Penn Medicine Provider
Cardiac Surgery
Nimesh D. Desai, MD, PhD
4.9
(685)
Accepting new patients
Sees patients age 18 and up
Penn Heart and Vascular Center
View 1 additional location
Make an appointmentCall 215-615-4949

About me

  • Director, Thoracic Aortic Surgery Research Program
  • Director, Penn Aorta Center
  • Associate Professor of Surgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

I direct the Penn Aorta Center, where we provide comprehensive care in a new way. Rather than just manage the challenge in front of us, we deliver a lifetime of support.

In my practice, I specialize in aortic valve procedures, including transcatheter and minimally invasive replacements and complex surgical repairs. I also perform valve-sparing aortic root replacements, aortic aneurysm repairs, and the Ross procedure. I’ve completed more than 4,000 heart procedures — 2,500 of them involving heart valves.

My research focuses on improving procedures for the aorta and aortic valve. I run clinical trials testing new therapies and technologies aimed at making treatment more effective and easier to undergo. And I lead aortic groups for the Society of Thoracic Surgeons overseeing data collection and monitoring surgical risk.

I became interested in heart surgery as a child. Years later, I completed a fellowship at Penn in aortic and endovascular surgery. It’s always satisfying to come up with a solution that restores quality of life when someone arrives with a complex challenge. For that to happen, I listen to each person’s needs and wishes and work with our team to find the best recommendation.

Education and training

  • Medical School: University of Western Ontario
  • Residency: University of Toronto Affiliated Hospitals
  • Fellowship: Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

What my patients think about me

Average Rating
4.9

687 reviews

Comments are submitted by patients and reflect their views and opinions. The comments are not endorsed by and do not necessarily reflect the views of Penn Medicine.

June 2025
5.0
5.0
love him
June 2025
5.0
5.0
very positive experience.
June 2025
5.0
5.0
very personable
May 2025
5.0
5.0
dr desai is the best dr. he is a brilliant surgeon.

Insurance accepted

My Locations

Penn Medicine hospital privileges

  • Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania: Has privileges to treat patients in the hospital.
  • Pennsylvania Hospital: Has privileges to treat patients in the hospital.
  • Penn Presbyterian Medical Center: Has privileges to treat patients in the hospital.
  • Chester County Hospital: Has privileges to treat patients in the hospital.
Dr. Desai is a Penn Medicine physician.

Qualifications and experience

Treatments and Conditions

My research

Mosbahi S, Desai ND Beyond zone 0 in acute DeBakey type I aortic dissection , Annals of Thoracic Surgery: 2025 (Epub)

Wang GJ, Desai ND, Bavaria JE, Kasner SE, Patel HJ, Dake MD Corrigendum to Characterization of Strokes following Gore Thoracic Branch Endografting Requiring Zone 2 Landing [Ann Vasc Surg 2025; 110(Pt A): 447-459] , Annals of Vascular Surgery, 114: 2025,182

Goel NJ, Kelly JJ, Patrick WL, Zhao Y, Bavaria JE, Ouzounian M, Estrera AL, Takayama H, Chen EP, Reece TB, Hughes GC, Roselli EE, Kim KM, Patel HJ, Bowdish ME, Sperling JS, Leshnower BG, Preventza O, Brinkman WT, Desai ND Malperfusion in patients with acute type A aortic dissection: A nationwide analysis , Annals of Thoracic Surgery, 119(5): 2025,980-989

Desai ND, Wang GJ, Brinkman W, Coselli J, Taylor B, Patel H, Dake M, Fleischman F, Panneton J, Matsumura J, Sweet M, DeMartino R, Leshnower B, Sanchez L, Bavaria JE Outcomes of a novel single branched aortic stent graft for treatment of type B aortic dissection , Annals of Thoracic Surgery, 119(4): 2025,826-834

Desai N, Tohill B, Matsumura J, Cambria RP A multicenter clinical trial on the five-year outcomes following treatment of acute, complicated type B aortic dissection with a conformable stent graft , Annals of Vascular Surgery, 113: 2025,1-12

Reddy KP, Shultz K, Eberly LA, Khatana SAM, Fanaroff AC, Kumbhani DJ, Elmariah S, Fiorilli P, Herrmann H, Desai ND, Atluri P, Szeto WY, McCarthy F, Cohen DJ, Groeneveld PW, Giri J, Nathan AS Contribution margins and utilization of transcatheter aortic valve replacement versus surgical aortic valve replacement in the Medicare population , American Heart Journal, 281: 2025,59-70

Kaneko T, Bapat VN, Alakhtar AM, Zaid S, George I, Grubb KJ, Harrington K, Pirelli L, Atkins M, Desai ND, Bleiziffer S, Noack T, Modine T, Denti P, Kempfert J, Ruge H, Vitanova K, Falk V, Thourani VH, Bavaria JE, Reardon MJ, Mack MJ, Borger MA, Leon MB, Tang GHL, Fukuhara S Transcatheter heart valve explantation for TAVR failure (TAVR-Explant): A heart valve collaboratory expert consensus document on operative techniques , Journal of Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery, 169(3): 2025,878-889

Dagher O, Appoo JJ, Herget E, Atoui R, Baeza C, Brinkman W, Bozinovski J, Chu MWA, Dagenais F, Demers P, Desai N, El-Hamamsy I, Estrera A, Grau JB, Hughes GC, Jassar A, Kachroo P, Lachapelle K, Ouzounian M, Patel HJ, Pozeg Z, Tseng E, Whitlock R, Guo MH, Boodhwani M Impact of non-diameter aortic indices on surgical eligibility: Results from the TITAN: SvS Randomized Controlled Trial , Journal of Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery, 169(3): 2025,857-865.e1

Catalano MA, Chin C, Desai ND, Lawrence KM First reported surgical explantation of infected thoracic branched endograft requiring complex arch and descending thoracic aortic repair , Interdisciplinary Cardiovascular Thoracic Surgery, 40(4): 2025,ivaf073

Yildiz M, Schoenhoff F, Werdecker V, Nucera M, Mosbahi S, Zhao Y, Goel N, Berezowski M, Lawrence K, Kapoor S, Kreibich M, Berger T, Kletzer J, Bavaria J, Szeto W, Siepe M, Czerny M, Desai N Revisiting ascending aortic resection in the elective valve-sparing root replacement: assessing the benefits and necessity of hemiarch replacement at three centres , European Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery, 67(2): 2025,ezaf006