Dr Kofidis Theodoros

(Adj) Prof Theodoros Kofidis is a cardiothoracic surgeon at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Singapore.

His clinical expertise encompasses a wide range of traditional and less invasive, small-incision and keyhole access surgical procedures for bypass and heart valve surgery, including less invasive and hybrid heart surgery, heart failure surgery and off-pump procedures.

(Adj) Prof Kofidis was formerly the head of the department of cardiac, thoracic and vascular surgery, and senior consultant cardiothoracic surgeon, at the National University Heart Centre, Singapore (NUHCS).

He has trained in several institutions such as the Strong Memorial Hospital, USA; Texas Heart Institute, USA; Hannover Medical School, Germany; and Stanford University Medical School, USA.

He has more than 17 years of experience in Europe and Singapore as a cardiothoracic surgeon. (Adj) Prof Kofidis has established a comprehensive and advanced minimally invasive and endoscopic heart surgery programme in the region and set up an advanced haemodynamic research laboratory and cardiovascular surgical research group in Singapore. He is a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, UK, an elected member of the American Association of Thoracic Surgery, and an ambassador/steering committee of the World Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery.

(Adj) Prof Kofidis is the chairman of the Initiative for Research and Innovation in Surgery and has introduced numerous new technologies in his field of practice regionally.

He has launched new types of less invasive surgery that include the first same-stop-hybrid bypass procedure, sutureless heart valves, automated knot-tying devices, and the first 3D-guided minimally invasive surgery. He also invented NUHCS’ own minimally invasive procedure called SIMICS (single incision minimally invasive cardiac surgery).

He has made contributions to heart-related research; and his innovations, discoveries and medical patents in heart surgery have earned him many awards including the NHIC/SMART/SPRING I-2-Start Grant and the NRF/CGF grant. (Adj) Prof Kofidis was also awarded the NUS-TAP Fund for a novel, suspended retractor and endoscopic camera system for minimally invasive surgery.

As an academic teacher, proctor and consultant in the field-related industry, (Adj) Prof Kofidis is often invited to train doctors and nurses in minimally invasive heart surgeries, and conduct cardiac surgical workshops around the world. He is a professor with the department of surgery at Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.

He also founded the Initiative to Promote Research and Innovative Technology in Surgery, which has helped more than 150 students and postgraduates kick-start their academic career in this field. He is also an editor and reviewer for various scientific bodies, and he has published in more than 150 articles in international journals including Nature, Circulation, New England Journal of Medicine, Biomaterials and the European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery.

He has received various international awards and was an invited lecturer at the Bill Gates Research Centre, the American Medical Association, the National Institutes of Health, and Food and Drug Administration in the USA.