Francesco Donatelli

Prof. Francesco Donatelli is head of the Department of Cardiac Surgery at the Ospedale Galeazzi – Sant’Ambrogio. He is also a full professor of cardiac surgery at the University of Milan.

Since 2011, he has also been head of the administration and Tutor of cardiosurgery at the Cardiothoracic Surgery Department - South Valley University - Sohag Faculty of Medicine in Egypt. Prof. Donatelli is also a Visiting Professor at the National Heart Institute in Cairo, Egypt.

His educational background began in 1980 with a degree in Medicine and Surgery at the University of Milan, and continued with cardiac surgery specialization at the University of Padova (1985). His areas of interest are heart failure surgery, prophylaxis and treatment of low cardiac output syndrome, cardioplegia, arterial myocardial revascularization, beating heart surgery in dilated cardiomyopathies, and cardiac implantation of modified stem cells.

In the course of his practice, Prof. Donatelli has performed over 2 630 surgeries as a First Operator for congenital and acquired cardiac diseases, with special reference to terminal heart failure surgery to which one must add over 1 000 surgeries during training of residents and specialists.

A 1988 Ministerial Decree grants Prof. Donatelli a permission for heart and heart-lung harvesting and transplantation, while in 1995 he was licensed to implant an advanced mechanical circulatory assist system on humans, with which he performs two definitive implants.   

His scientific studies result in more than 193 articles on topics of clinical and surgical therapy of acquired and congenital heart disease. He participated in more than 120 national and international congresses and is a member of expert associations such as the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, the Italian Society of Cardiology, and the Italian College of University Professors of Cardiac Surgery.