Geoffery A. Answini, MD, FACS

Dr. Answini is a minimally invasive cardiothoracic surgeon and one of very few cardiac surgeons in the Greater Cincinnati area who performs robotic surgery. Born and raised in Allentown, Pennsylvania, he graduated from medical school at Temple University in Philadelphia after completing his undergraduate degree at Auburn University. He continued his training at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, for his residency in general surgery, followed by a two-year fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery and robotic surgery at St. Louis University. He joined Ohio Heart & Vascular Center in July of 2003.

Dr. Answini’s father was a professor of anatomy and physiology at Cookstown; a small university in Pennsylvania. He tutored and advised students who were preparing to apply for medical school. "After I was exposed to this during my high school and college years, I got hooked. It was a job that seemed very dynamic. Things were constantly changing, and they still are. You’re always on the cutting-edge of these really neat technologies which are coming down the pipeline."

He also attributes some of his fascination with the heart and how it works to the fact that he was an athlete in college. In fact, he was an All-American swimmer at Auburn University, while also graduating magna cum laude in biology and chemistry.

In his subsequent residency, cardiac surgery was the field that most interested him. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, minimally invasive procedures were still at the infancy stages. "I felt it was a great area for me—offering patients treatment options that were not done in high frequency at that time."

Robotic surgeries could enable patients to have a quicker recovery. "It’s a skill I can bring to the table to help people. In the field that I’m in, the patients are often in dire straits. Having the ability to improve their condition is incredibly rewarding. At the end of the day, it’s just a good feeling to know that you’ve helped someone’s mom or father or grandmother or grandfather."

Dr. Answini is one of very few cardiac surgeons in the area who performs these procedures:

LV Lead Placements
Mitral Valve Surgery
Atrial Septal Defect Surgery
Atrial Myxoma
Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting
TMR
Lung Resections
Lobectomy
Biopsies
Decortications
Afib Treatments
Nissen Furdoplication
Heller Myotomy
Thymectomy
Sympathectomy

Aneurysm Endovascular Stent Grafting

Board Certifications

American Board of General and Thoracic Surgery

Education

Undergraduate
Auburn University

Medical Degree
Temple University of Medicine
Philadelphia, PA

Residency
Carolinas Medical Center
Charlotte, NC

Fellowship
Cardiothoracic Surgery
St. Louis University