Biography
Raj Gopaldas, M.D., is a cardiothoracic surgeon with MidMichigan’s comprehensive heart and vascular team. This team includes cardiologists and interventional cardiologists, electrophysiologists, heart failure and structural heart specialists, as well as vascular and cardiovascular surgeons.
As a cardiovascular surgeon, Dr. Gopaldas specializes in the surgical treatment of a wide variety of diseases affecting the heart and vascular system, including coronary artery disease, valvular heart disease, aortic aneurysms and dissections, heart valve blockages and heart failure.
Before coming to MidMichigan, Dr. Gopaldas was the leading minimally invasive valve surgeon in Charlotte, North Carolina. He is nationally renowned in minimally invasive valve surgery, having established the largest and most successful minimally invasive valve program in central Illinois. His contributions in this specialized field earned recognition by the Illinois State General Assembly which passed a resolution in his honor. He teaches other surgeons across the country advanced techniques to perform minimally invasive heart surgery.
Philosophy of Care
“To touch a human heart, to do something to it, and then to watch it magically become better is an immense privilege,” he said. “But to realize that my patients trust their lives on this privilege is sacred and as such, they deserve nothing but the best from me. In this millennium, cracking the breastbone should not be first option for valve surgery.”
Special Interests and Procedures
Dr. Gopaldas has extensive experience in all aspects of conventional and minimally-invasive cardiovascular surgery, ranging from simple valve/bypass operations to complex aneurysm operations. His special interests include:
- Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery (MICS)
- Complex Mitral Repairs
- Aortic Valve and Aneurysm Surgery
- Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)
- Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair (TEVAR)
Dr. Gopaldas is actively involved in surgical innovation and research and has made numerous contributions in academics. He has published extensively in various peer-reviewed journals and has authored chapters in several surgical textbooks. Dr. Gopaldas has also presented ground-breaking outcomes research at several national meetings and committees.
Philosophy
"To touch a human heart, to do something to it, and then to watch it magically become better is an immense privilege. But to realize that my patients trust their lives on this privilege is sacred and as such, they deserve nothing but the best from me."
