About Dr. Joanna Chikwe,
Heart Valve Surgeon

Hello! My name is Dr. Joanna Chikwe and I am a cardiac surgeon having graduated from Oxford University in 1997. To date, I have performed approximately 2,000 cardiac surgeries, of which most involved heart valve procedures. I regularly perform surgery at Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai. Read more...

54 Patient Reviews for
Dr. Chikwe

"I am so delighted to have Dr. Joanna Chikwe as my cardiac surgeon. She is caring, compassionate, skillful and provided me with relevant information concerning my ops.

I found Dr Chikwe on HeartValveSurgery.com and was impressed by her. After researching more, I decided to fly from Maryland to LA for my surgery. My family and I felt so assured that I would be in good hands if Dr. Chikwe is my surgeon.

She is the best doctor I have ever encountered in my lifetime. What a blessing to have her repair my mitral valve and have my valve completely repaired."

-- Edwin Tan, Mitral Valve, Valve Repair, 02/06/2024

"Dr. Chikwe was very informative, compassionate and made me feel very confident that I would be in the best hands possible for robotically assisted mitral valve repair at Cedars-Sinai.

She answered all my questions, even those I didn't think to ask. I really appreciated her coming to see me every evening while I was in the hospital to check on me. It was a "beautiful valve repair" as she commented. Thank you Dr. Chikwe, Vivian Burkhart and the entire staff at Cedars-Sinai."

-- Fabian Graciano, Mitral Valve, Valve Repair, Robotic Surgery, 01/30/2024

> See 52 more patient testimonials

My Specialities &
Clinical Interests

My heart surgery specialties include:

  • Less invasive surgery, small incisions
  • Mitral valve repair
  • Coronary bypass grafting

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

  • Mitral valve surgery
  • Frailty
  • Coronary revascularization

Education, Training & Certificates

Dr. Joanna Chikwe, heart surgeon, graduated from Oxford University in 1997.

After medical school, Dr. Chikwe completed a cardiothoracic surgery residency and fellowship training in the United Kingdom, where she was appointed a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in 2006.

Upon moving to the United States, Dr. Chikwe began practicing cardiac surgery in the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, New York where she became a Professor of Cardiovascular Surgery.

In 2019, Dr. Chikwe was named the Founding Chair of Cardiac Surgery at Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California.

Dr. Chikwe has contributed to over 100 research publications. Her interests include structural heart disease, coronary revascularization, quality improvements and comparative surgical outcomes.

Schedule Appointment
with Dr. Joanna Chikwe, MD

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Chikwe, you can:

  • Call (866) 345-1289 right now
  • Request an appointment by clicking here.

The office of Dr. Chikwe is located at 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048. To get driving directions to this office, please click the map below.



> Click for driving directions to Dr. Chikwe’s office.

Watch Educational Videos with Dr. Joanna Chikwe

Learn about heart valve surgery from Dr. Chikwe in these videos:

  • Life Expectancy & Heart Valve Surgery: Patient Insights with Dr. Joanna Chikwe
  • Mitral Valve Surgery: Advances in Minimally-Invasive & Transcatheter Procedures with Dr. Chikwe
  • Go Red for Women: Heart Valve Surgery From a Woman's Perspective (with Dr. Joanna Chikwe)
  • Pregnancy & Heart Valve Disease: What Should Patients Know?
  • Robotic Mitral Valve Repair Surgery: What Should Patients Know?
  • Patient Expectations After Heart Valve Surgery
  • Top 5 Complications After Heart Valve Surgery with Dr. Joanna Chikwe
  • Research Alert: Early Surgery for Asymptomatic Aortic Stenosis Patients
  • Mitral Valve Awareness: How Is Mitral Valve Disease Treated?
  • > Watch More Videos

Page last updated: March 5, 2024


Dr. Joanna Chikwe
(866) 345-1289