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Local cardiovascular surgeon Neil Galindez, MD adds expertise in thoracic surgery to program. 
 
March 3, 2020 – HCA East Florida announces the appointment of cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Robert Farivar as Medical Director of Cardiovascular Surgery for Northwest Medical Center and Westside Regional Medical Center.  In this role, Dr. Farivar will lead the development of advanced structural heart and cardiac surgery programs offered at the facilities. Joining him in the program is Dr. Neil Galindez, a board-certified cardiovascular surgeon with special training in minimally invasive thoracic surgery. 
 
Dr. Farivar was the first surgeon in the United States to perform Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement (TMVR) at the Minneapolis Heart Institute.   He is also experienced in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR), a minimally invasive valve procedure launching this spring at Westside Regional Medical Center. Minimally invasive valve surgery provides a safer treatment option for patients who may not be candidates for traditional valve surgery. 
 
 
 
 
During the course of his career, Dr. Farivar has held leadership positions in cardiovascular surgery programs at Minneapolis Heart Institute, Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia and the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Most recently, he led the cardiovascular surgery program for HCA East Florida’s Miami-Dade hospitals.
 
Dr. Galindez brings expertise in the area of complex heart and lung surgery. In addition to performing the TAVR procedure, Dr. Galindez has experience with device implantation to treat heart failure and heart rhythm disorders. He completed his cardiothoracic surgery fellowship at the University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas before coming to South Florida to practice in 2014. 
 
“We are committed to raising the level of care provided through our established cardiovascular surgery programs at Northwest Medical Center and Westside Regional Medical Center,” stated Charles Gressle, President of HCA East Florida Division. “Adding minimally invasive options for heart and lung surgery will allow us to provide safer treatment options for more patients.” 
 
Westside Regional and Northwest Medical Centers offer comprehensive non-invasive, interventional, and surgical cardiovascular procedures including advanced cardiac catheterizations, treatment of atrial fibrillation and other comprehensive electrophysiology procedures, treatment of structural heart disease, and open heart valve and bypass surgeries. Full-service vascular and thoracic treatment options further complement the programs.
 
For more information about our cardiovascular programs, visit SouthFloridaHearts.com or call 954-724-6349. 
 
HCA East Florida, which consists of Northwest Medical Center and Westside Regional Medical Center, is the largest healthcare system in Eastern Florida and an affiliate of HCA Healthcare. HCA East Florida has 14 hospitals, multiple ambulatory surgery centers, physician practices, urgent care and free standing emergency care facilities, as well as a supply chain center and an integrated regional lab. Together, HCA East Florida employs more than 18,800 employees and has more than 6,900 physicians on staff. For more information, visit HCAEastFlorida.com.