About Shinya Unai, MD

Shinya Unai, MD, is a surgeon in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Sydell and Arnold Miller Family Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute. He sees patients at Cleveland Clinic Main Campus.

Specialty Interests: Adult cardiac surgery, complex re-operative heart surgery, surgery of the aorta/root, endocarditis, heart/lung transplantation, ventricular assist device (LVAD and RVAD), extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG), valve repair and replacement, minimally invasive cardiac surgery

Number of Patients Treated:  Cleveland Clinic performs more than 4,000 heart surgeries each year. All Cleveland Clinic cardiac surgeons complete between 300-400 cardiac cases per year.  Dr. Unai's procedures include lung transplants, LVAD implants and heart transplants.

Success Rates: Cleveland Clinic Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute surgeons consistently achieve lower-than-expected in-hospital mortality based on the age of our patients, the severity of their illness and their general health condition. Cleveland Clinic ranks among the 1% of US hospitals that earned a 3-star (highest) score in all 3 categories of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons’ risk-adjusted quality ratings for adult cardiac surgery and in lobectomy for lung cancer.

Education and Training:  Dr. Unai earned his medical degree from the University of Tokyo School of Medicine, Toyko, Japan. He served a general surgery residency followed by a cardiovascular surgery residency at Mitsui Memorial Hospital, Tokyo, serving as Chief Resident during his final year of training. Dr. Unai continued his specialty training as a cardiovascular surgery fellow at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia Pa. He completed his training as a clinical associate in minimally invasive, complex adult cardiac surgery, heart/lung transplantation and aortic surgery at Cleveland Clinic. He joined the Cleveland Clinic staff in 2017.

Research and Publications: Dr. Unai has participated in multiple studies related to outcomes for complex heart surgeries and heart failure. Since 2015 he has been participating in a Cleveland Clinic study of a modified surgical approach for treatment of endocarditis. Dr. Unai has authored or co-authored nearly two dozen papers published in leading medical journals, primarily focused on his surgical specialties such as LVAD, mitral valve repair and complex heart surgery. He also has made numerous presentations at major medical meetings in the United States, Europe and Japan.

About Dr. Unai: “I became a heart surgeon because I wanted to help people. Many of our patients are incredibly sick, but it is a true privilege to be able to make a positive impact on their lives using the skills that I learned from long years of training. I believe good communication and working as a team with the patient in the center is the key to good outcomes.”

Leisure Activities: In his leisure time, Dr. Unai enjoys spending time with his family, playing the piano and skiing.

Call 216.445.5902

Treatment & Services

• Adult Cardiothoracic Surgery
• Adult Congenital Heart Disease, Surgery
• Adult Congenital Heart Surgery
• Aorta Graft
• Aorta Surgery
• Aortic Dissection
• Aortic Valve Repair
• Aortic Valve Replacement
• Aortic Valve Surgery
• Arterial Coronary Artery Bypass Graft

Specialty in Diseases & Conditions

• Acquired Adult Cardiac Disease
• Acquired Valve Disease
• Adult Congenital Heart Disease
• Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency
• Aorta Disease
• Aortic Aneurysms
• Aortic Regurgitation
• Aortic Stenosis
• Aortic Valve Disease
• Aortic Valve Regurgitation

Source: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/staff/19806-shinya-unai