About Dr. Ismail El-Hamamsy,
Heart Valve Surgeon

Hello! My name is Dr. Ismail El-Hamamsy and I am a cardiac surgeon having graduated from Universite de Montreal in 2000. To date, I have performed approximately 2,500 cardiac surgeries, of which 1,800 involved heart valve procedures. I regularly perform surgery at The Mount Sinai Hospital. Read more...

Video About Dr. Ismail El-Hamamsy

68 Patient Reviews for
Dr. El-Hamamsy

"Recently, I had to correct a congenital heart issue that I've been facing since birth, but was only diagnosed in 2007.

A bi-cuspid aortic valve reduces the efficient flow of blood through the heart, in some cases dialating the left ventricle. Back in December, I had an MRI that confirmed my case required surgical intervention.

Here I am, two weeks post-op, thankful for Ismail El-Hamamsy and the team at The Mount Sinai Hospital and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai for a very successful Open Heart surgery.

Dr El-Hamamsy and team is absolutely the place for any aortic valve operation. Dr El-Hamamsy deliberately walked me through all my options and backed each one with data and evidence. He is also the best person to talk with; empathetic, nice, and caring, Dr El-Hamamsy is the complete package. Ultimately we set up a prioritized order for operation type (correction, Ross, bioprosthetic) and I went in with the confidence that he will do his best to accomplish the least invasive that would give me long term outcomes. Not many surgeons can offer all these choices.

During my procedure and stay, Dr. El-Hamamsy was assisted by his team, who included Dr. Chen, Dr. Williams, Dr. Vincent, and Dr. Sun. All of which cared about my recovery and brightened up my day. They are some of the most capable surgeons that I really wouldn’t mind going on a ski trip with; nice, kind, and intelligent.

The last person on the team Is the program coordinator, Leemor. Without Leemor the keys to the aortic valve kingdom would not exist. She is kind, patient, and really worked to ensure I could see the team (huge insurance fiasco). Her care for patients is above and beyond anyone you’d see in the world, especially for Heart Surgery.

Overall, a very positive experience, looking forward to seeing imaging that returns me to unrestricted function."

-- Dylan Neidorff, Aortic Valve, Valve-Sparing Aortic Root Replacement, Valve Repair, Median Sternotomy, 02/24/2025

"I was born with a congenital unicuspid aortic valve which has been followed closely since I was two years old. I never experienced any symptoms I was aware of and was basically able to ignore it until about a year ago when my cardiologist discovered that some of my numbers (gradient, blood pressure response to exercise, etc.) were trending in an upward direction and recommended that I pursue surgical replacement in the short term. Additionally my ascending aorta was dilated to the point that it would also need to be replaced simultaneously.

My cardiologist recommended a Ross procedure to me which I was unfamiliar with at the time but has the benefit of not requiring lifelong anticoagulation (as with a mechanical valve) and tends to last longer than biologic valve replacement. I met with a different surgeon who is also experienced in this area and was getting set to undergo the surgery when my research led me to Dr. El-Hamamsy. I quickly learned that he has performed hundreds (I believe approaching 1000 at this point) of Ross procedures, far ahead of any other surgeon I was aware of in the United States.

Tentatively, I reached out to his office to see if there was any chance of a consultation, fully expecting to be told either no or that I would need to wait 6-12 months for him to have an opening. To my surprise I quickly received a reply via phone from Leemor Selitto, a true angel on earth, who heard me out and said she would do her best to get a consultation with him.

Given his busy schedule the only time we could meet was via Zoom on the morning of Thanksgiving. Already this gave me a great sense of trust as any physician willing to work extra on a holiday must truly be a compassionate and dedicated professional. Our meeting went great and within just a few minutes I knew that I wanted him to be my surgeon. He is calm, kind, reassuring, and interested, with a quiet confidence that encourages trust.

I needed the surgery relatively quickly as my wife was 6 months pregnant at the time and I wanted to be recovered by the time my son arrived. The whole team took this very seriously and made great efforts to fit me in. I was eventually scheduled for January 2, 2025, just 6 weeks before my son's due date. I traveled from my home state of Kansas for the procedure and met with the team in person. Dr. El-Hamamsy promised me I would be alive, healthy, and strong enough to hold my son when the time came. I trusted this unquestioningly and can say without reservation that he and his team fully and completely delivered.

I truly owe Dr. El-Hamamsy my life and wouldn't be where I am today without him and his wonderful team including Dr. Lilyanne Chen, Roberto Galao-Malo, and Leemor Selitto, as well as others I'm sure I'm forgetting. I am a physician myself and have never been around a team more cohesive, dedicated, and caring than this. As I said, I immediately felt at home with them and knew I would be well taken care of. 5 months out I can say that I am feeling better than ever and, most importantly, am the proud father of a healthy boy who I can interact with in all the ways I'd ever hoped, without limitations or fear. I would fully recommend Dr. El-Hamamsy and his team to anyone in the country, or perhaps in the world, considering a Ross procedure. They truly are the best of the best. As a team member said to me during my pre-op visit, "performing the Ross procedure for us is like tying our shoes." I don't know if the two can be compared, but I do know that I received world class care from Dr. El-Hamamsy and his team, and will never regret the decision I made to put my care in their hands."

-- Kurt Zacharias, Aortic Valve, Ross Procedure, 01/02/2025

> See 66 more patient testimonials

My Specialities &
Clinical Interests

My heart surgery specialties include:

  • Ross procedure
  • Valve-sparing aortic root replacement
  • Aortic valve repair

In addition, I have research and clinical interests specific to:

  • Aortic aneurysms and connective tissue disease
  • Long-term outcomes of aortic reconstructive surgery
  • Innovative aortic surgical approaches

Education, Training & Certificates

Dr. Ismail El-Hamamsy, heart surgeon, graduated from Universite de Montreal in 2000.

After medical school, Dr. El-Hamamsy completed an extensive Cardiac Surgery Residency at University de Montreal, within the Montreal Heart Institute, in 2006.

Then, Dr. El-Hamamsy completed a special doctorate program, The Living Aortic Valve, under the supervision of world-renowned heart surgeon, Sir Magdi Yacoub, at the Imperial College London in the United Kingdom.

Dr. El-Hamamsy is one of the leading Ross Procedure specialists as he recently completed his 400th Ross Procedure.

Schedule Appointment
with Dr. Ismail El-Hamamsy, MD

To schedule an appointment with Dr. El-Hamamsy, you can:

The office of Dr. El-Hamamsy is located at 1190 Fifth Avenue, New York City, NY 10029. To get driving directions to this office, please click the map below.



> Click for driving directions to Dr. El-Hamamsy’s office.

Watch Educational Videos with Dr. Ismail El-Hamamsy

Learn about heart valve surgery from Dr. El-Hamamsy in these videos:

  • Surgeon Q&A: 4 Must-Know Facts About The Ross Procedure
  • Research Alert: Ross Procedure Leads to Improved Survival Benefit for Aortic Valve Patients
  • Ross Procedure Advantages for Aortic Valve Replacement with Dr. Ismail El-Hamamsy & Dr. Paul Stelzer

Page last updated: June 2, 2025