Dr. Michael Cortelli is a cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon and chief of Memorial Cardiac and Vascular Institute. His areas of specialty include minimally invasive surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation, mitral valve surgery, and mechanical circulatory support.

Like many physicians, Dr. Cortelli was inspired to pursue a career in medicine after seeing what a family member experienced while he was a child. “My father had heart disease at a very young age, so in the back of my mind I was always interested in cardiac care,” said the fellowship-trained physician. “I love coming to the operating room, doing surgery, and taking care of patients. This is what I was meant to do.”

On his approach to patients, Dr. Cortelli says, “I’m going to take care of them like they’re one of my family members. If I recommend surgery or another treatment option, they should know it’s the same opinion I would give to my mother or father.”