Cardiology Zurich: Heart specialist Prof. Roberto Corti
Treatment Focus
- Catheter-based cardiac valve treatment (TAVI, Mitraclip, valvuloplasty,...)
- Closure of paravalvular leak
- Coronary angiography
- Coronary haemodynamics
- Coronary revascularisation / stent implantation
- Interventions for structural cardiac diseases (PFO, ASD, LAA occlusion)
- Endomyocardial biopsy
Medical Range
Range of diagnostic services
- Echocardiography, 3-D echocardiography, stress echocardiography
- Ergometry, spiroergometry
- Lung function test, 6-minute Gait Test
- Long-term ECG, BodyGuardian
- Pacemaker, ICD check
- Invasive cardiac diagnostics
Range of therapeutic services
- Cardiac catheter examinations, coronary dilatation, vascular dilatation
- Stent implantation in coronary and other arteries
- Percutaneous valve procedures
- Medication-based and non-medication-based treatment for myocardial failure
- Pacemaker, ICD implantation
- Surgical aortic valve replacement
- Surgical reconstruction of mitral valves / tricuspid valves
- Ablation for atrial fibrillation
About Prof. Dr Roberto Corti
Prof. Dr. med. Roberto Corti is a specialist in cardiology at the Hirslanden Heart Clinic. The heart clinic, located in Zurich, has evolved into one of the leading institutes in the field of innovative treatment of heart disease in recent years.
One of the Leading Heart Clinics in Switzerland
The Heart Clinic Zurich impresses with its forward-looking procedures in the field of modern invasive cardiology and its excellent patient care. For this, the clinic was awarded four stars and the diploma Recognized for Excellence, which makes it one of the leading clinics in the healthcare system.
International Team of Experts in Cardiology
Prof. Corti and his team of 7 experts consisting of internationally well-respected cardiologists and cardiac surgeons convince by their excellent interdisciplinary cooperation. The focus is not on the specific specialist area, but on the best possible treatment of the patient.
To optimize the combination of cardiology and cardio surgery, the Hirslanden Heart Clinic has developed a hybrid surgery room in cooperation with the doctors, which in its kind can only be found in a few large university hospitals to date. This modern surgery room is equipped with the world's first hybrid imaging procedure. 3-D ultrasound and X-ray images are synchronized in real-time, thus uniquely supporting complex heart interventions.
Experienced Heart Specialist for Heart Valve Therapy
Prof. Corti has specialized in catheter-based heart valve therapy following his specialist training in general internal medicine (2004) and cardiology (2006). After intensive research work on this topic, he was awarded the title titular professor by the University of Zurich in 2011. He has already worked closely with his current colleague, the expert in cardiac surgery Prof. Grünenfelder, there. The long-standing collaboration in a well-rehearsed and experienced team enables treatment at the highest level. Professor Corti has become an internationally accepted expert in the field of heart valve intervention due to his many years of experience as a heart specialist and his extensive research work.
Professor Corti’s Main Treatment Areas
The catheter-based heart valve therapy at the Department of Cardiology Zurich includes various interventions, which are applied depending on the underlying disease. In particular, the replacement of the aortic valve and the reconstruction of the mitral valve should be mentioned here.
Catheter-Based Replacement of the Aortic Valve (TAVI)
Narrowing of the aortic valve (aortic valve stenosis) is the most common heart valve disease in older people. The aortic valve, which consists of three leaflets, opens and closes rhythmically with the blood flow that is pumped in the aorta by the heart. In aortic valve stenosis, deposits are disposed on the valve, which gradually stiffen the skin cusps. The heart valve can only open and close incompletely - the heart must apply more force to transport the blood through the narrowed valve. Breathlessness, dizziness, and chest pain, even at low exertion, are the result, which makes an intervention on the aortic valve necessary.
At the Department of Cardiology in Zurich, the implantation of a new aortic valve can be carried out minimally invasive using a catheter, where the heart specialist creates suitable access to the heart, which is usually done via the groin or close to the heart via the chest. Using this access, the still compressed aortic valve is placed directly over the defective one and anchored there. During unfolding, the aortic valve replacement pushes the skin cusps aside and takes over their function.
The procedure can be carried out with the heart beating and without general anesthesia, which means that even seriously ill patients for whom open-heart surgery under general anesthesia would be impossible can be successfully treated. Professor Corti's team carries out several hundred of these surgeries at the Department of Cardiology Zurich every year.
Catheter-Based Mitral Valve Reconstruction (Mitraclip)
Malfunctions of the mitral valve are also not rare at all. One of the most common defects is that the mitral valve no longer closes properly. If the heart valve leaks (mitral valve insufficiency), part of the blood flows back from the ventricle into the atrium, which causes the blood to back up into the lungs. The patient suffers from fatigue, exhaustion, and shortness of breath.
Professor Corti and his team are also able to treat this heart valve defect using catheters. A so-called mitraclip is inserted into the catheter and forwarded to the functionally impaired mitral valve. Once there, the heart specialist attaches a clip to the damaged area of the heart valve, which holds the valve edges together and stabilizes them. The leak has been eliminated. The heart can work optimally again, and the heart chambers are relieved. If this intervention is carried out in time, the development of cardiac insufficiency can be effectively prevented. Patients report significantly improved the performance and quality of life after the procedure.
Although the catheter-based intervention can only be carried out under general anesthesia, the patient is spared a stressful open-heart surgery. People with severe concomitant diseases, for whom the use of a heart-lung machine is often not possible, also benefit from such a procedure.
At the Department of Cardiology Zurich, even a leaking artificial heart valve is not an indication for another surgery. Professor Corti and his team of heart specialists can repair this defect using a catheter-based paravalvular leakage closure. This state-of-the-art procedure involves using a unique mini umbrella to cover the leakage.
Valvuloplasty - Dilatation of the Heart Valve
In certain forms of heart valve stenosis, it is sufficient to spread the resulting narrowing with an inserted balloon catheter to improve the functionality of the heart valve. This can be done during a cardiac catheter examination.
Invasive Cardiology
A further focus of Professor Corti's treatment is the diagnosis and therapy of coronary heart disease using cardiac catheters. To reliably diagnose a narrowing in the coronary arteries, the well-respected heart specialist uses two significant diagnostic procedures: coronary angiography and coronary hemodynamics. Both provide information on the penetrability of the coronary vessels and form the basis for targeted therapy.
Coronary angiography is an imaging procedure using a particular X-ray procedure to visualize the coronary vessels and make any narrowing visible. Before the examination, the physician injects a contrast agent into the coronary vessels via a cardiac catheter. However, an angiography of the coronary arteries is not sufficient to determine a precisely defined degree of stenosis. If there is suspicion of reduced blood flow in the coronary vessels, the additional measurement of coronary hemodynamics is decisive. A measuring probe inserted via a heart catheter measures parameters such as pressure and flow velocity of the blood.
Coronary Revascularization / Implantation of Stents
Depending on the diagnosed results, Professor Corti and his team determine a therapy that is precisely adapted to the patient. It is possible to insert a stent to revascularize a constricted coronary vessel to make it passable again. A stent is a kind of vascular support, which usually consists of a mesh. The stent is positioned at the critical point using a cardiac catheter and keeps the vessel open. The blood can flow unhindered again.
Structural Heart Disease
The treatment of structural heart disease is also one of Professor Corti's core competencies. These can be congenital heart defects, such as a connecting tunnel between the two atriums. This naturally provided connection is created in the fetus in the womb to bypass the pulmonary circulation - but usually closes after birth. This defect can also be treated with a cardiac catheter. The heart specialist attaches a so-called PFO or ASD closure to the opening. The umbrella-like closure prevents blood exchange between the atria. However, cardiac arrhythmia, such as atrial fibrillation, can also be successfully treated by inserting a so-called LAA closure.
Endomyocardial Biopsy
Another one of Professor Corti's specialties is an endomyocardial biopsy. It is an essential instrument for the differential diagnosis of certain heart diseases. In this examination, a tissue sample is taken from the heart muscle (myocardium) by a heart catheter, which is then examined in the laboratory.
Curriculum Vitae
EDUCATION
1985 - 1992 | School of Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland |
November 1992 | MD Degree, School of Medicine, University of Zurich Zurich, Switzerland |
April 1995 - June 1995 | Dissertation, School of Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland Dissertation title: Treatment of critical limb ischemia |
22 April 1996 | Doctor Degree, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland |
POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING
April 1993 - March 1995 | Fellowship, Internal Medicine Department Prof. Claudio Marone, Prof. Augusto Gallino Ospedale San Giovanni, Bellinzona, Switzerland 3 months at the Intensive Care Unit |
July 1995 - June 1996 | Fellowship, Surgery Department Prof. Philippe Gertsch Ospedale San Giovanni, Bellinzona, Switzerland |
July 1996 - June 1997 | Fellowship, Internal Medicine Department Prof. Claudio Marone, Prof. Augusto Gallino Ospedale San Giovanni, Bellinzona, Switzerland 3 months at the Intensive Care Unit 3 months as Senior Consultant |
July 1997 - June 1998 | Research Fellowship Cardiovascular Research, Cardiology Internal Medicine Department Prof. Thomas F. Lüscher, Prof. Georg Noll University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland |
July 1998 - February 2000 | Fellowship, Cardiology, Internal Medicine Department Prof. Thomas F. Lüscher University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland |
March 2000 – September 2002 | Research Fellowship Cardiovascular Biology Research Laboratory, The Cardiovascular Institute Prof. Juan J. Badimon, Prof. Valentin Fuster The Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA |
Since 2001 | Assistant Professor of Medicine and Cardiology The Cardiovascular Institute Prof. Juan J. Badimon, Prof. Valentin Fuster The Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA |
September 2002 – June 2007 | Attending Interventional Cardiology, Internal Medicine Department Prof. Thomas F. Lüscher University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland |
July 2007- June 2013 | Consultant interventional cardiologist Director Cardiovascular Catheterization Laboratories Cardiology Department University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland |
CERTIFICATION
November 1992 | MD Degree, School of Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland |
1995 | Ultrasound Certification Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Ultraschall in Medizin und Biologie (SGUMB), Davos Clavadel, Switzerland |
September 1997 | Specialty Board Examination Internal Medicine Institut für Aus-, Weiter- u. Fortbildung IAWF Abt. für Ausbildungs- u. Examensforschung AAE Bern, Switzerland |
2001 | Promotion to Assistant Professor of Medicine and Cardiology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, US |
December 2003 | Specialty Board Examination Cardiology Institut für Aus-, Weiter- u. Fortbildung IAWF Abt. für Ausbildungs- u. Examensforschung AAE Bern, Switzerland |
12.7.2004 | Habilitation in Cardiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland Title: Nicht-invasive Charakterisierung der Arteriosklerose mittels Magnet Resonanz |
21.3.2011 | Promotion to Professor faculty of medicine |
Medical Team
Dr Thierry Aymard
Heart Surgery
PD Dr Patric Biaggi
Head Heart Imaging (Echocardio-graphy)
Prof. Dr Roberto Corti
Head Interventional Cardiology
Prof. Dr Jürg Grünenfelder
Director Cardiac Surgery
PD Dr David Hürlimann
Head of the Dept. of Heart Devices and Rhythmology
Dr Silke Küsst
Cardiology
Prof. Dr Georg Noll
Head Hypertension and Heart Failure
Dr Ivano Reho
Interventional Cardiology
Prof. Dr Sacha Salzberg
Cardiac Surgery and Atrial Fibrillation Therapy
Dr Robert von Wattenwyl
Heart Surgery
PD Dr Christophe Wyss
Interventional Cardiology
Location
Zurich Main Railway Station | 5 km |
Zurich airport | 15 km |
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Contact
Prof. Dr Roberto Corti
Head of the Cardiac Clinic
Heart Clinic Hirslanden
Invasive Cardiology
Witellikerstrasse 40, CH-8032 Zurich
T: +41 44 504 75 20
F: +41 44 387 97 10
Wednesday 1:30 – 5:00 p.m.
Thursday 1:30 – 5:00 p.m.

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