Nirav Chandrakant Patel, MD

"The robot is one of my most trusted allies. It's a tool that is an extension of me."Dr. Nirav Patel is the director of Robotic Cardiac Surgery for Northwell Health and the vice chairman of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital. Having performed thousands of procedures, Dr. Patel has mastered the relationship between a human, a robot and a heart. And in doing so, he has changed and greatly improved many lives.The first physician in his family, Dr. Patel received his medical degree from Baroda Medical College in India. His medical training would then span three countries, giving him a unique perspective of global best practices in cardiac surgery. He continues to have a keen eye on global medicine; he has given talks in 20 different countries and has helped launch more than a dozen cardiac robotic practices all over the world.In 2009, Dr. Patel completed the first closed chest, double bypass operation conducted while the patient's heart was still beating. This surgery was performed with the assistance of the da Vinci surgical system a sophisticated surgical robot. Though even with this most advanced technology, Dr. Patel insists there's always a need for the human touch. His standard of practice is to provide every one of his patients with compassionate, personalized attention.Dr. Patel's dedication and expertise have helped place Lenox Hill Hospital among the top hospitals in the country for robotic cardiac surgery. He performs about 130 minimally invasive bypass operations a year, a number that continues to rise, as his team is always researching the best possible surgical solutions. The most common robotic operations Dr. Patel performs are single vessel bypass surgery and mitral valve repair."We are pioneers in minimally invasive heart surgery because we combine this sophisticated robot with our talented surgeons who are unmatched in the medical field," Dr. Patel says. He adds that not all of his surgeries are minimally invasive. "We use this operation procedure only when it will make a positive difference for the patient and when it is purely beneficial to their individual needs and recovery."Dr. Patel asserts that ultimately, a surgeon's judgment is crucial to achieving the best possible surgical outcome. "I ensure that we fit the right patient with the right tool with the right procedure and that comes from decades of experience and expertise."