Dr. Tirone E. David is Professor of Surgery at the University of Toronto and Melanie Munk Chair of Cardiovascular Surgery at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre.
One of the world’s most acclaimed cardiac surgeons, he pioneered the valve-sparing aortic root replacement (“David operation”), now a global standard that preserves patients’ natural valves. Over four decades, he has developed numerous reconstructive cardiac procedures, published more than 480 peer-reviewed papers, authored surgical textbooks, and trained over 100 surgeons worldwide.
His many honours include Officer of the Order of Canada, the Order of Ontario, and Lifetime Achievement Awards from the American Association for Thoracic Surgery and CTSNet. Inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame in 2025, Dr. David continues to advance surgical innovation and clinical outcomes in aortic and valvular disease at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre.
- Doctor of Medicine (MD)
- Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada (FRCSC)
- Career-long leadership in surgical innovation and long-term outcome research spanning more than four decades
- Heart valve surgery
- Thoracic aortic surgery
- Valve-sparing aortic root replacement (“David operation”)
- Reconstructive procedures for valve disease, myocardial infarction complications, and thoracic aneurysms