"Philosophy of care | I perform very complex cardiac and aortic reconstructive procedures. My philosophy regarding my patients is to complete these operations with the utmost skill, perfection and result as possible. Just as importantly, I spend time with my patients and their families to explain in great detail their condition and how we are going to treat it. This includes all the potential options available. My primary goal is to allow my patients some choice but, more importantly, to make sure they completely understand their disease process. My focus for many years has been a ""disease management process"" that fosters a long-term commitment to my patients revolving around the specifics of aortic and valvular heart disease. | Why I entered medicine | Initially, I wanted to be a political scientist; however, a number of life experiences changed that. My grandfather had Lou Gehrig’s disease and lived with us when I was growing up. This daily experience had a profound effect during formative years in high school. Interestingly, our next-door neighbor was a general/vascular surgeon, and I came to know him quite well. He was my initial mentor in this field. I initially studied engineering but was fascinated with cardiac physiology and this translated into medicine and cardiac surgery specifically. However, the passion and commitment to treat patients and their suffering was first embedded in my psyche secondary to witnessing, in all domains, my grandfather's demise from Lou Gehrig’s disease. | Community involvement | President, The Thoracic Surgery Foundation, impacting the global community by delivering quality thoracic care to lower- and middle-income countries across the world. | Personal interests | I enjoy traveling the world, Philadelphia professional sports, golfing and coaching baseball.". Dr. Bavaria is highly rated in 20 conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Bicuspid Aortic Valve, Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm, Aortic Dissection, Aortic Valve Replacement, and Heart Valve Repair.

Michael Acker is a Thoracic Surgeon in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Acker is highly rated in 20 conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Mitral Valve Regurgitation, Mitral Stenosis, Aortic Valve Stenosis, Heart Transplant, and Heart Bypass Surgery. Dr. Acker is currently accepting new patients.

Wilson Szeto is a Thoracic Surgeon in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Szeto is highly rated in 24 conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Aortic Dissection, Aortic Valve Stenosis, Bicuspid Aortic Valve, Aortic Valve Replacement, and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). Dr. Szeto is currently accepting new patients.

Sunil Singhal is a Thoracic Surgeon in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Singhal is highly rated in 24 conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Lung Nodules, Lung Cancer, Mesothelioma, Thymectomy, and Pancreaticoduodenectomy. Dr. Singhal is currently accepting new patients.

Stephanie Fuller is a Thoracic Surgeon in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Fuller is highly rated in 11 conditions, according to our data. Her top areas of expertise are Congenital Heart Disease (CHD), Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), Pulmonary Atresia with Intact Ventricular Septum, Heart Transplant, and Patent Foramen Ovale Repair. Dr. Fuller is currently accepting new patients.

Gregary Marhefka is a Thoracic Surgeon and a Nuclear Medicine provider in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Marhefka is highly rated in 19 conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Cardiac Tamponade, Cardiogenic Shock, Pulmonary Hypertension, Pacemaker Implantation, and Embolectomy. Dr. Marhefka is currently accepting new patients.

David Wiener is a Thoracic Surgeon in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Wiener is highly rated in 15 conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Pulmonary Veno-Occlusive Disease, Cardiomyopathy, Systemic Sclerosis (SSc), and Pulmonary Hypertension. Dr. Wiener is currently accepting new patients.

Baskaran Sundaram is a Radiologist and a Thoracic Surgeon in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Sundaram is highly rated in 12 conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Emphysema, Pleurisy, Pleural Effusion, and Interstitial Lung Disease.

Alexis Sokil is a Thoracic Surgeon and a Nuclear Medicine provider in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Sokil is highly rated in 11 conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Pulmonary Veno-Occlusive Disease, Heart Attack, Systemic Sclerosis (SSc), Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR), and Aortic Valve Replacement. Dr. Sokil is currently accepting new patients.

Ethan Halpern is a Radiologist and a Thoracic Surgeon in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Halpern is highly rated in 10 conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Visceromegaly, Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer, Varicocele, Aortic Valve Replacement, and Prostatectomy.

Praveen Mehrotra is a Cardiologist and a Thoracic Surgeon in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Mehrotra is highly rated in 10 conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Pulmonary Veno-Occlusive Disease, Aortic Valve Stenosis, Mitral Valve Regurgitation, Aortic Valve Replacement, and Patent Foramen Ovale Repair. Dr. Mehrotra is currently accepting new patients.

Alyson Owen is a Cardiologist and a Thoracic Surgeon in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Owen has been practicing medicine for over 44 years is highly rated in 7 conditions, according to our data. Her top areas of expertise are Pulmonary Veno-Occlusive Disease, Systemic Sclerosis (SSc), Pulmonary Hypertension, Aortic Valve Stenosis, and Pacemaker Implantation.

John Entwistle is a Cardiologist and a General Surgeon in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Entwistle is highly rated in 7 conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Aortic Valve Stenosis, Cardiogenic Shock, Endocarditis, Heart Transplant, and Heart Bypass Surgery. Dr. Entwistle is currently accepting new patients.

Vakhtang Tchantchaleishvili is a General Surgeon and a Thoracic Surgeon in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Tchantchaleishvili is highly rated in 6 conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Aortic Valve Stenosis, Cardiogenic Shock, Hemolysis, Heart Transplant, and Heart Bypass Surgery. Dr. Tchantchaleishvili is currently accepting new patients.

Norihisa Shigemura, MD, PhD, specializes in cardiothoracic surgery. He practices at University of Pittsburgh Physicians, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery and is affiliated with UPMC Presbyterian, UPMC Shadyside, and UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital. Dr. Shigemura received his medical degree from Osaka University Medical School and completed residencies at Otemae General Hospital, Osaka General Medical Center, and Osaka Prefectural Medical Center. He then went on to complete fellowships at Takarazuka City Hospital, Osaka University Medical School, Prince of Wales Hospital, and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. Shigemura is highly rated in 4 conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Pulmonary Fibrosis, Emphysema, Subcutaneous Emphysema, Heart Bypass Surgery, and Heart Transplant.

Santosh Selvarajan is a Radiologist and a Thoracic Surgeon in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Selvarajan is highly rated in 3 conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Melanoma of the Eye, Gallbladder Disease, Visceromegaly, Diverticular Disease, and Splenectomy.

James Gaynor is a Thoracic Surgeon in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Gaynor is highly rated in 11 conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), Congenital Heart Disease (CHD), Interrupted Aortic Arch, DiGeorge Syndrome, and Heart Transplant.

Joseph Friedberg is a Thoracic Surgeon in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Friedberg is highly rated in 11 conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Mesothelioma, Lung Cancer, Pleural Effusion, Metastatic Pleural Tumor, and Advanced Bronchoscopy.

Doraid Jarrar is a Thoracic Surgeon in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Jarrar is highly rated in 9 conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Lung Nodules, Pleuropulmonary Blastoma, Squamous Cell Lung Carcinoma, Thymectomy, and Gastrostomy. Dr. Jarrar is currently accepting new patients.

Taine Pechet is a Thoracic Surgeon in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Pechet is highly rated in 8 conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Thymic Epithelial Tumor, Pleuropulmonary Blastoma, Lung Cancer, Thymectomy, and Gastrostomy. Dr. Pechet is currently accepting new patients.

Yoshiya Toyoda is a Thoracic Surgeon in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Toyoda is highly rated in 8 conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Pulmonary Fibrosis, Endocarditis, Mitral Valve Regurgitation, Heart Transplant, and Heart Bypass Surgery.

Marisa Cevasco is a Thoracic Surgeon in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Cevasco is highly rated in 6 conditions, according to our data. Her top areas of expertise are Cardiogenic Shock, Endocarditis, Infective Endocarditis, Heart Transplant, and Heart Bypass Surgery. Dr. Cevasco is currently accepting new patients.

Katsuhide Maeda is a Thoracic Surgeon in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Maeda is highly rated in 4 conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Congenital Heart Disease (CHD), Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), Congenital Coronary Artery Malformation, Patent Ductus Arteriosus, and Heart Transplant.

Jason Han is a Thoracic Surgeon in Camden, New Jersey. Dr. Han is highly rated in 3 conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Aortic Regurgitation, Tricuspid Regurgitation, Mitral Valve Regurgitation, Heart Transplant, and Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG).

Joseph Gorman is a Thoracic Surgeon in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Gorman is highly rated in 3 conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Mitral Valve Regurgitation, Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm, Bicuspid Aortic Valve, and Aortic Dissection.