Christina M Vassileva MD, FACS, FACC

Dr. Vassileva completed medical school and general surgery at Johns Hopkins and subsequently finished her training in cardiac surgery at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. She is currently an Associate Professor in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC. Previously, she was an Associate Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Southern Illinois University, where she also established a Center for Valvular Heart Disease and currently serves as its director. She was the Vice-Chair of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Memorial Medical Center, a teaching hospital of SIU, and the Vice-Chair of the Sangamon County Medical Society.

She is well versed in all aspects of cardiac surgery, but her special interest and expertise are valve disease and minimally invasive valve surgery, specifically valve repair, including complex mitral valve repair, tricuspid valve repair, and aortic valve repair.

Dr. Vassileva is a member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Quality Management Task Force and Public Reporting Task Force, and a co-chair of the Failure to Rescue Working Group. She is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology, an active member of the Patient Centered Care Committee, and an ex officio member of the Women in Cardiology Leadership Council.