Heart Institute of São Paulo Medical School, Brazil
Dr. Omar Mejia trained in general and then cardiovascular and thoracic surgery at Heart Institute of São Paulo Medical School in São Paulo, Brazil.
He visited Dr. Tirone David in Toronto General Hospital and Dr Thoralf Sundt and Dr David Shahian in Mass General Hospital, where he gained early insight into complex cardiac surgeries and quality improvement programs. He remains on staff at Heart Institute of São Paulo Medical School, as an associate professor of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery. Dr. Mejia is a fellow of Brazilian College of Surgeons and Brazilian Society of Cardiovascular Surgery.
Dr. Mejia became Director of Quality and Safety Unit in 2013 and Vice-Head of Coronary Artery Surgery Unit in 2024 at Heart Institute of São Paulo Medical School. With focus on coronary artery disease and quality improvement, he has lead enrollment in multiple pivotal trials and he is director of São Paulo Registry of Cardiovascular Surgery (REPLICCAR). Dr. Mejia is national and Latin American lead for implementation ERAS programs and in the development of a multi-institution database to assess success in coronary artery by-pass surgery and quality improvement.
He has published over 80 peer-reviewed publications and serves as a peer reviewer for several prestigious medical journals. Dr. Mejia trains residents and fellows in complex coronary artery by-pass surgery including total-arterial, aortic, off-pump coronary artery surgery (State of the Art). An systemic approach combining prehabilitation, minimally invasive, advanced closure techniques and rapid mobilization protocols has made Dr. Mejia an advocate for enhanced recovery, even for high-risk patients.