Asad A Shah, MD

Asad Shah, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.A.C.S. is a board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon and Medical Director of Cardiac Surgery at Saddleback Medical Center. As a key leader in the MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute at Saddleback Medical Center, Dr. Shah specializes in a comprehensive range of cardiac surgical procedures. His clinical interests include robotic cardiac surgery, thoracic aortic disease, minimally invasive valve surgery, coronary artery bypass grafting, and transcatheter therapies, such as Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) and Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair (TEVAR).

Dr. Shah was born and raised in New York and earned his Doctor of Medicine from Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina, one of the top cardiac surgery training programs in the United States. While there, he received the esteemed Doris Duke Research Fellowship and spent a year at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, where he researched ischemic preconditioning – a method that allows muscles to survive when deprived of oxygen. Following this, he completed his surgical residency and cardiothoracic surgery fellowship at the Duke University School of Medicine, spending a dedicated year training in aortic surgery. During his training, Dr. Shah became certified in the da Vinci robotic surgical system.

Dr. Shah is one of the few surgeons in Southern California routinely using robotic technology to perform a wide range of heart surgery procedures. Using the robotic surgical system, Dr. Shah is able to repair and replace valves, perform heart bypass surgery and complete many other complex heart surgeries – all without having to break any bones or spread any ribs. This allows patients to return to their activities more quickly and with less pain.

Dr. Shah has performed in-depth research in cardiovascular surgery, including studying the genetics of thoracic aortic aneurysms and bicuspid aortic valve syndrome. He has authored more than 40 peer-reviewed publications and delivered more than 20 national presentations. Additionally, he has frequently been invited to speak at the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and has received several academic and research honors from distinguished organizations, such as the American Association of Thoracic Surgery and the Joint Council on Thoracic Surgical Education. He has been the Principal Investigator on multiple clinical trials related to cardiac surgery.

“What I love about cardiac surgery is the ability we have to help very sick patients live longer and with a better quality of life. We know and bond with our patients and their loved ones and welcome them into our family every time we begin taking care of them.”