Physician spotlight: a Q & A with Co-Director Micheal Ayad, MD

Mount Sinai is once again helping to put South Florida on the map for medical advancements, thanks to our Aortic Center — the first and only aortic center in South Florida. It is a leading-edge destination for patients with complex cases who often require cardiac surgery and other interventional, cardiovascular procedures, and academically affiliated with Columbia University.

Our Aortic Center gives patients access to early phase clinical trials, including medical devices and surgical approaches. Among our complex procedures are those that use custom-made grafts, designed and fabricated here at Mount Sinai. Led by Co-Directors Micheal Ayad, MD; Steve Xydas, MD; and Steven DeBeer, MD, our Aortic Center’s team of surgeons do the MOST aortic graphs in Miami-Dade County.

Originally hailing from Egypt, Dr. Micheal Ayad earned his medical degree at the University of Texas, School of Medicine. Dr. Ayad then completed his residency in general surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center and his vascular surgery fellowship at Thomas Jefferson University.

His clinical interests include open and endovascular techniques for management of complex aortic disease, lower extremity arterial disease, and limb salvage, as well as carotid artery disease. He has widely published peer-reviewed research on arterial and venous disease and authored multiple book chapters on arterial disease, vascular trauma, and venous pathology.

Where are you originally from?

Egypt and then I moved to Texas when I was a teenager.

How long have you lived in Miami?

Since 2018.

Why did you originally get into medicine?

Living in Egypt, I got to experience extreme medical need, and it made me want to care for patients. I realized what a difference I can make in people’s lives.

What is your favorite part of your job?

Vascular surgery is interesting because each case is vastly different, and there are an abundance of ways to treat patients — you really have to stay up-to-date on everything. It’s never mundane and always changing … which I love.

In a nutshell, what is the Aortic Center?

It’s a collective of different specialists that manage aortic disease in a multidisciplinary way.

What is the single best piece of advice you can give about staying heart healthy?

Don’t smoke! That’s the most reversible culprit of aortic vascular cardiac disease.

What are your hobbies? How do you like to spend your time when you are not working?

I spend time with my wife and two children (both of whom were born at Mount Sinai!), and I am an avid runner.

I run with my friends — I do half marathons and luckily, living in South Florida I can do it often. The Heart Walk is one of my favorites.

We encourage you to learn more about Dr. Ayad and the Aortic Center by visiting msmc.com/aortic-center.