David Kalfa, MD

A clinician identified with a Nicklaus Children's Pediatric Specialists logo is an affiliate of Nicklaus Children's Health System. All other clinicians listed on the website are in independent medical practices.

 

Video Profile

David M. Kalfa, MD, PhD 
Chief, Cardiovascular Surgery 
Co-Director, Nicklaus Children's Heart Institute 
Professor, Surgery and Pediatrics, FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine

Dr. David Kalfa is a pediatric cardiac surgeon and serves as chief of Cardiovascular Surgery and co-director of the Nicklaus Children's Heart Institute. He earned his medical degree from the University of Marseilles in France and a doctorate in cardiovascular tissue engineering from Paris Descartes University. Dr. Kalfa completed postdoctoral training in pediatric cardiac surgery at Marie Lannelongue Hospital, Paris Sud University, in France. He then pursued advanced training in cardiac surgery at Laval Hospital in Quebec, Canada. He then completed advanced pediatric cardiac surgery training at Columbia University Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital in New York.

Dr. Kalfa is also a faculty member of the FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine as a professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Department of Surgical Sciences.

An internationally recognized expert in pediatric and congenital cardiac surgery, Dr. Kalfa brings to the Nicklaus Children's Heart Institute deep experience in complex neonatal heart procedures, advanced pediatric valve repair, adult congenital heart procedures and heart/valve transplants. His clinical practice is closely tied to his research, which focuses on improving the safety and effectiveness of surgery for children with congenital heart disease. He is a pioneer in developing and utilizing cutting-edge technologies, innovative growth-accommodating cardiovascular devices and minimally invasive hybrid and robotic techniques to enhance outcomes and reduce complications. His work aims to improve not only survival, but also long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes and sustained quality of life in children with complex cardiac conditions. His appointment underscores Nicklaus Children's commitment to innovation and excellence in pediatric cardiovascular care.

Before joining Nicklaus Children's, Dr. Kalfa served as the Florence Irving Associate Professor of Surgery at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City and site director of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian – Cornell University. He also led key programs at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, including as surgical director of the Initiative for Pediatric Cardiac Innovation and director of the Pediatric Heart Valve Center. He currently leads multiple multicenter clinical and translational studies in the United States and Europe, and international initiatives to develop next-generation pediatric heart valves. Dr. Kalfa innovates solutions to improve outcomes for children with congenital heart defects, including growing heart valves, new transplant techniques, new robotic and minimally invasive techniques, AI-based technologies and regenerative approaches.

In his role as chief of Cardiovascular Surgery, Dr. Kalfa provides medical leadership and oversees all clinical, operational and quality activities. As co-director of the Nicklaus Children's Heart Institute, he shares responsibility for setting strategy and overseeing all clinical care, quality metrics, teaching, research and fiscal planning for the program.

Dr. Kalfa is a member of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery and Society of Thoracic Surgeons. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles, contributed to major surgical textbooks, and presented at top medical conferences around the world.

He is employed by Nicklaus Children's Pediatric Specialists (NCPS), the multispecialty medical group practice of Nicklaus Children's Health System.

Nicklaus Children's Heart Institute is a leader in interventional and surgical care for children with congenital heart disease. Since 2018, the program has sustained a 97.5 percent survival rate for its heart surgery program, making it one of the best performing in the state and the leading program in South Florida.


LaSala, V.R., Cordovez, E.M., Kalfa, D.M. (2025). Adaptation of cold preservation techniques to partial heart transplant. Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, 169(2), 395-399. View in Pubmed

Kalfa, D.M., Richmond, M., Cordoves, E.M., et al (2025). Domino Heart Valve Transplant in Children with Congenital Valve Disease: Short-Term Outcomes, Growth, and Immunosensitization. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 85(8), 866-869. View in Pubmed

Rajab, T.K., Kalfa, D.M., Mery, C.M., et al (2025). Indications and Practical Considerations for Partial Heart Transplantation. Annals of Thoracic Surgery, 120(4), 620-630. View in Pubmed

Cordovez, E.M., LaSala, V.R., ..., Kalfa, D.M. (2025). Evaluating safety and outcomes of living allogenic heart valve transplantation: The case for a multicenter prospective clinical registry. Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, 169(6), 1531-1535. View in Pubmed

Sellal, J.M., Dib, N., ..., Kalfa, D.M., et al (2025). Arrhythmias in congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries: an international study. European heart journal, Ahead of Print(), . View in Pubmed

Kalfa, D.M., Buratto, E., Bacha, E.A., et al (2025). Single ventricle palliation in congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries: An international multicenter study. Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, 169(3), 1022-1027. View in Pubmed

Chen, Y., Anzai, I.O., ..., Kalfa, D.M., et al (2025). A Patient-specific Computational Model for Neonates and Infants with Borderline Left Ventricles. medRxiv, Preprint(), . View in Pubmed

Kalfa, D.M., Buratto, E. (2025). Reply: Maximizing survival in patients with complex congenital heart disease: A call to arms. Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, 170(3), e78. View in Pubmed

Moroi, M.K., Feng, I., ..., Kalfa, D.M., et al (2025). Mid-Term Outcomes of Valve-Sparing Repair with Intraoperative Balloon Dilation in Tetralogy of Fallot. World journal for pediatric & congenital heart surgery, 16(5), 585-594. View in Pubmed

Nguyen, S.N., Vinogradsky, A.V., ..., Kalfa, D.M., et al (2025). Rare coronary artery variants are associated with increased mortality and reinterventions following the arterial switch operation. Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, 169(1), 217-228.e22. View in Pubmed

Moroi, M.K., Vinogradsky, A.V., ..., Kalfa, D.M. (2025). When to Opt for Univentricular versus Biventricular Repair in Complex Congenitally Corrected Transposition of the Great Arteries. Seminars in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, 37(2), 185-191. View in Pubmed

Moroi, M.K., Vinogradsky, A.V., ..., Kalfa, D.M., et al (2025). Melody vs Mechanical Mitral Valve Replacement in Young Children: A Single-Center Propensity Matched Analysis. Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Ahead of print(), . View in Pubmed

Nguyen, S.N., Bouhout, I., ..., Kalfa, D.M., et al (2024). Long-term autograft dilation and durability after the Ross procedure are similar in infants, children, and adolescents with primary aortic stenosis. Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, 168(4), 1182-1191.e3. View in Pubmed

Cordoves, E.M., Ferrari, G., ..., Kalfa, D.M. (2024). Storage, preservation, and rehabilitation of living heart valves to treat congenital heart disease. Med, 5(8), 859-862. View in Pubmed

Nguyen, S.N., Vinogradsky, A.V., ..., Kalfa, D.M. (2024). Infant with Ebstein anomaly after the neonatal Starnes procedure: What is next?. Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, 168(1), 243-247. View in Pubmed

Bacha, E.A., Nguyen, S.N., ..., Kalfa, D.M. (2023). Aortic root translocation (Nikaidoh) procedure for complex transposition of the great arteries with left ventricular outflow tract obstruction. JTCVS Techniques, 22(), 243-250. View in Pubmed

Bacha, E.A., Nguyen, S.N., ..., Kalfa, D.M. (2023). Outcomes of surgical management of Ebstein anomaly and tricuspid valve dysplasia in critically ill neonates and infants. JTCVS Open, 16(), 629-638. View in Pubmed

Cordero, H., Hess, J., ..., Kalfa, D.M., et al (2023). Antibody responses to dietary antigens are accompanied by specific plasma cells in the infant thymus. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 152(4), 1010-1018. View in Pubmed

Kinami, H., Kalfa, D.M., Goldstone, A.B., et al (2023). The Commando procedure for pediatric patients: A case series. JTCVS Techniques, 19(), 104-108. View in Pubmed

LaSala, V.R., Nguyen, S.N., ..., Kalfa, D.M., (2023). Repair of congenital tricuspid valve dysplasia: The croissant technique. JTCVS Techniques, 20(), 146-149. View in Pubmed

Cordoves, E.M., Vunjak-Novakovic, G., Kalfa, D.M. (2023). Designing Biocompatible Tissue Engineered Heart Valves in Situ: JACC Review Topic of the Week. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 81(10), 994-1003. View in Pubmed

Barry, O.M., Bouhout, I., ..., Kalfa, D.M. (2022). Transcatheter Cardiac Interventions in the Newborn: JACC Focus Seminar. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 79(22), 2270-2283. View in Pubmed

Pichler Sekulic, S., Kalfa, D.M., Fenlon, E., et al (2022). Pericardial lymphangioma: a rare benign albeit variably symptomatic tumefactive lesion. Cardiovascular pathology, 57(), 107402. View in Pubmed

Tortigue, M., Nield, L.E., ..., Kalfa, D.M., et al (2022). Familial Recurrence Patterns in Congenitally Corrected Transposition of the Great Arteries: An International Study. Circulation. Genomic and precision medicine, 15(3), e003464. View in Pubmed

Moroi, M.K., BachaKalfa, E.A., Kalfa, D.M. (2021). The Ross procedure in children: a systematic review. Annals of Cardiothoracic Surgery, 12(1), 5761. View in Pubmed

Paul, E.A., Torres, A.J., ..., Kalfa, D.M. (2018). Extra-anatomic suprahepatic to innominate vein conduit in heterotaxy. Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, 156(1), 327-329. View in Pubmed

Chai, P.J., George, I., ..., Kalfa, D.M., et al (2016). Use of stented bovine pericardial valve for surgical mitral valve replacement in infants. Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, 151(3), e51-e52. View in Pubmed

Kalfa, D.M., Lambert, V., Baruteau, A., et al (2013). Arterial switch for transposition with left outflow tract obstruction: outcomes and risk analysis. Annals of Thoracic Surgery, 95(6), 2097-103. View in Pubmed

Kalfa, D.M., Serraf, A.E., Ly, M., et al (2012). Tetralogy of Fallot with an abnormal coronary artery: surgical options and prognostic factors. European Journal of Cardio-thoracic Surgery, 42(3), e34-9. View in Pubmed

Kalfa, D.M., Loundou, A., Nouaille de Gorce, Y., et al (2012). Pulmonary position cryopreserved homograft in non-Ross patients: how to improve the results?. European Journal of Cardio-thoracic Surgery, 42(6), 981-987. View in Pubmed

Primary Office

Address:
Nicklaus Children's Cardiovascular Surgery
3100 SW 62 Avenue ACB - 2nd Floor
Miami, FL 33155
Phone Number:
305-663-8401

Education

Fellowship - New York Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University
Medical School - D'Montpellier

Board Certifications

American Board of Thoracic Surgery - Board Eligible