Gabriel Aldea, MD, FACS, FACC, is a board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon, Chief of Cardiac Surgery, the William K. Edmark Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery, and the Surgical Director of the UW Medicine Heart Institute. 

Dr. Aldea is a nationally recognized leader with expertise in cardiac valve replacement and repair, management of aortic aneurysm, as well as catheter based minimally invasive valve and aortic therapies. He strives to create active partnerships with his patients, families and referring physicians, offering individualized patient-focused therapies that best address specific and complex heart issues. Based on a broad 25-year experience of caring for patients from the entire Pacific Northwest, coupled with full spectrum of clinical expertise from open surgical to catheter based (minimally invasive) approaches, Dr. Aldea aims to personalize the right therapy for each individual patient so that each patient achieves their fullest recovery and potential.

Dr. Aldea’s clinical interests include complex valve repair and replacement, less invasive cardiac surgery as an alternative to standard cardiac surgery, aortic aneurysm surgery and repair with endovascular stents and catheter based therapies for valve abnormalities. His research interests are focused on developing and improving methods and techniques for cardiac surgery and catheter based therapies, on thoughtful impactful innovation, and on maximizing quality care and outcomes.