Marc W. Gerdisch, MD
Professor of Clinical Surgery
- Address
-
Indiana University Health, Division of Cardiovascular Surgery
1801 Senate Blvd., Suite 3300
Indianapolis, IN 46202 - PubMed:
-
Bio
Dr. Gerdisch currently serves as Director of Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery and Professor of Surgery at Indiana University School of Medicine, within the Division of Cardiovascular Surgery at Indiana University Health. He received his medical degree from Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine in Maywood, Illinois, where he also completed his general surgery residency and his cardiovascular and thoracic surgery fellowship. During his fellowship, he was awarded the Keeley Fellowship to train in mitral valve repair and biomechanical assist devices at L'Hôpital Broussaïs in Paris, France.
Prior to joining Indiana University in April 2026, Dr. Gerdisch served as Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Franciscan Health Indianapolis beginning in 2006, where he developed a nationally recognized center for heart valve repair and innovation, including lead enrollment in multiple pivotal trials and first-in-man devices. He also held the role of Clinical Associate Professor of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at Loyola University Medical Center.
His clinical focus is valve surgery with emphasis on minimally invasive procedures and includes heart valve repair and replacement, surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation, multi-valve redo operations, transcatheter procedures, and complex aortic root reconstruction. He is recognized for combining minimally invasive and advanced sternal closure techniques with rapid mobilization and enhanced recovery, even for the most complex patients.
Dr. Gerdisch's research focuses are next-generation valve devices and repair, regenerative valve technology, surgical management of atrial fibrillation, anticoagulation strategies for mechanical valves, and Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS). He has served as institutional principal investigator on more than 25 peer-reviewed clinical trials and registries, and national principal investigator for the CorVivo Natev regenerative valve, the On-X Aortic Valve Post-Approval Registry, and co-PI for the international LEAAPS Trial. Dr. Gerdisch has contributed to more than 70 peer-reviewed publications. he has been instrumental in developing a multi-institution database to assess success in the management of atrial fibrillation.
Dr. Gerdisch is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the American College of Cardiology, and the Heart Rhythm Society. He is a founding advisory board member of the ERAS Cardiac Society and serves on the Oversight Committee of the Matthew Gerdisch Fellowship in Arrhythmia Surgery (AATS). He trains surgeons nationally and internationally in heart valve repair and the surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation.
Key Publications
- Gerdisch MW, Hagberg RC, Perchinsky MJ, et al. Low-dose warfarin with a novel mechanical aortic valve: Interim registry results at 5-year follow-up. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2024 Dec;168(6):1645–1655.e6.
- Puskas JD, Gerdisch MW, Nichols D, et al. Reduced Anticoagulation After Mechanical Aortic Valve Replacement: Interim Results From the PROACT Randomized FDA IDE Trial. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2014;147(4):1202–1210.
- Engelman DT, Ben Ali W, Williams JB, … Gerdisch MW, et al. Guidelines for Perioperative Care in Cardiac Surgery: ERAS Society Recommendations. JAMA Surg. 2019;154(8):755–766.
- Gerdisch MW, Allen KB, Naka Y, et al. Orthopedic Principles to Facilitate Enhanced Recovery After Cardiac Surgery. Crit Care Clin. 2020;36(4):617–630.
- Allen KB, Thourani VH, Naka Y, … Gerdisch MW, et al. Randomized, multicenter trial comparing sternotomy closure with rigid plate fixation to wire cerclage. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2017;153(4):888–896.
- Gerdisch MW, Garrett HE, Mumtaz MA, et al. Prophylactic Left Atrial Appendage Exclusion in Cardiac Surgery Patients With Elevated CHA2DS2-VASc Score: Results of the Randomized ATLAS Trial. Innovations. 2022;17(6):463–470.
- Ad N, Romano MA, … Gerdisch M. The ICE-AFIB trial: A multicenter prospective IDE trial using cryosurgical ablation for atrial fibrillation during concomitant cardiac surgery. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2025.
- Gerdisch MW, Reece TB, Emerson D, et al. Early Results of Geometric Ring Annuloplasty for Bicuspid Aortic Valve Repair during Aortic Aneurysm Surgery. JTCVS Techniques. 2022.
- Gerdisch MW, Boyd WD, Harlan JL, et al. Early Experience Treating Tricuspid Valve Endocarditis with a Novel Extracellular-Matrix Cylinder Reconstruction. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2014;148(6):3042–3048.
| Year | Degree | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Fellowship | Loyola University Medical Center |
| 1992 | Residency | Loyola University Medical Center |
| 1987 | MD | Loyola University Chicago |
| 1981 | BS | Loyola University Chicago |
Dr. Gerdisch's research centers on advancing the safety, durability, and accessibility of cardiac surgery through device innovation and refined surgical technique. Major areas of investigation include:
- Next-generation heart valve devices, including regenerative (extracellular matrix) valve technology, geometric ring annuloplasty for aortic valve repair, and novel mechanical valve platforms
- Anticoagulation strategies for mechanical heart valves, including the PROACT and PROACT Xa trials
- Surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation, including the Cox-Maze IV procedure, energy sources for ablation, and left atrial appendage management (ATLAS, ICE-AFIB, LeAAPS, TRAC-AF)
- Minimally invasive cardiac surgery, including the Mini-Mitral International Registry Sternal closure biomechanics and rigid plate fixation to support enhanced recovery and eliminate sternal precautions
- Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols specific to cardiac surgery, including the F4 (Fast Forward to Full Function) framework
- Minimally invasive cardiac surgery
- Heart valve repair and replacement (mitral, aortic, tricuspid)
- Multi-valve and reoperative cardiac surgery
- Surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation (Cox-Maze IV)
- Left atrial appendage management
- Aortic root and aortic valve repair
- Transcatheter and hybrid valve procedures
- Sternal rigid plate fixation and advanced closure techniques
- Enhanced Recovery After Cardiac Surgery (ERAS Cardiac)