Dr. Hazem N. El-Khatib, a cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon, has joined Allegheny Health Network as the new director of cardiac surgery at AHN Forbes Hospital in Monroeville.
“We want to establish a very strong and robust cardiovascular surgery program here at Forbes to serve the community in a setting that is closer to home,” said El-Khatib, who hopes to reduce the need for heart patients with advanced cases to travel to Pittsburgh for care.
El-Khatib earned his bachelor’s and medical degrees at the American University of Beirut, then came to the United States in 1987 to complete his research fellowship at the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics.
El-Khatib became interested in cardiovascular surgery while in medical school.
“We went to observe an operation room in the observation gallery and it happened to be an open-heart case. I was mesmerized and blown away by what could be done and I thought, ‘this is extremely interesting and that’s what I want to do,’” said El-Khatib. “I was a second-year medical student.”
The surgeon comes to the Forbes facility with a wealth of experience, including as chairman of the department of surgery and medical director of cardiovascular operations at Butler Health System, where he began working in 1999.
El-Khatib said he is excited about the investment in AHN Forbes, both in surgeons and critical care doctors on site, as well as in facilities.
“We have a new hybrid room which is an operating room equipped with even more high-end technology, kind of like a cath lab where we can do combined procedures between surgeons and interventional cardiologists, such as transcatheter valve replacement,” he said.
“Dr. El-Khatib shares our commitment to high-quality, personalized care delivered in a close-to-home environment,” said Dr. Mark Rubino, AHN Forbes president.
First Published: August 20, 2022, 10:00 a.m.
Updated: August 20, 2022, 10:37 p.m.