Dr. Arnar Geirsson, MD, FACS, FAHA, Cardiothoracic Surgeon
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Dr. Arnar Geirsson, MD, FACS, FAHA

Cardiothoracic Surgeon

3/5(2)
333 Cedar St Boardman 204 New Haven CT, 06510
Rating

3/5

About

Dr. Arnar Geirsson is a cardiac surgeon practicing in New Haven, CT and Chief, Division of Cardiac Surgery at Yale-New Haven Hospital. Dr. Geirsson specializes in surgical procedures of the heart and major blood vessels. As a cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr. Geirsson typically treats conditions like heart disease, more specifically valve diseases such as mitral valve prolapse, aortic stenosis and aneurysm. He specializes in minimally invasive approaches such as mitral valve repair and robotic heart surgery

Education and Training

University Of Iceland, Faculty Of Medicine 1997

Board Certification

American Board of Thoracic Surgery

thoracic and cardiac surgery

Provider Details

MaleEnglish
Dr. Arnar Geirsson, MD, FACS, FAHA
Dr. Arnar Geirsson, MD, FACS, FAHA's Expert Contributions
  • What type of anesthesia is used for heart surgery?

    Open heart surgery requires general anesthesia. There are less invasive heart procedures such as catheterization, TAVR, coronary stent placement and pacemaker that are usually performed under light or moderate sedation. READ MORE

  • Can you fly after a heart transplant?

    Yes. After recovering from heart transplant there are no limitation on travel although one must keep in mind that after heart transplant patients are taking multiple different types of medication such as immunosuppression and require frequent followups with their cardiologist. Therefore patients with heart transplants should keep in mind to stay in relative proximity to modern health care when traveling. READ MORE

  • What is the most common complication after open heart surgery?

    The most common complication after open heart surgery is atrial fibrillation that can happen up to third of all patients undergoing open heart surgery. In most cases the atrial fibrillation is limited to few days or weeks and can be controlled with medications. READ MORE

  • Do I see a cardiothoracic surgeon for congestive heart failure?

    You should see a cardiologist that specializes in heart failure. A small portion of patients require referral to a cardiac surgeon for advanced therapy such as ventricular assist device or heart transplant. READ MORE

  • What are the disadvantages of a heart transplant?

    The primary disadvantage of heart transplant is the requirement to take immunosuppressive medication to prevent the body for rejecting the transplanted heart. This is associated with increased risk of various infections, cancers and renal dysfunction. The alternative for patients with advanced end-stage heart failure is early death, poor quality of life or requirement of ventricular assist devices, that although very beneficial for select patient population, has is unique problems. Hope this is helpful Regards Arnar READ MORE

Areas of expertise and specialization

Robotic heart surgeryMitral valve repairValve surgeryAortic valve repair

Faculty Titles & Positions

  • Chief of Cardiac Surgery Yale 2017 - 2018
  • Professor of Surgery Yale School of Medicine 2020 - Present

Professional Memberships

  • Fellow of the American College of Surgeons  
  • Fellow of the American Heart Association  
  • American Association for Thoracic Surgery, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the European Society of CardioVascular Surgery, and the Heart Valve Society  

Fellowships

  • Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania cardiothoracic surgery   2007

Internships

  • Landspitali University Hospital (1998); Yale-New Haven Hospital (1999)

Fellowships

  • Yale University School of Medicine (2002)

Professional Society Memberships

  • American Association for Thoracic Surgery, Society of Thoracic Surgeons, European Society of CardioVascular Surgery, Heart Valve Society

Dr. Arnar Geirsson, MD, FACS, FAHA's Practice location

Practice At 333 Cedar St Boardman 204

333 Cedar St Boardman 204 -
New Haven, CT 06510
Get Direction
New patients: 203-785-3496

Yale New Haven Hospital

800 Howard Ave -
New Haven, CT 06519
Get Direction
New patients: 203-785-5000
www.ynhh.org/physicians

Dr. Arnar Geirsson, MD, FACS, FAHA's reviews

(2)
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Patient Experience with Dr. Geirsson


3.0

Based on 2 reviews

Dr. Arnar Geirsson, MD, FACS, FAHA has a rating of 3 out of 5 stars based on the reviews from 2 patients. FindaTopDoc has aggregated the experiences from real patients to help give you more insights and information on how to choose the best Cardiothoracic Surgeon in your area. These reviews do not reflect a providers level of clinical care, but are a compilation of quality indicators such as bedside manner, wait time, staff friendliness, ease of appointment, and knowledge of conditions and treatments.

Media Releases

Get to know Cardiothoracic Surgeon Dr. Arnar Geirsson, who serves patients in New Haven, Connecticut. 

Dr. Geirsson is a well-respected cardiothoracic surgeon and a specialist in heart valve disease and thoracic aneurysm. He performs valve repairs on the mitral, tricuspid and aortic valves, as well as valve-sparing root operations. He has special interest in complex heart surgery such as multi-valve operation and re-operations in high-risk patients.

Professionally, he serves as Chief of the Division of Cardiac Surgery at Yale Medicine, as well as Surgeon-In-Chief of Cardiac Surgery & Surgical Director of Advanced Heart Failure, Heart Transplant and Mechanical Support at Yale New Haven Hospital. “At Yale Medicine, we are fortunate to have an outstanding team of surgeons, anesthesiologists, cardiologists, nurses and operating room staff, as well as the infrastructure that allows us to take on any type of challenging cases with outstanding results” expressed Dr. Geirsson.

An Associate Professor within the Department of Surgery at Yale School of Medicine, he believes one of the most important things a cardiac surgeon can do is to develop the kind of personal relationship that allows him to establish trust with the patient and patient’s family. 

“We understand the prospect of undergoing cardiac surgery is difficult, for the patient as well as for the family. Undergoing an open-heart operation is a life-changing event that can bring significant stress and anxiety. My care philosophy is to ensure I listen and respond to any complaints and concerns my patient may have” as stated by Dr. Geirsson. If a patient needs surgery, he explains the procedure in detail, and makes sure he or she understands what to expect prior to and during their hospital stay. He also explains what their recovery will involve—including the amount of pain, immobility, and restriction to expect. 

Whenever possible, Dr. Geirsson uses minimally-invasive surgical techniques, including right thoracotomy, small sternotomy, and percutaneous techniques. He also performs robotic coronary bypass operation, sometimes as part of a hybrid revascularization procedure. “At Yale Medicine, our focus on innovation and research allows us to use the most advanced technologies to provide patients with smaller incisions, shorter hospital stays and less postoperative discomfort, whenever possible” he stated.

Transplanting into his academic background, Dr. Geirsson graduated with his medical degree from the University of Iceland, Faculty of Medicine in 1997. A year later, he completed his internship at Landspitali University Hospital.

After moving to the United States, he went on to perform his residency in general surgery at Yale New Haven Hospital in 2005, followed by his fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in 2007.

From 2007 until 2013, he served as the Director of Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery at Yale. He performed the first valve-sparing root replacement at Yale in 2008; the first hybrid revascularization at the West Haven VA in 2008; the first right thoracotomy mitral valve repair at Yale in 2009; the first robotic heart operation at Yale in 2011; and the first robotic mitral valve surgery at the said facility in 2018. 

Earning local and regional respect for exemplary clinical outcomes, Dr. Geirsson 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. 

A Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS) and a Fellow of the American Heart Association (FAHA), he is a member of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the European Society of CardioVascular Surgery, and the Heart Valve Society. 

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 active clinical researcher involved in both clinical trials and outcome research, Dr. Geirsson is interested in finding even better ways to treat valve disease, thoracic aneurysm disease, and aortic dissection. He also conducts basic research to better understand how cardiac diseases develop, especially diseases that are related to aortic aneurysms and heart valves.  

He has published various research articles in both basic and clinical science, and also serves as an Editorial Reviewer for the Annals of Thoracic Surgery, the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery & the Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation and Circulation.

Recommended Articles

  • What Is an Arrhythmia?

    An arrhythmia is the violations of the frequency, rhythm, and sequence of heart contractions.Why do arrythmias occur?...

  • Congestive Heart Failure: What is Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery (CABG)?

    Congestive Heart Failure is the leading cause of emergency hospitalization among people aged over sixty. It is a condition where the heart is inefficient in pumping the required amount of blood to the other parts of the body. This inefficiency can sometimes be so severe that it can impair the...

  • Treatment for Congestive Heart Failure

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  • Atrial Fibrillation: What is a Catheter Ablation?

    Atrial fibrillation - also known as AF or a-fib - is a medical condition that affects the rhythm of the heart. Problems that affect the rhythm of the heart cause a condition known as arrhythmia. This condition often causes irregular blood flow. It is quite common, with more than 200,000 cases in the...

  • Atypical Forms of Myocardial Infarction

    Atypical myocardial infarction often occurs in older patients with a pronounced cardiosclerosis, circulatory failure, and often with people who have a history of heart attacks.The symptoms may confuse you, or make you think that they are not associated with the heart.Usually, atypical manifestations...

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