About

About Dr. Vincenzo Giordano

Dr. Vincenzo Giordano is a Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon with a special interest in aortic surgery at the NHS Lothian Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh in Scotland. He has been the Cardiothoracic Lead of the National Service of Complex Aortic Surgery in Scotland since 2018, with unparalleled expertise in the medical and surgical management of aortic conditions.

Dr. Giordano’s Career As a Cardiothoracic Surgeon

Dr. Giordano began his professional career in 2011 after moving to UK, at the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, where he was actively involved in various complex adult cardiothoracic surgical procedures. While there, Dr. Giordano also had the opportunity to enhance his skills in assessing and managing critically ill patients and obtained an FCCS (Fundamental Critical Care Support Course) certification.

In 2012, he accepted a position as a Specialty Doctor in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. For three years, he regularly operated, developing expertise in decision-making during elective and emergency procedures and managing critically ill patients. He also routinely and actively attended briefings regarding mortality and morbidity and regular multi-disciplinary and cardiothoracic meetings. Additionally, Dr. Giordano developed his mentoring and training skills and furthered his interest in research in cardiac and aortic surgery.

Dr. Giordano’s Position as Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon

Since October 2015, Dr. Giordano, as Locum Consultant in Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Royal The Infirmary, has been operating independently, performing a wide range of cardiac procedures, including minimally invasive surgeries (such as keyhole/minimally invasive valve surgery). In 2017, he got a substantive Cardiothoracic consultant post, and since then, he has performed more than 1900 cardiac and aortic cases, averaging more than 200 cases per year. His procedures have included total arterial myocardial revascularization, off-pump surgical revascularization, ECMO implantation, atrial fibrillation surgery, mitral valve repair surgery, thoracic aortic aneurysm repair (including acute and chronic aortic syndrome), valve sparing root surgery and aortic valve surgery and repair.

He is part of the Scottish National Thoraco-Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm and Complex Aortic Service. The aim and purpose of the Service are to provide comprehensive and effective care for patients in Scotland requiring assessment and treatment for the disease of the aortic arch, thoracic, thoracoabdominal, or supra-renal abdominal aorta, and other complex aortic conditions.

In 2020, Dr. Vincenzo Giordano developed the port-access approach through a mini right anterior thoracotomy for aortic valve replacement. The Royal Infirmary is the only center using this approach in Scotland.

Since October 2012, he has also actively been involved in the national TAVI (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation) program experience. Dr. Giordano operates and creates the surgical access for TAVI (transaortic mini sternotomy, transapical, trans-subclavian) and is the lead of the Quality Improvement Program for the Cardiothoracic Department, regularly participating in auditing, renewing, and creating new protocols, and organizing monthly departmental meetings.

Additional Professional Milestones and Accomplishments

In 2018, following completion of eight months fellowship in Aortic surgery in Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, Dr. Giordano developed and established in Scotland the surgical technique of FET (Frozen Elephant Trunk) for the treatment of thoracic aortic disease, including the arch and supraortic vessels. He has implanted more than 70 FETs, helping to position the Royal Infirmary as one of the most important centers throughout the United Kingdom for complex aortic surgery.

His clinical research and publications include contributions to improving aortic surgery outcomes, developing innovative surgical techniques, and investigating new treatment options for aortic diseases. He has also collaborated as a reviewer with high-profile medical journals, such as the Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery. Dr. Giordano also shares his expertise in training the next generation of surgeons via workshops and conferences. He guides them in technical skills and clinical decision-making in aortic surgery. His future proctorship with Terumo Aortic is set to begin in April 2025. Terumo is a global medical device company dedicated to developing solutions for aortic and peripheral vascular disease.

He works closely with vascular surgeons, cardiologists, radiologists, and anesthetists to ensure the most comprehensive approach to aortic disease management.

Professional Affiliations

Dr. Giordano is a member of various professional societies, including the European Association for Cardiothoracic Surgery, the SICCH Italian Society of Cardiac Surgery, the Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery in Great Britain & Ireland, Ordine dei Medici Chirurghi di Bergamo (Italian GMC), the Netherlands’s GMC (Big Register of Netherlands) and the GMC (Full Registration and Specialist Registration).

Giordano’s Education and Journey into Cardiac Surgery

Dr. Giordano received his degree in Medicine and Surgery in 2005 from the University School of Medicine of Brescia in Italy. He was board-certified by the Italian Board of Examiners the same year. His five-year residency and training was in Cardiac Surgery at the University of Milano Bicocca.

He began in Cardiac Surgery with a voluntary student internship during his last two years at the University School of Medicine in Brescia. In his last year, Dr. Giordano attended the Department of Cardiac Surgery of Bergamo (“Ospedali Riuniti”), where he worked on his medical thesis: “Aortic Valve Replacement with Stentless Freestyle Bioprosthesis: Outcome and Mid-term Follow-up.”

His five years at the University of Milano Bicocca as a resident trainee in cardiac surgery included an exchange program at a European Cardiothoracic Center. During his fourth year of residency, Dr. Giordano completed a six-month clinical research fellowship at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, in the Department of Cardiac Surgery. He was exposed to and actively involved in a variety of complex cardiac surgical procedures, ranging from implantation of ventricular assist devices, heart and lung transplantation, complex congenital cardiac surgical procedures, and valvular and aortic root operations. He developed a workable knowledge of surgical techniques employed during ventricular assist device implantation and perioperative management of ICU patients.

Dr. Giordano’s second fellowship experience was at the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Medisch Spectrum Twente, in the Netherlands. His experience at the large European Cardiothoracic Centre was the impetus behind Dr. Giordano pursuing a career in Cardiac Surgery and honing his surgical skills. He pursued intensive surgical training, gaining experience in all basic cardiothoracic surgical procedures with a special interest in minimally invasive approaches. In the last six months of this fellowship in the Netherlands, he performed 25 cases as the first operator under the supervision of a senior consultant.

After graduating, he continued his professional surgical training in a wide range of adult cardiothoracic procedures in the Cardiothoracic Department of Medisch Spectrum Twente.

Dr. Giordano’s Early Life

Born in 1980 in the small city of Bergamo, near Milan, Italy, Dr. Vincenzo Giordano was a hard-working student with many interests, including classical studies, which he still loves. He was competitive, enjoyed playing soccer (football), and reached a professional level at a young age.

His upbringing and parents’ influence, particularly his father, who was a cardiac surgeon, were instrumental in shaping his passion for medicine and drive for success. Growing up with a strong work ethic inspired his determination and desire to excel in personal and professional pursuits. To this day, Dr. Giordano speaks with his father to discuss his methods or ask his dad’s opinion on challenging cases. Dr. Giordano is fluent in English, Spanish, and Italian.