Dr. Svensson obtained his medical degree in 1978, an MSc in 1983, and a PhD in 1986 from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. His Cardiology, General, and Vascular Surgery training was at Johannesburg Hospital, followed by cardiovascular surgery training at Cleveland Clinic and Baylor College of Medicine, including a cardiothoracic surgery residency. He was Chief of Cardiovascular Surgery at Houston Veterans Affairs Medical Center and worked with Drs. DeBakey and Crawford at Baylor College of Medicine, where he was also Assistant Professor of Surgery. Following this academic appointment, he was then Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Tufts University, and Instructor at Harvard Medical School while working at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Boston. He returned to Cleveland Clinic in 2001.
Dr. Svensson is currently the Chairman of the Sydell and Arnold Miller Family Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute at Cleveland Clinic. He is also the Director of the Marfan Syndrome and Connective Tissue Disorder Clinic. He currently serves as the President-Elect of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, and is on the editorial board for the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Annals of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, and AORTA. He is also the Co-Chair of the Artivion PROACT Xa Steering Committee and a past Executive Board member for the PARTNER TAVR trial and Publication Committee.
Dr. Svensson’s research focuses on aortic valve surgery, surgery for thoracic aortic aneurysms, minimally invasive valve surgery, and percutaneous valve treatment. He has over 600 peer-reviewed medical publications, including numerous books and book chapters. He also has multiple patents and 19 inventions. Through research and practice, Dr. Svensson has contributed to advances in protecting the brain, spinal cord, and kidneys during major cardiac and aortic surgery, and has been instrumental in developing minimally invasive keyhole surgical techniques. He also runs a leadership course for physicians and surgeons.