Dr. Marc Gillinov - Heart Surgeon

Hello! My name is Dr. Marc Gillinov and I am a heart surgeon having graduated from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 1988. To date, I have performed approximately 4,330 (average 361/year; through 2009 since at Cleveland Clinic) cardiac surgeries, of which 2,648 (average 221/year; through 2009 since at Cleveland Clinic) involved heart valve procedures. I perform surgery at hospitals including Cleveland Clinic.

"I am a neuro-psychologist and work in hospitals. First, the Cleveland Clinic is amazing. The Miller Center is on target and they take tests right away. The staff was well trained and always available. Dr. Marc Gillinov did the surgery and he is top notch. Like most surgeons, he is cerebral but highly skilled and one of the best in the United States. He visited us after surgery, emailed my wife, etc. Drs. Gillinov and Borek were very talented and caring. It make take a few months to schedule the surgery because Dr. Gillinov is very busy."

"Highly recommend. Dr. Gillinov took great care to explain the procedure in advance and to put me at ease. "

"I could not have been given better treatment than I received from Dr. Gillinov and his team. I found them to be kind, caring and willing to take the time to answer my every question and attend to my every need. Dr. Gillinov has a wonderful personality and was available when I had problems, questions or concerns. The entire hospital staff was incredibly efficient and gave me outstanding care. I had surgery via full sternotomy to repair my mitral valve and also by pass surgery at the same time. My surgery was on Thursday afternoon, by Friday I was in my regular room and walking the hall. I was released to my hotel on Tuesday and to return to West Virginia on Thursday. My pain was minimal and I have healed well. I am finishing up my cardiac rehab here at home and enjoying my new found health. I would recommend Dr. Gillinov and the Cleveland Clinic to anyone considering valve repair surgery."

"Dr. Marc Gillinov is an excellent surgeon and the cardiac care at the Cleveland Clinic is world class. He was very intelligent, caring and empathetic. During the pre-op consultation he answered all questions and shared experiences that showed his depth of knowledge and capabilities. I spent 10 days there with a difficult recovery from an aortic valve replacement of my bicuspid valve and a LIMA bypass. Being an Engineer, I enjoy digging into details and facts, I was very impressed with his new book Heart 411 and amount of information shared on heart health. I experienced nothing but excellent medical care while there and the results have been great. It has been 8 weeks since my surgery and I am already walking 3 miles a day. I am pain free and at age 52 looking forward to enjoying the 20+ years of life he has given me. I can't recommend Dr. Gillinov enough to anyone considering heart valve surgery."

"Dr. Gillinov did an amazing job overall. He is obviously very skilled at mitral valve procedures and prior to surgery answered any questions we had. He is an extremely busy and popular doctor so, we didn't have a chance to meet with him after surgery to experience his bedside manner. Regardless, my recovery was better than expected and there really was no need for follow up meetings. Eight months after surgery I am running 15 miles per week and feel as healthy as I ever have. I would highly recommend Dr. Gillinov as a surgeon to perform any valve repairs."

"Dr. Gillinov was very thorough and professional. His knowledge and expertise of my heart valve problem; plus, his surgical skills made for a successful outcome. I am doing great. Dr. Gillinov is an expert in the field of mitral valve repair. I would highly recommend Dr. Gillinov to anyone needing heart valve surgery."

"Dr. Gillinov is an outstanding surgeon. The Cleveland Clinic is an outstanding facility."

"First, I loved The Patient's Guide to Heart Valve Surgery by Adam Pick. I can still say this as an RN with 40 years of experience. It was in Adam's book I first read about Dr. Gillinov and the more I investigated, the more impressed I became. Since I was basically asymptomatic, I was comfortable getting on his waiting list. Most importantly, he was confident that I was a good candidate for a minimally invasive procedure... an option my local cardiologist and CT surgeon were completely against (only because they don't do min-invasive, I suspect). I had a wonderful interview with Dr. Gillinov who not only treated me as a patient, but as a colleague - which was greatly appreciated. My recovery was easy and my post-op interaction with him was minimally required. My outcome was essentially perfect and recovery uncomplicated. I would give Dr. Gillinov the highest possible recommendation - as well as the entire Miller Institute. The best medical-surgical decision I could have made!"

"After considerable research at HeartValveSurgery.com's Surgeon Finder and based on my cardiologist's recommendation, I decided to have my surgery performed by Dr. Marc Gillinov, MD.

My main reasons were:

Compared to other surgeons, Dr. Gillinov appeared to have the most experience with robotic and minimally invasive surgery. Dr. Gillinov seemed to specialize in mitral repair/replacement I was impressed that Robin Williams had chosen to have surgery performed by Dr. Gillinov.

Dr. Gillinov was mentioned in several places in Adam's book. The testimonials in the Surgeon Finder were all highly positive. When I met Dr. Gillinov, I was really impressed. He was open, honest and forthright. He explained the procedure in terms I could understand, showed me pictures from the echo of the extent of regurgitation.

I left my session with him reassured that I was in extremely good hands. I saw Dr. Gilinov just before the surgery in the OR and, once again, Dr. Gillinov exhibited a calm, confident manner which once again was very reassuring.

My surgery went off without a hitch in less than 2 hours. After 2 days in ICU and 2-3 days in step down care, I was released from the hospital and returned to Columbus. I saw Dr. Gillinov once again before I was released from the hospital.

I had some Atrial fibrillation after the surgery which resolved after a few weeks, which Dr. Gillnov predicted would happen. I have periodic episodes of atrial tachycardia which has been controlled by medication. I have a low ejection fraction of 30-35% which appears to be improving. During this period, I wanted to contact Dr. Gillinov about some of these complications and was wondering how to contact him. I finally decided to try to send him an email. I was really surprised and impressed when Dr. Gillinov responded to my email with a few hours and answered my questions.

In conclusion, I would strongly recommend Dr. Gillinov for anyone considering mitral valve surgery. I would also strongly recommend the Cleveland Clinic. The quality of care I received from the doctors and nurses at the Cleveland Clinic far exceeds anything I have experienced elsewhere."

"Dr. Gillinov is confident, genuine and compassionate in addition to being one of the best heart surgeons in the country. I honestly don't know how he could be any better!"

"After much research, my husband and I concluded that Dr. Marc Gillinov was the surgeon we wanted for my aortic valve replacement. We traveled from Wisconsin to Cleveland and met with Dr. Gillinov two days before the operation. We were extremely impressed with his warm, reassuring manner. He explained precisely what he was going to do, and gave my husband and me great confidence about the outcome of the procedure. The surgery went extremely well, and my recovery was remarkably quick. Two days after surgery I was sitting in the Cleveland Clinic's rooftop garden, eating ice cream and telephoning friends to give them the good news. I was discharged after just four days, and attribute that to Dr. Gillinov's skill as a surgeon and compassion as a caregiver. I can't recommend Dr. Gillinov and the Cleveland Clinic highly enough!"

"Perfect results. Didn't see him much. But, when I did, he was very attentive. He's got to be one of the best... if not the best."

"Although I did not have much interaction with Dr. Marc Gillinov, I felt confident in his abilities. He is in the forefront of new techniques and has developed some himself -- which I think helped me have a great outcome. "

"After much research, Dr. Gillinov was my choice to perform the mitral valve repair. After meeting with him, I felt extremely comfortable with his approach to my problem and he really seemed to be a down to earth person who was extremely confident in being able to repair my mitral valve. Bottom line, Dr. Gillinov is a fantastic surgeon but truly a special person."

"Dr. Gillinov is a down to earth person who is able to explain information in a comforting way. Although he is confident, hes comes across as a humble person. He and his staff at the Cleveland Clinic did a fantastic job. My hospital stay was four days. It was worth the trip from Texas."

"I highly recommend Dr Gillinov. He made regular visits and explained my surgery and recovery completely. Eight months after surgery, I went hiking with my son in the Rocky Mountains. Our longest hike was 10 miles at 10k feet."

"Dr. Gillinov was a wonderful surgeon who exceeded my expectations. Other surgeons gave me a 70%-90% chance of having my valve repaired instead of replaced. Dr. Gillinov gave me a 97% chance. He answered all of my questions and made me feel very confident and comfortable with having this surgery. I could not have asked for anyone better."

"Dr. Gillinov introduced himself by his first name, Marc. In my opinion, this told me that he was secure enough about his self and his skills. His bedside manner and results were great ."

"I really felt confident in Dr. Gillinov. He was very helpful explaining my procedure to us. I am still healing, but everyday I feel better."

"Dr. Marc Gillinov was extremely competent in handling my surgery. I was contacted by his office team in April and arrangements were made for my surgery following a three day consultation at the Cleveland Clinic. I met with the cardiologist upon arrival, had follow-up work ups including my heart catheterization, all of which validated my need for replacement surgery for my aortic valve and most likely repair of my mitral valve. This was all arranged following medical consultation with my cardiology team in St. Louis following my treatment for bacterial endocarditis in 2009. I was very pleased with the consult with Dr. Gillinov on Tuesday, and my subsequent surgery on Wednesday went very well. The team was well prepared, and thoroughly reviewed the procedures with family members who were kept informed throughout my surgery. The surgery was successful, and Dr. Gillinov was very personable in his bedside manner as well as in pre- and post-operative visits. His follow-up upon my return to St. Louis with my medical team was also excellent. I am grateful that I made the trip to Cleveland and feel blessed to have had Dr. Gillinov as my surgeon. His care was superb!"

"Dr. Gillinov was the best! I researched this very hard before I made this difficult decision. The Cleveland Clinic facility was top notch! I had surgery on Wednesday and was out on Saturday. I was back to work in less than 2 weeks."

"Very confident and efficient. Listened to my concerns and easily agreed on best approach. One of the absolute best!"

"Dr. Gillinov and his team at The Cleveland Clinic were outstanding. I selected Dr Gillinov as my surgeon three years ago. When my valve had finally deteriorated to the point of surgery I was ready to go. Dr Gillinov did a wonderful job in my surgery, answered all my questions and kept my family looped in. Cleveland Clinic and the staff are the best in the world, bar none. I was most fortunate to have been treated there, and would highly recommend my doctor and hospital to anyone having heart surgery."

"I AM VERY HAPPY WITH THE RESULTS,I NEVER FELT BETTER. DR. GILLINOV IS A VERY KNOWLEGEABLE AND INTELLIGENT SURGEON."

"It was the best of a bad experience. Dr. Gillinov and the Cleveland Clinic gave me the courage and confidence that I was in the best of care. And I was."

"I did not meet Dr. Gillinov until the day before the surgery as we traveled from Southwest Florida to Ohio. We knew at once that being in the Cleveland Clinic, with Dr Gillinov as my surgeon, was the only place I needed to be for a successful surgery. Doctor Gillinov was humble, upbeat and so positive. "

"Dr. Gillinov was an excellent surgeon. He fully answered all questions prior to surgery. He visited me once after initial recovery. My surgery was on Friday and I was discharged Tuesday morning. I've had no post-op problems. At Cleveland Clinic surgeons have a defined team for surgery and recovery. His entire team was excellent."

"Dr. Gillinov and his staff were very professional, caring and thorough. The staff at the Cleveland Clinic is outstanding. They make you feel like you are their only patient and that your health is the most important thing to them. Dr. Gillinov is a kind, brilliant, humble surgeon with excellent bedside manner. We (me, my husband, my in-laws, and my 2 small children) traveled from Florida for the surgery and I was home recovering 7 days after surgery. My scar is quickly becoming unnoticeable, and it's only been 5 months since my surgery. I will be forever grateful to Dr. Gillinov and the entire staff at the Clinic."

"My experience with Dr. Gillinov could not have been better. Before surgery, he spent nearly an hour providing us information and answering all our questions. Post-surgery, he visited with us in my room on three occasions. Dr. Gillinov is a kind and compassionate man."

"I have only the highest praise for Dr. Gillinov. He is a knowledgeable, highly skilled surgeon who also demonstrates a caring bedside manner. In my case, he and his team performed an aortic valve replacement and single bypass. I am very pleased with the result. I am healthy, active and feel great(even my scar is barely noticeable after 7 months). "

"Dr. Gillinov is an incredible guy. He is "Down to earth", very pragmatic and practical. Extremely proficient and skilled with complicated and difficult procedures."

"Dr. Gillinov represents for me, one of the worlds foremost, leading edge cardio-thoracic surgeons. He is a gifted, physician, who respects his patients, and his Hippocratic oath. He embodies the excellence in care, skill and judgement that I as a health care provider myself, respect enormously. I found Dr. Gillinov to be a humble, down to earth, helping person. I am forever indebted to him for giving me more life by virtue of his replacing my severely stenosed bicuspid aortic valve. I am doing well! Thank you Marc!"

"Comfortable to talk to and ask questions, performed minimally invasive surgery through 3" or so incision very discreet. I liked him very much and surgery has been a success. He recommended my cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic who is fantastic too. I would highly recommend Dr. Gillinov especially for small incision techniques."

"We met with Dr Gillinov before the surgery and he explained the procedure very thoroughly and answered all our questions to our satisfaction. He kept in constant contact with my husband during the entire surgery by way of text message on a neck-worn phone. I had two doctors, two physicians assistants, four nurses, and three aids taking care of me the eight days I was ICU and Step-Down care. Dr. Marc Gillinov and the Cleveland Clinic is a great place to go for heart surgery as far as I am concerned!"

"I was very happy with Dr. Gillinov before and after the surgery. He took time to explain things to me. I am as happy with the results as I can be. I was hoping for repair and less invasive method but neither could be done."

"A great experience considering the circumstances. This was my second mitral valve surgery in the past five years and thus more complex. Dr. Gillinov was upfront and patient with my many questions addressing some of them before they were asked. Care at the Cleveland Clinic was top shelf. Dr. Gillinov was supposed to see me prior to my discharge but was in surgery at the time and I regret not thanking him in person for what he did for me. Thank you Dr. Gillinov."

"Dr. Gillinov was great! He was a good listener and even looked at valve options that I was suggesting. Just be ready, he will tell you like it is. Which is an approach I like. Three years later and things are going well. The Cleveland Clinic was an added plus. The nurses are awesome on the heart floor!"

"Great doctor and my surgery was successful with great results."

"Great. Dr. Marc Gillinov is an outstanding surgeon who can perform wonders."

"TOP SHELF! Dr. Gillinov was thorough, informative and personable at all times--pre-counseling and post surgery. I read in the paper the other day that he performed the aortic valve replacement on the comedian, Robin Williams who no doubt had his pick of the litter. I highly recommend Dr. Gillinov."

My cardiac specialties include:

• minimally invasive mitral valve, aortic valve and tricuspid valve repair,
• robotic heart valve surgery, high risk mitral valve surgery, heart valve repair and replacement,
• surgical treatment and minimally invasive surgery for atrial fibrillation, coronary artery bypass surgery

Relative to heart valve surgery, I have the following clinical interests:

• Mitral Valve Repair
• Minimally Invasive Valve Repair
• Atrial Fibrillation

"I believe my greatest strength as a heart surgeon is several of my close family members have received cardiac care and heart surgery at Cleveland Clinic. Their outcomes were great. I approach each patient as if he or she were a family member. I want everybody to have the same outcome and excellent, empathy-filled experience as my own family"

Dr. Marc Gillinov, heart surgeon, graduated from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 1988.

I have relationships with several insurance providers including:

• We accept most health insurance
• For more information: http://my.clevelandclinic.org/patients/billing_legal/insurance/default.aspx

The office of Dr. Marc Gillinov is located at:

Cleveland Clinic
9500 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44195
(866) 306-4652

A map of our clinic is provided below.