Salim Aziz MD is a leading cardiovascular surgeon and a Clinical Professor in Surgery at George Washington University. He also operates a large private practice in the DC area. In addition to his clinical activities in complex adult cardiovascular surgery, he has extensive expertise in the surgical management of patients with cardiac and pulmonary failure and pulmonary hypertension and has published in these areas.
Dr. Aziz completed his surgical training at Stanford University and his thoracic fellowship at the University of Minnesota (SW Jamieson MD) after getting his medical degree from St Mary’s Hospital Medical School, University of London. He gained early transplant experience with Sir Roy Calne at Cambridge and did a cardiopulmonary research fellowship with Drs. Bruce Reitz and N.E Shumway at Stanford University. This work played an important role in the introduction of cyclosporine to cardiac and cardiopulmonary transplantation, the development of pulmonary preservation techniques, and a better understanding of transplant atherosclerosis. Together with professors M. Allen and E Verrier he expanded the scope of the cardiac transplant and cardiac assist device programs at the University of Washington in Seattle, where he was a tenured Associate Professor of CV Surgery.
Dr. Aziz was also an invited reviewer for the FDA, Division of Cardiovascular Respiratory & Neurological Devices Panel (1993-2004) for many of the seminal developments in cardiac assist devices, and interventional cardiology. He has also consulted with companies to improve cardiac assist devices and train overseas surgeons in using new devices (TMR, atrial fibrillation, LVAD implantation).
He has also collaborated extensively with the Saudi Critical Care Society to expand the use of ECMO for patients with cardiac and pulmonary failure. Dr. Aziz has also worked closely with colleagues in the management of complex cases at King Faisal Hospital in Riyadh, King Fahad Hospital in Jeddah, Prince Sultan Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi German Hospital, and King Faisal Hospital in Jeddah.
Dr. Aziz has operated, lectured, collaborated and visited many regions of the world. In Asia and the Middle East this has included Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. With colleagues in Singapore experimental work was done to evaluate allo- and xenograft myoblast transplantation. In Europe he has visited the UK, Germany, Greece, Turkey, Slovenia, Russia. In Africa he has taught and/or operated in Libya, Nigeria, Sudan, and South Africa.
In addition to his successful career in the US, Dr. Aziz has extensive experience internationally. He has particular interest in the delivery of advanced cardiovascular care in developing countries and he has consulted widely in this area. He is a firm believer in the public-private partnership model to reduce the inequities of health care disparity. He is particularly interested in working with local institutions/organizations to enhance development of cardiovascular and transplant programs and develop techniques/protocols to reduce the risk of higher risk surgery. Dr. Aziz He has collaborated with colleagues (US, UK) and the World Bank on how best to deliver advanced care internationally, quickly.