Dr. Nabil A. Munfakh, M.D.

Expert Publications

• The beneficial hemodynamic effects of selective patent vertical vein following repair of obstructed total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage in infants.
• Norepinephrine increases the economy of pressure development in isolated canine hearts.
• Fungal osteomyelitis masquerading as a chest wall tumor.
• A Reminder of Methylene Blue's Effectiveness in Treating Vasoplegic Syndrome after On-Pump Cardiac Surgery.

Media Releases

Get to know Cardiothoracic Surgeon Dr. Nabil A. Munfakh, who serves patients in St. Louis, Missouri.

Consistently recognized in The Best Doctors in America, Dr. Munfakh is an experienced cardiothoracic surgeon who is affiliated with Barnes-Jewish Hospital & Christian Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri.

The doctor’s areas of clinical interest include: adult cardiac surgery, heart surgery, coronary artery bypass surgery, arrhythmia surgery, treatment of acquired and congenital diseases of the heart, vascular disease, valvular reconstruction, intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography, myocardial infarction, pulmonary hypertension, emphysema, thoracic malignancies, lung volume reduction, lung surgery, and thoracic disease.

Licensed to practice medicine in Kentucky, Michigan, Louisiana, Missouri, and Illinois, Dr. Munfakh earned his medical degree from the University of Michigan Medical School in 1985. He then went on to complete his residency in general surgery at the University of Kentucky Hospital in 1988, followed by his research fellowship in cardiovascular surgery within the Department of Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital in 1989. A few years later, in 1993, he completed his fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery at the Medical College of Virginia.

A member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and the American College of Surgeons, he is board-certified in thoracic and cardiac surgery by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery, which is an American surgical organization devoted to surgery of the chest. 

Additionally, he is board-certified in general surgery by the American Board of Surgery, which is an independent, non-profit organization located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, founded for the purpose of certifying surgeons who have met a defined standard of education, training and knowledge. 

Alongside his clinical role, Dr. Munfakh serves as a Professor of Surgery within the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. It is a part of Washington University Physicians.

Cardiothoracic surgery is the field of medicine involved in the surgical treatment of organs inside the thorax. Cardiothoracic surgeons are medical doctors who specialize in surgical procedures inside the thorax, which may involve the heart, lungs, esophagus, and other organs in the chest. Alongside performing surgery, they also diagnose and treat diseases of these organs. 

An authority in his field, Dr. Munfakh is the recipient of several awards and honors, including Compassionate Doctor Recognition (2018), On-Time Doctor Award (2018), and Patients’ Choice Award (2016, 2017, 2018). 

In addition to English, he speaks Arabic.

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