Awais Ashfaq, MD, FACC, FACS
- Congenital Cardiac Surgeon, Division of Cardiovascular Surgery
- Assistant Professor, UC Department of Surgery
- awais.ashfaq@cchmc.org
- Board Certified
About
Biography
I’m a pediatric cardiac surgeon specializing in heart failure, aortic valve problems and single ventricle patients. Combining care coordination, integrated care and attention to detail are hallmarks of my practice. I am honored to work with an upstanding talented group of individuals.
Great mentors and role models influenced my interest in medicine and cardiac surgery. I enjoy making a difference in someone’s life at an early age. I am also intrigued by the variations in pathologies that I see.
I like combining critical and artistic thinking as part of my patient approach. I respect the family’s needs and values and encourage open communication and knowledge-sharing for patient and family education.
As a researcher, I aim to discover innovative ways to utilize organs or parts of organs for transplant and improve and optimize approaches to aortic valve repair.
I am honored to have received the Vivien Thomas Early Career Investigator Award from the American Heart Association (2021) and the Mayo Brothers Distinguished Fellowship Award from the American Association of Thoracic Surgery.
When I’m not working, I enjoy spending time with my wife and two kids. When not with family, I like to watch Cricket and read biographies about founders and inventors.
MD: Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan, 2011.
Residency: General Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ, 2017.
Fellowship: Cardiothoracic Surgery, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, OR, 2019.
Fellowship: Congenital Cardiac Surgery, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, OH, 2020.
Interests
Neonatal cardiac surgery; heart failure and transplantation; aortic valve repair
Interests
Ex-vivo perfusion; partial heart transplant
Research Areas
Insurance Information
Cincinnati Children's strives to accept a wide variety of health plans. Please contact your health insurance carrier to verify coverage for your specific benefit plan.
Publications
Practice Patterns and Outcomes of Hemodialysis in Infants Undergoing Congenital Heart Surgery in the United States. Pediatric Cardiology. 2026.
Safety and Feasibility of Implanting Dual-Chamber Permanent Pacemakers in Patients Under 3 kg. World journal for pediatric & congenital heart surgery. 2026; 17(1):46-51.
Contrasting the Performance of a Surgeon-Fashioned Extracellular Matrix Cylindrical Tricuspid Valve Versus a Mechanical Valve. World journal for pediatric & congenital heart surgery. 2026; 17(1):122-124.
Outcomes of Fontan patients undergoing combined heart-liver transplantation in pediatric hospitals across the United States. Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. 2026; 171(1):288-297.e2.
Stabilizing the Unstable: An Analysis of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Congenital Heart Surgery Database of Children Supported With Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Before Cardiac Surgery. Annals of Thoracic Surgery. 2025; 120(6):1125-1133.
Patent Ductus Arteriosus Stenting Complicated by Iatrogenic Aortic Dissection Requiring Aortic Repair. JTCVS Techniques. 2025; 102185.
National Experience With Tracheostomy in Neonates Undergoing Congenital Heart Surgery: A Multicenter Analysis. Critical Care Explorations. 2025; 7(12):e1357.
Personalized Patient-Specific Patch Augmentation Using Virtual Surgical Planning. JACC: Case Reports. 2025; 30(38):105765.
The Increasing Utilization of the Impella Device as a Bridge-to-Transplantation in Pediatric Heart Centers Across the United States. World journal for pediatric & congenital heart surgery. 2025; 16(6):769-775.
Aspirin Use Following the Arterial Switch Operation in the United States: Variability, Trends, and Perioperative Outcomes. World journal for pediatric & congenital heart surgery. 2025; 16(6):736-743.
From the Blog
Blueprint for Transplanting Heart Valves that Grow with the Child
Awais Ashfaq, MD, FACC, FACS12/19/2025
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