Dr. Paul Stelzer - Heart Surgeon

Hello! My name is Dr. Paul Stelzer and I am a heart surgeon having graduated from Columbia University in 1972. To date, I have performed approximately 5,000 cardiac surgeries, of which 3,000 involved heart valve procedures. I perform surgery at hospitals including The Mount Sinai Hospital.

"I was back in the gym on spin bike in 11 days and back at work in 15 days. I feel amazing. Dr. Paul Stelzer, MD is not only the top expert in his field, he is a great man in every sense of greatness."

"Dr. Stelzer is clearly a technical leader in his field. I would note that his bedside manner is also wonderful. Dr. Stelzer performed a Ross Procedure on me with excellent results 4.5 weeks post op. He also cleaned-up/repaired my Mitral Valve during the same procedure. This is a clear testament to his skill and comfort level with this procedure. I traveled from Dallas, TX for the procedure and would travel around the world to do the same again if I had to. Thank you Dr. Stelzer. "

"Dr. Stelzer did an amazing job, and also proved to be an exceptional person as well. My experience could not have been any better. I owe him my life."

"Dr. Stelzer was perfect in all aspects. The surgery was completely successful and the way he explained everything and took care of me and my family was touching."

"Dr. Stelzer lights up every room he walks into. The nurses love him and his heart patients adore him. His bedside manner is truly amazing because he deeply cares for you and shows it easily with his sweet nature. I went to NYC for an excellent Ross surgeon -- I had no idea my family would fall in love with this guy! Talk about bonus! I had some fairly serious complications and he saved me; I feel God sent me to Dr. Stelzer because Houston isn't short of world class heart surgeons. Next month will be 1 year and I couldn't feel better. Dr. Stelzer is simply THE best."

"Wonderful bedside manner, very caring, was always there for you, before surgery and after. I am very thrilled with the outcome. It was my 3rd open heart valve surgery and Dr. Paul Stelzer did two of them."

"Dr. Paul Stelzer is an amazing person and even better Surgeon. I can't even find words to describe him! It has been 7 months and I feel great, everything is well so far. Thank you Dr. Paul Stelzer."

"Dr. Stelzer is the most caring medical professional I've ever met. The cardiac/thoracic aspect was painless even though it involved seven CABGs. Thanks to Dr. Paul Stelzer, the surgery eliminated all breathing difficulties. I now have the vital signs of an 18 year old. There has been an eight-month complication in my foot (which was not my surgeon's fault). It could have required toe amputations but did not because of excellent angioplasty in the leg and superb nursing care -- especially from my wife who is not a nurse."

"Dr. Stelzer was excellent."

"I can't imagine a better surgeon or a better person than Dr. Paul Stelzer."

"Dr. Stelzer was a terrific surgeon and provided great bedside manner and communication to myself as well as my family."

"I have nothing but good things to say about Dr. Paul Stelzer. He is highly regarded professionally and goes out of his way to be empathetic and supportive with patients. (If anything, he tries a bit too hard.) My operation was a complete success."

"Dr. Paul Stelzer is the most caring, compassionate and skillful heart surgeon in the world! I was most fortunate to have him as my surgeon and I can not thank him enough. God has truly blessed Dr. Stelzer and I deeply appreciate his dedication to all his patients."

"I couldn't have been happier with Dr. Paul Stelzer as my surgeon. From the first phone call with him, I knew he was the surgeon for me. His surgical skills were matched by his bedside manner. I am very pleased with the results and how fast I recovered and was back running....literally, just over a month. "

"My experience with Dr. Paul Stelzer was excellent. He correctly identified a mismatch issue with my earlier stented porcine replacement valve(done by another surgeon)that had until then eluded effective diagnosis. He replaced the previous vale and my aortic root with a complete homograft valve and root. All prior mismatch issues were eliminated. His skill, bedside manner, general availability and communication were excellent. "

"I traveled to New York for aortic root repair and valve replacement with Dr. Stelzer on the recommendation of my cardiologist. He explained the procedure prior to the surgery, tried to repair my valve and then replaced it when the repair would not hold, and managed my care after surgery when I had complications that forced me to stay for nearly 3 weeks following it. He was always patient and took the time to explain the effects of the treatments and made sure I was responding as expected. He also helped us deal with the insurance company and a rehabilitation hospital so I could be transferred to an appropriate facility close to my home "

"MY EXPERIENCE WITH DR. PAUL STELZER WAS EXCELLENT. VERY NICE PERSON. VERY HAPPY WITH RESULTS."

"Dr. Paul Stelzer can't be beat. He is the most kind human being and so talented. His bedside manner is unbelievable. He goes over and above to make sure you are calm and reassured. He was there before I was put to sleep, when I woke up, and came to see me many, many times while in the hospital. "

"Excellent experience, very dedicated and passionate about the Ross Procedure in older patients. Dr. Paul Stelzer has great bedside manner and very happy with results."

"Dr. Paul Stelzer is very informative and patient. As good an experience as one can imagine given the circumstances."

"Dr. Paul Stelzer is extremely professional, caring and dedicated heart surgeon. He performed my open heart surgery with the replacement of 2 mechanical heart valves. I will have Dr. Stelzer in my heart forever. Time flies but I will never forget Dr. Paul Stelzer. I'm Ok after so many years!!!"

My cardiac specialties include:

• Ross Procedure
• Aortic Root Surgery including Stentless Porcine and Homograft Replacement
• Aortic Valve Sparing Root Surgery

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

• Clinical Results of Ross Procedure
• Investigator for Stentless Porcine Valves
• Diastolic Dysfunction and Aortic Disease

"I believe my greatest strength as a heart surgeon is extensive technical expertise, which leads to excellent results, combined with a humanistic patient-centered approach to medicine are what set me apart in the field of aortic root surgery.

A 1972 Columbia P&S graduate, I completed general surgery training at Roosevelt Hospital and then Cardiothoracic surgery at New York Hospital/Cornell in 1981 where I was on the faculty until 1985. I then spent four years at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center on the surgery faculty before returning to New York's Lenox Hill Hospital where I was in practice until 1996. Beginning in 1996, I served as a senior cardiac surgeon at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York until joining The Mount Sinai Medical Center in April, 2007.

Valvular heart disease has been my primary interest with particular emphasis on the aortic valve and aortic root. My experience with the Ross Procedure now exceeds 25 years with well over 500 cases which ranks as one of the largest and longest in the world.

With my extensive series of Ross Procedures and extensive additional experience using aortic homografts and stentless porcine valves, I have done over 1,000 aortic root replacements with biological devices. I have lectured extensively on these subjects around the country and in Europe where he has served as visiting surgeon on multiple occasions."

Dr. Paul Stelzer, heart surgeon, graduated from Columbia University in 1972.

I have relationships with several insurance providers including:

• Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield
• Aetna
• United Healthcare

The office of Dr. Paul Stelzer is located at:

The Mount Sinai Hospital
1190 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10029
(866) 322-1668

A map of our clinic is provided below.