Firas F. Mussa, MD, MS, FACS

Biography

Dr. Mussa is nationally and internationally recognized as a thought leader in the treatment of aortic dissection. In 2023, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) awarded Dr. Mussa along with colleagues from SUNY Downstate and Duke University, the IMPROVE-AD trial. This is a multi-center, multi-million dollar, seven-year, randomized controlled trial examining the treatment efficacy of upfront thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair (TEVAR) as compared to Standard of Care with medical therapy with selective TEVAR for patients with uncomplicated Type B aortic dissection (uTBAD). The primary outcomes of the trial were defined as: all-cause mortality and major aortic complications (MAC) at 4 years. IMPROVE-AD will be the most definitive study to address the management of uTBAD along with ancillary studies addressing genetics, imaging and economic/quality of life outcomes.  Funding of this trial was built, in part,  on a decade long effort by Dr. Mussa to demonstrate the unmet need and the national interest in such trial.

Prior to that, Dr. Mussa was the first physician from New York to become a member of the prestigious International Registry of Aortic Dissection (IRAD) and leading NYU to become the first in the state dedicated for the treatment of this potentially fatal condition. He is currently involved in leading the Genetically Triggered Aortic Conditions Alliance (GenTAC Alliance) as a NHLBI-private partnership to study inherited aortic disease.

Having published extensively in both basic and clinical research, he has presented around the world. His areas of clinical expertise include open and complex endovascular repair of thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms, type B aortic dissections, carotid artery stenosis, lower extremity ischemia, mesenteric ischemia, and venous insufficiency and varicose veins.

He is a Distinguished Member of the Society of Vascular Surgery and serves as Distinguished Reviewer for the Journal of Vascular Surgery. Most recently, Dr. Mussa holds joint appointment with the Imperial College in London.

Dr. Mussa’s ultimate passion is educating the next generation of leaders in vascular surgery. He has been actively involved teaching, mentoring and training medical students, residents and fellows.