Prof. Dr. med.
Sacha P. Salzberg

He was trained as a cardiac surgeon in Switzerland and the USA. In addition to classic heart surgery, he deepened his experience in the field of minimally invasive heart surgery and introduced thoracoscopic ablation in atrial fibrillation in Switzerland. Founder of Swiss Ablation and the Heart & Rhythm Center. Languages: German, English, French, Dutch and Italian

Specialist for Cardiac and Thoracic Vascular Surgery, Surgical Electrophysiology

Arrythmias - AF Ablations - Devices (Pacemakers, Defibrillators,...) - Epicardial LV leads - AICD - Lead removal
Heart Surgery | Bypass Surgery | Aortic Valve Replacement | Mitral Valve Repair |

Sacha Pierre Salzberg was born in Geneva (1970) and grew up in Switzerland, America and Belgium. He received his Matura in Brussels. He then studied medicine at the Université Libre de Bruxelles. After studying in Belgium, he returned to Switzerland to train as a cardiac surgeon. There he began training at the University Hospital Zurich under Prof. Marco Turina. This was followed by a three-year research stay at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York under Dr. David Adams (Past President AATS).

Prof. Volkmar Falk promoted him to senior staff physician at the University Hospital Zurich in 2008. He received his habilitation (senior lecturer) in 2009 on minimally invasive heart surgery ("New Strategies & Surgical Techniques in Mitral Valve Disease, Atrial Fibrillation and Heart Failure"). From 2012 he moved to Amsterdam to further train in the interdisciplinary atrial fibrillation therapy, in particular the Thoracoscopic techniques. After returning to Switzerland, he worked in the starting team of the HerzKlinik Hirslanden from 2013 as an attending physician for classic heart operations and minimally invasive heart surgery.

In 2019 he decided to found the Heart & Rhythm Center. His longtime mentor Dr. van Boven and the electrophysiologist Dr. Zerm joined the center.

Prof. Salzberg grew up multilingual. He lives privately in Zurich, is happily married and is the proud father of three children.

Languages: German, English, French, Dutch and Italian

Professional experience 

since 2019 Founder, Heart & Rhythm Center, Zurich
Consultant, Centre Cardiothoracique de Monaco (CCM), Monaco, MC
since 2012 Visiting Staff, Academic Medical Center (AMC), Amsterdam, NL
2013 – 2019 Consultant, HerzKlinik, Klinik Hirslanden
2008 – 2012 Assistant Professor, Prof. V. Falk, Klinik für Herz und Gefässchirurgie, Universitätsspital Zürich
2006 – 2007 Chief Resident, Prof. M. Genoni, Klinik für Herz und Gefässchirurgie, Triemli Spital
2003 – 2005 Research Fellow, Post Doctoral Fellow, Cardiothoracic Surgery, David H. Adams, M.D., Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York (USA)
2003 – 2005 Resident, Prof. Marko I. Turina, Klinik für Herz und Gefässchirurgie, Universitätsspital Zürich
2000 – 2001 Resident, Prof. Marko I. Turina, Klinik für Herz und Gefässchirurgie, Universitätsspital Zürich
1999 – 2000 Resident, Prof. Jacques Brotchi, Department of Neurosurgery, Hôpital Erasme, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Belgium (BE)
1999 – 1999 Visiting Scientist, Sam LeBauer, M.D., Department of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology, Moses Cone Hospital, University of North Carolina (UNC), Greensboro NC (USA)

Studies and diplomas 


2017 Titularprofessur, Universität Zürich
2010 “Venia Legendi” from the University of Zurich
2010 Specialist in Cardiac and Thoracic Vascular surgery  (EU & CH)
2007 Basis Examen Chirurgie (FMH)
2000 Doktor in Medizin, M.D., Université Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium)
Memberships:

  • Founding Member vom YSCS (Young Swiss Cardiac Surgeons Club) unter der Schweizer Gesellschaft für Herzchirurgie (SGH)
  • European Association of Cardio Thoracic Surgery (EACTS)
  • European Association of Cardio Thoracic Surgery (EACTS)
  • Federatio Medico Helvetica (FMH)
  • International Society of Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery (ISMICS)
  • Member of the Adult Cardiac Domain EACTS (European Association of Cardiothoracic Surgery)
  • Siwss Cardiac Surgery Society
  • Society of Thoracic Surgery (STS)
  • Swiss Society of Cardiology (SGK)
  • Zürich Doctors Society (AGZ)
Publications