By Amanda Paz
Heart surgery has evolved. Incisions are smaller, recovery is faster, and in some cases, the heart never even has to stop beating. Leading this transformation is Dr. Eric S. Weiss, M.D., MPH, the new President of Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center. He now joins Dr. Steve Xydas, Chief of the Division, as Co-Director of Valve Surgery at the Barry B. Siadat Heart Institute.
Dr. Weiss brings more than two decades of clinical expertise, academic achievement, and leadership in advancing minimally invasive cardiac care. He joins Mount Sinai from Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center in Milwaukee, where he led the Structural Heart Program and Aortic Center to national recognition, earning a coveted three-star rating from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Over his career, he has performed more than 6,000 successful cardiac surgeries, from complex valve repairs to advanced aortic procedures.
His arrival is expected to further elevate Mount Sinai’s cardiovascular program, already one of the busiest in Florida. In 2024 alone, Mount Sinai surgeons performed more than 9,000 heart procedures—more than any other hospital in the region—according to the Agency for Health Care Administration.
“I’m passionate about not only delivering world-class outcomes, but also making sure patients feel heard, understood, and supported throughout their care,” says Dr. Weiss. “That means continuing to bring the most advanced surgical options here, so patients don’t have to leave South Florida to get the best treatment.”
Dr. Weiss is known for refining minimally invasive mitral and aortic valve surgery, aortic dissection repair, and hybrid surgical-catheter techniques—innovations that reduce operative time, accelerate recovery, and improve long-term results. His training includes a medical degree and Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, a general surgery residency at Johns Hopkins, and advanced cardiothoracic fellowships at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia and the University of Pennsylvania.
Q&A with Dr. Eric Weiss
Q: What drew you to Mount Sinai?
Dr. Weiss: It’s rare to find a hospital with both an outstanding reputation and a culture that supports innovation. Here, everyone—from leadership to all levels of care providers—shares the same goal: improving patient outcomes every single day.
Q: What excites you most about cardiac surgery today?
Dr. Weiss: We are at an interesting time in heart surgery, where technological advances are providing opportunities to move care forward in leaps rather than small increments. This allows us to tailor procedures to each patient, rather than the other way around, often with smaller incisions, less pain, and much faster recovery.
Q: How do you want to impact South Florida’s heart patients?
Dr. Weiss: I want people here to know they don’t need to travel to Cleveland or New York for world-class cardiac care—it’s right here in Miami Beach with the added bonus that it’s delivered in a way that personalized, compassionate and respecting of each patients unique needs.
