Expert Heart & Vascular Care Close to Home

We provide convenient cardiovascular care throughout Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe Counties across our 11 hospitals, specialty physician practices and renowned centers of excellence: Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute and Christine E. Lynn Heart & Vascular Institute.

Meet Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute's Chief Medical Executive

Dr. Nguyen is the director of minimally invasive valve surgery, chief medical executive of Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, Barry T. Katzen Endowed Chair, and a professor of surgery at Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. He is an internationally recognized minimally invasive heart surgeon and believes that small incisions make a big difference. His outcomes score in the top 98.7% in the national Society of Thoracic Surgeons’ (STS) database. Dr. Nguyen recently came from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), where he was the chief of cardiothoracic surgery and Charles Schwab Distinguished Professor. During his tenure at UCSF, Dr. Nguyen helped transform cardiothoracic surgery, while establishing benchmark figures in quality, outcomes and research.

Meet Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute's Chief Medical Executive
Meet Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute's Chief Medical Executive

Meet Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute's Chief Medical Executive

Dr. Nguyen is the director of minimally invasive valve surgery, chief medical executive of Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, Barry T. Katzen Endowed Chair, and a professor of surgery at Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. He is an internationally recognized minimally invasive heart surgeon and believes that small incisions make a big difference. His outcomes score in the top 98.7% in the national Society of Thoracic Surgeons’ (STS) database. Dr. Nguyen recently came from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), where he was the chief of cardiothoracic surgery and Charles Schwab Distinguished Professor. During his tenure at UCSF, Dr. Nguyen helped transform cardiothoracic surgery, while establishing benchmark figures in quality, outcomes and research.

Refer a Patient

Refer a Patient

Does your patient need specialized heart and vascular care? Our team of experts use the latest advancements to diagnose and treat any heart condition. Call us to refer your patient — we’re here to help.

Pioneering The Cures Of Tomorrow

Pioneering The Cures Of Tomorrow

Our researchers play a vital role in helping us better understand heart and vascular disease. They participate in a wide variety of clinical trials dedicated to improving treatments that will ultimately lead to better patient outcomes. Learn more about their work and what it means to be involved in a clinical trial.



Patient Testimonials

Dr. Lee was, without question, the most experienced and talented vascular surgeon in Florida and probably in the South,” Dr. Dienst says.
“When I came out of it, I found out that one person had saved me… The end result of all of this, of course, is an enormous appreciation of life.”
“I started walking in the hospital hallways, and before I left I actually walked up a flight of stairs. Inside, I felt like I was in my teens. Dr. Gibber saved my life. He is an extraordinary man.
“You guys are very blessed at Baptist because now you are state of the art as far as heart surgery. You now have the finest facility there is, you have the best surgeons, the best nurses and the best staff.”

Physicians Spotlight

Carlos Enrique Alfonso, M.D.

Interventional Cardiologist

Carlos E. Alfonso, M.D., FACC, FSCAI, is a board-certified interventional cardiologist and director of chronic total obstruction and complex percutaneous coronary intervention at Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute. He has expertise in percutaneous coronary interventions, structural and valvular interventions and peripheral endovascular revascularization interventions. He is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in the following three areas: Internal medicine, cardiovascular disease and interventional cardiology, and also by the Certification Board of Nuclear Cardiology.

Prior to joining Baptist Health, Dr. Alfonso was an interventional cardiologist and medical director of complex percutaneous coronary intervention and chronic total occlusion at the University of Miami Health System. With its highly specialized techniques and procedures, this program became a referral site for the most challenging cases. He also helped launch a microvascular disease program using invasive and noninvasive techniques to evaluate patients with anginal symptoms in the absence of obstructive coronary disease.

In addition to his clinical expertise, Dr. Alfonso is dedicated to academics and education. He served as professor of medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine as well as the director of the cardiology fellowship program based at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

Dr. Alfonso earned his medical degree at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He remained at the university for seven years of clinical training at Jackson Memorial Hospital, completing a residency in internal medicine and two fellowships, one in cardiovascular disease and the other in interventional cardiology.

Dr. Alfonso’s clinical research has focused on such minimally invasive heart procedures as transcatheter valve replacement, transcatheter aortic valve replacement and other novel structural procedures as well as the use of circulatory support devices for high-risk complex interventions and stem cell therapies for ischemic heart disease.

His research results have been widely published in high-impact scientific publications. Fluent in English and Spanish, Dr. Alfonso also contributes to the scientific community by serving as an ad hoc reviewer for numerous medical journals.

He is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association and the Society of Cardiac Angiography and Interventions.

Patient-centered care is important to Dr. Alfonso. With the goal of developing a personalized treatment plan, he evaluates each case individually, has open discussions with patients and their family members and collaborates with a multidisciplinary medical team. He finds that compassion combined with open communication and ongoing counseling helps patients and families navigate difficult decisions and better understand potential benefits and risks of treatment.

Makoto Hashimoto, M.D.

Cardiac Surgeon

Makoto Hashimoto, M.D., is a fellowship-trained cardiac surgeon at Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute. He is professor and director of robotic cardiac surgery at Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. He specializes in robotic cardiac surgery and minimally invasive cardiac surgery, including coronary artery revascularization. He treats such conditions as valvular heart disease, ischemic heart disease, cardiac arrhythmia and adult congenital cardiac disease.

Prior to joining Baptist Health, Dr. Hashimoto was director of the Center of Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery and Robotic Cardiac Surgery, part of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at the Sapporo Cardiovascular Clinic in Japan.

Dr. Hashimoto earned his medical degree at Shimane University School of Medicine in Izumo, Japan and a Ph.D. in Medical Science at Sapporo Medical University in Sapporo, Japan. He completed two cardiac surgery residencies — one at Sapporo Medical University Hospital and the other at Hokkaido Prefectural Kitami Hospital in Kitami, Japan. He also completed two cardiovascular fellowships — one at Tomishiro Central Hospital in Tomigusuku, Japan and the other at Sakakibara Heart Institute in Fuchu, Japan. During his career, he has published numerous scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals.

Dr. Hashimoto is passionate about robotic cardiac surgery because, compared to open-heart surgery, it offers advanced, safe and reliable treatment while also enabling patients to heal faster and return to their normal activities more quickly. “As a cardiac surgeon, I live by the meaning of this phrase by Leonardo da Vinci: ‘Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication,’” Dr. Hashimoto said.

Dr. Hashimoto is fluent in English, Japanese and Finnish. When he is not treating patients, he enjoys reading books, exercising and road cycling.

Don’t Delay Care

Don’t Delay Care

Your health and safety are our top priorities. Call 911 immediately if you’re experiencing heart attack or stroke symptoms:

  • Arm, back, jaw or neck pain
  • Arm weakness
  • Chest discomfort
  • Cold sweat
  • Difficulty speaking
  • Dizziness
  • Face drooping
  • Nausea
  • Shortness of breath

Our emergency rooms have the equipment and expertise to help you as quickly as possible.



Check if Your Insurance is Accepted

We accept a wide range of health insurance plans. See if your plan covers the heart and vascular care services we provide.

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