Martin Strueber, MD, has been named Director, Cardiothoracic Transplant Surgery and Mechanical Circulatory Support, in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, an RWJBarnabas Health facility.
Dr. Strueber is an internationally renowned surgeon and researcher in the fields of heart failure and lung transplantation. Prior to joining Newark Beth Israel, he led the Heart and Lung Transplant program at Spectrum Health, in Grand Rapids, Michigan; prior to that he directed the Thoracic Organ Transplant and Mechanical Assist Device Program at Leipzig University, home to the largest lung transplant program in Europe; and was Clinical vice Director of Heart, Thoracic, Transplant and Vascular Surgery at Hannover Medical School, Hannover Germany.
“It is truly an honor to practice medicine alongside the highly-skilled physicians at Newark Beth Israel. I welcome the opportunity to collaborate with my colleagues on transformative medical breakthroughs and provide the highest quality care to our patients,” said Dr. Strueber.
Dr. Strueber has pioneered several unique lung transplant techniques that improve outcomes and access to transplant for young adults and people with smaller chest cavities.
He has also participated in various research studies of ventricular assist devices (VADs) that are now widely used throughout the United States; these devices support heart failure patients by artificially pumping blood to the heart.
“The addition of Dr. Martin Strueber to the cardiac surgical staff at Newark Beth Israel raises the bar of excellence and advances our role on the national and international stage, all for the benefit of our patients and the people of New Jersey,” said Dr. Craig Saunders, Chair, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center.
In his role at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, Dr. Strueber will perform general and complex cardiac surgery, heart transplants, lung transplants and ventricular assist device implants.
“Dr. Strueber’s skills and talents bolster our capabilities as we approach our milestone 1,000th heart transplant and continue to be the sole lung transplant program in the state of New Jersey,” says Darrell K. Terry, Sr., MHA, MPH, FACHE, President and Chief Executive Officer, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of New Jersey.
The transplant program at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center led by Dr. Mark J. Zucker, Director, Cardiothoracic Transplant; Dr. Margarita Camacho, Surgical Director of Heart Transplant; Dr. Jose C. Mendez, Medical Director of Heart Transplant; and Dr. Roh Yanagida, Surgical Director, Lung Transplant, is scheduled to reach its 1,000 heart transplant later this year. It is a milestone that only a few centers across the country have reached. The program at Newark Beth Israel is one of the ten largest programs in the country.
Dr. Strueber has published more than 180 peer-reviewed scientific articles. He has held several leadership positions within professional societies including Board of Directors, International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT); and President, European Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ESHLT).
