Alessandra Sala

Dr. Alessandra Sala is a cardiac surgeon in the Adult Cardiac Surgery Unit at IRCCS Policlinico San Donato in Milan.

She graduated in Medicine and Surgery from the International Medical Degree Program at Vita-Salute San Raffaele University in 2016. During her medical studies, she completed a two-year internship in Cardiac Surgery at San Raffaele Hospital, developing an experimental thesis on transcatheter treatment of tricuspid valve disease.

In 2016, she gained international experience in the Cardiac Surgery Departments of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.

From 2019 to 2023, she pursued a PhD at Maastricht University Medical Centre in Maastricht, focusing on the timing and surgical treatment of tricuspid valve disease.

In 2023, she completed her specialization in Cardiac Surgery at Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, following a period of specialist training at IRCCS Policlinico San Donato.

Her clinical activity is focused on adult cardiac surgery, with particular interest in valvular heart disease and aortic surgery, including the treatment of aneurysms and aortic arch surgery. She also specializes in:

• Cardiovascular surgery;
• Minimally invasive surgery;
• Structural interventional cardiology.

Throughout her career, she has actively contributed to research in the field of cardiac surgery. She is the author of 45 scientific publications, including 17 as first author or corresponding author, with an H-index of 12 and more than 800 citations. Her research has focused particularly on:

• Timing of surgical interventions;
• Surgical indications;
• Prevention;
• Short- and long-term outcomes of cardiac surgery.

She regularly participates in national and international congresses and collaborates on research projects aimed at advancing innovation and improving clinical outcomes in cardiac surgery.