Farzad Najam, MD
Associate Director of Cardiac Surgery

Contact
2175 K St, NW
Washington, DC 20037
202-775-8600

Farzad Najam, MD, serves as the associate director of cardiac surgery and assistant clinical professor of cardiac surgery at The George Washington University Hospital. He is board certified in both thoracic surgery and general surgery. He specializes in cardiac surgery and has expertise in minimally invasive approaches for mitral valve repair surgery, robotic-assisted cardiac surgery and surgery for atrial fibrillation, valvular heart disease, thoracic aortic diseases and heart failure.

Dr. Najam earned his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degrees in 1991 from King Edward Medical College in Pakistan. He attended the Brooklyn Hospital Center/New York University where he was an intern and a second-year resident in surgery. He completed a residency in surgery at Morristown Memorial Hospital in New Jersey, where he served as a senior resident in general surgery, later becoming chief resident. He served as chief resident of cardiothoracic surgery at The George Washington University Medical Center and was later named chief resident at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation’s Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. In addition, he participated in fellowships in cardiovascular surgery at the Children’s National Medical Center and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Washington, DC. From 2002-04, Dr. Najam practiced as a clinical associate in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

Dr. Najam received the Ames L. Filippone Jr., MD Chairman’s Award in Surgery from Morristown Memorial Hospital. He was featured in the 2003-04 edition of the National Register’s Who’s Who in Executives and Professionals. He received the Service Excellence Award from The George Washington University Hospital and also received the Abid Hussain Gold Medal for “Best Candidate in Higher School Certificate Examinations.”

Dr. Najam has conducted numerous presentations, covering topics including coronary bypass grafting, thoracic trauma and cardiac tumors. He is currently working on a developmental project concerning minimally invasive surgical approaches to radio frequency ablation for atrial fibrillation. Additional projects include contributing to the Textbook of Robotic Surgery and working on the Washington Institute House Staff Manual of Cardiothoracic Surgery. His professional memberships include the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and the Cardiothoracic Surgery Network. He previously served as diplomat of both the American Board of Thoracic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery. He is involved with the Thoracic Surgery Residents Association, Candidate Group of the American College of Surgeons and the Society for Critical Medical Care.

Watch Dr. Najam discuss robotic surgery to treat cardiac disorders

Pakistani American physician Farzad Najam works nonstop to treat the injured. Operation HeartBeat volunteers set up a primitive triage center on a soccer field in the small town of Garhi Dopatta, Kashmir.

When the October 2005 earthquake devastated Pakistani Kashmir, Dr. Farzad Najam knew he had to do something. Dr. Najam’s Operation HeartBeat is a nonprofit organization which provides medical relief and assistance to people around the world who do not otherwise have access to healthcare.

Dr. Najam led a team of 25 physicians and nurses to Garhi Dopatta, Kashmir to aid earthquake victims. During the team’s 19-day visit, the field hospital saw more than 10,000 patients and performed more than 600 surgeries.

Operation HeartBeat’s work has just begun. Dr. Najam met with the Prime Minister of Pakistan and proposed sponsoring Garhi Dopatta as a town. The first phase of this project will include a 50-bed hospital and elementary school. Dr. Najam’s long-term goal is to establish a 350-bed, state-of-the-art hospital.

www.operationheartbeat.org