. “I have performed more than 5,000 heart surgeries, including 350 heart transplants, 200 artificial heart implants and thousands of bypass and aortic aneurysm surgeries,” he said in a recent interview. Dr. Eleftheriadis specializes in aortic aneurysms, the largest and most important artery in the human body, starting in the left ventricle of the heart. But he is also a writer. His book “Separate Hearts: A Journey to Cardiac Surgery and the Power of the Human Spirit” was recently published by Patakis. 

Dr. Ioannis Eleftheriadis was born in Philadelphia, USA to Greek immigrants and speaks Greek. Until he went to kindergarten, his parents spoke Greek at home so that he could become familiar with the language. In 1976 he graduated from Yale University School of Medicine, where he specialized in general surgery and cardiothoracics. In 2006 he was named Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the William WL Glenn Chair.  His mother was born in Athens from a poor family, she finished High School, something rare for her generation. “She was brave, confident and came to America alone at the age of eighteen, right after the end of World War II, expecting a better future. “He learned typing and shorthand to pursue a career as a secretary,” he said in a recent interview. His father, originally from Crete, was a sailor and left the sea to settle in the USA. According to him, his parents fell in love, had four children, his mother became a housewife and his father a mechanical engineer. “My father taught me to repair cars… He is 90 years old today” His mother has passed away, he has always been an inspiration in his life and that of his brothers.  

By the time Dr. Eleftheriadis graduated from Yale College, the specialty of cardiac surgery was at an early stage, and even students who chose the specialty were considered something like fighter pilots. The bar of difficulty was very high and the operations at that time may have lasted 12 or 16 hours. There were neither the means nor the knowledge we have today. Based on all this he decided that the direction of heart surgery was the right one for him. He has been honored with several awards, while “Men’s Health” magazine has included him in the list of the ten best doctors in the USA.

Prevention saves us

When asked if we should be intimidated by hearing aortic aneurysm, Dr. answers: gender, age and somatometric characteristics). Abdominal aortic aneurysm is when its diameter exceeds 3 cm. And if the dilatation, ie the overflow, grows bigger, as it usually happens with the weather, the aorta is in danger of rupture, a life-threatening condition for the patient, because it causes a lot of internal bleeding.

Diagnosis is made first of all through prevention, most patients have no symptoms until it is too late. With an ultrasound – painlessly and at low cost, that is – the aneurysm can be diagnosed. After 60-65 years, then, it is good for men in particular to undergo such an examination. Screening should begin earlier, at age 50, for all individuals, women and men, who have a first-degree relative with an aneurysm or sudden death in the family.

It is a simple test that can, to some extent, indicate the possible existence of an aortic aneurysm. Do you want to do it together? Raise your hand and keep your palm flat, as if asking me to stop. Stretch your thumb as much as possible towards the inside of your palm, ie towards your little finger. If the thumb can be stretched beyond the tip of your hand, this may be a sign of a “hidden” aneurysm.

Dr. Eleftheriadis has saved dozens of patients over the years, his anthropocentric character does not let him rest for a single day. Finishing after a full day what justifies him, is one is the good outcome of a complex and dangerous operation. “The difficult part is when I have to be deprived of valuable time with my family and friends because of work, something that happens very often, and when – more and more rarely nowadays – a patient does not survive, despite our enormous efforts in surgery.” has said characteristically in an interview. 

 People feel our empathy and caring when it is genuine

. Asked what it takes to become a good surgeon, Dr. Eleftheriadis answers: “First of all, to be able to make quick decisions. I teach my students two basic rules: Do not leave anything bad behind – I mean other problems they may find in the operating room – but at the same time do not make a major operation longer than necessary. A good surgeon must also have respect and delicacy in handling sensitive heart tissue. But also to show the patient – and his family – that he is really interested in getting well. “People feel our empathy and caring when they are genuine.” 

The health of our heart as the professor mentions depends on many factors but mainly on heredity for a start. Good nutrition, exercise, not smoking and alcohol, not stress are the basic guidelines for a healthy heart. “But for me, the best medicine is love: a supportive environment around us, people who make us feel intimate, warm and safe,” said the doctor. 

Medical miracles

To the question what does the title “Special Hearts” in his book answer? – I tell the stories of ten of my patients. I use the phrase literally at first: the hearts, their organs, presented amazing anatomical and functional problems, for which modern Medicine offers remarkable treatments and solutions. But I’m talking more about separate hearts in the non-literal sense – one in which the “heart” encapsulates the basic gifts and characteristics of a human being. In this book, then, I cite ten examples of the miracles of modern Medicine and specifically of Cardiac Surgery. Medicine and more specifically cardiac surgery are served by a worthy Greek doctor who with his knowledge and zeal has managed to save the “hearts” of many of his patients.