USF Division of Cardiothoracic and Transplantation Surgery

Dr. Haytham Elgharably is a cardiothoracic and transplantation surgeon at USF Health, where he serves as Associate Professor and Surgical Director of the Lung Transplantation Program in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Transplantation. He has extensive experience in adult cardiac surgery including complex reoperations, radiation heart disease, infective endocarditis, pulmonary endarterectomy and lung transplantation. Prior to joining USF Health, Dr. Elgharably was a staff surgeon and quality officer in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute and Surgical Director of the Endocarditis Center. He earned his Doctor of Medicine (MD) from Zagazig University in Egypt and completed a cardiothoracic surgery residency at the National Heart Institute in Cairo. Dr. Elgharably completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at The Ohio State University, an integrated thoracic surgery residency at the Cleveland Clinic and earned his PhD from Case Western Reserve University. His research focus spans both translational and clinical studies and has co-authored numerous book chapters and nearly 100 peer-reviewed papers in leading medical and surgical journals. Dr. Elgharably presents nationally and internationally on cardiac surgery and lung transplantation. He was inducted into the American Association of Thoracic Surgery (AATS) and named a fellow of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) in 2025. Dr. Elgharably is dedicated to providing transparent, state-of-the-art and compassionate care and high-quality research while committed to educating the next generation of surgeons.

Dr. Leonardo (Leo) da Costa is a highly trained cardiothoracic surgeon at USF Health. Dr. da Costa has extensive experience in transcatheter therapies, including transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and minimally invasive structural heart procedures. He has served as a proctor, training surgeons nationwide in these techniques. Dr. da Costa’s work in the medical industry has resulted in patented devices addressing critical cardiovascular needs. As an assistant professor at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, Dr. da Costa is dedicated to providing transparent, state-of-the-art care focused on each patient’s well-being.