In the Operating Room: The Surgical Impact of Dr. Alexandra Kharazi

When the stakes are highest in cardiac care, precision, experience, and decisiveness make all the difference. Dr. Alexandra Kharazi is one of the few surgeons in San Diego whose reputation is built not simply on clinical promise, but on a record of navigating the most complex, high-risk cardiothoracic cases with confidence. For patients facing severe valve disease, coronary blockages, aortic pathology, or failing hearts, her name often represents the line between uncertainty and hope.

A Board-Certified Surgeion with Depth in Cardiothoracic Surgery

Dr. Kharazi holds board certification in both general surgery and cardiothoracic surgery, reflecting the broad foundation required to master thoracic and cardiovascular procedures.  Her institutional affiliations include multiple leading hospitals in the San Diego region, and she operates across several campuses to serve diverse patient populations. 

She has published in esteemed journals like The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Innovations: Technology and Techniques in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, and Journal of Innovations in Cardiac Rhythm Management.  These peer-reviewed contributions reflect her engagement not just as a clinician, but as a surgical scientist who remains current with evolving techniques and technologies.

Signature Procedures & High-Stakes Interventions

As a cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr. Kharazi’s procedural repertoire includes some of the most technically demanding operations in cardiac and thoracic surgery. Below are examples of what she routinely performs — and what her patients entrust her with.

1. Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG)

Coronary artery bypass grafting remains a backbone of revascularization in patients with multi-vessel coronary disease. In CABG, Dr. Kharazi creates alternative conduits (often using the internal mammary artery or saphenous vein grafts) to bypass stenotic or occluded coronary arteries, restoring adequate myocardial perfusion.

2. Heart Valve Surgery (Repair & Replacement)

Structural valve disease is a frequent cause of heart failure and symptomatic decline. Dr. Kharazi performs both valve repair and prosthetic valve replacement for aortic, mitral, and tricuspid valves. She’s adept at discerning when repair (preserving native tissue) is feasible versus when replacement is necessary with mechanical or bioprosthetic valves.

3. Aortic Surgery & Aortic Aneurysm Repair

Complex aortic disease demands mastery over open and hybrid approaches. Dr. Kharazi treats ascending aortic aneurysms, descending thoracic aneurysms, and associated aortic pathologies. A highlight case involved a Type A aortic dissection, a life-threatening emergency in which she resected the dissected segment of the aorta and reconstructed it with a synthetic graft — saving a patient who had a ticking time bomb in the chest. 

In that case, she had to act swiftly: the patient’s blood pressure was dropping, putting him at imminent risk of rupture. She placed him on cardiopulmonary bypass and replaced the torn aortic segment, restoring stability and enabling discharge in about a week. 

4. Mechanical Circulatory Support & Preoperative Planning

In patients with critically reduced cardiac output or cardiogenic shock, Dr. Kharazi incorporates mechanical circulatory support (MCS) — such as ventricular assist devices (VADs) or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) — to stabilize hemodynamics before definitive surgery. This integration of preoperative support with surgical planning helps mitigate perioperative risk in very fragile patients.

Life-or-Death Moment: “Ticking Time Bomb” Case

One of the most compelling testaments to Dr. Kharazi’s surgical acumen is the case described by Sharp HealthCare. A patient suffering an acute Type A aortic dissection came in with rapidly declining blood pressure — a scenario in which every minute counts. 

Because the mortality rate climbs 1–3% per hour in untreated Type A dissections, Dr. Kharazi and her team moved immediately. She initiated bypass, excised the dissected section of the ascending aorta, and reconstructed it with a synthetic graft. The patient’s life was saved, and within days, he was discharged to recover with his family. 

This example highlights not only technical skill but surgical judgment under pressure — the blending of speed, accuracy, and multidisciplinary coordination that defines elite cardiothoracic work.

Why Surgeons Like Her Matter

In the realm of heart disease — where every minute of ischemia, every fraction of structural compromise, every region of weakened wall or faulty valve counts — it is not enough to diagnose. The surgeon must intervene. Dr. Kharazi bridges from diagnosis to definitive repair, executing life-saving operations that restore function, reduce symptoms, and renew patients’ trajectories.

Her advantage lies not just in volume of cases, but in the complexity she embraces:

• She does primary and redo surgeries, tackling scar tissue, prior grafts, or failed prosthetic valves.

• She handles acute emergencies (e.g. dissections, ruptured aneurysms) and elective structural cases (e.g. aortic root replacement, valve reconstructions).

• She integrates mechanical support when necessary to stabilize a patient before, during, or after surgery.

• Through her publications, hospital work, and teaching, she remains at the forefront of surgical innovation and best practices.

Looking Forward: Surgical Excellence as Legacy

Because Dr. Alexandra Kharazi operates at the intersection of surgical risk, human vulnerability, and technological advancement, her work is inherently high-stakes. Each bypass graft, each valve replacement, each aortic repair is not just a procedure — it’s a promise of more heartbeats, healthier years, and the possibility of a life regained.

If you browse her website, you’ll see she describes herself not only as a surgeon but as someone who leads in innovation, patient satisfaction, and community impact.  Her dual engagement — in both complex cardiothoracic surgery and public heart health advocacy — yields a powerful narrative: she doesn’t just fix broken hearts — she obsesses over preventing them.

When you talk about “heart surgery” in San Diego, or cardiothoracic surgery with a surgeon who cares, Dr. Kharazi is a name that evokes credibility, strength, and hope. She’s living proof that elite surgical skill can — and should — live hand in hand with empathy, with humanity, and with the mission to heal lives one operation at a time.