Sotirios Prapas

Sotirios Prapas is a Greek cardiac surgeon.

Education

Prapas graduated from the Medical School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and had his training in Cardiothoracic Surgery under Professor Panayiotis Spyrou at the “G. Papanikolaou” Hospital in Thessaloniki. He continued his postgraduate training at the “Royal Brompton” Hospital of London for two years and worked as a consultant at the “Onassis Cardiac Surgery Centre” for 8 years. He organized in 2001, the Department of Cardiac Surgery at the “Henry Dunant” Hospital and is the Director ever since.

Career

He is known as a pioneer in Off-pump coronary surgery (OPCAB), using the arterial “π-graft” technique, which he inspired as supplemental to the OPCAB method, by applying Off-Pump, aorta non-touch, and total arterial revascularization, which proved to be safe and superior to the classic On-Pump by-pass for high risk and young patients. In 2005, Dr. Prapas, was the first to have implemented in Greece, a combination of an Off-Pump surgical treatment and autologous bone-marrow implantation which appears to improve the patients’ functional status. His academic work consists of numerous full text papers and abstract publications in International Medical Journals, presentations in many International Congresses, many lectures around the world, as well as, a series of live demonstrations in over 20 Centers abroad of the “π-graft” technique. He holds a PhD of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and has taught in the European School of Cardiac Surgery in Bergamo in 2009. Along with Prof. M. Tourina, were assigned by the “Razavi Hospital” Board of Directors, to establish the “Iranian School for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery”, in Mashhad, Iran. Chairman of the 18th W.S.C.T.S. Congress in Kos island, Greece in 2008. Chancellor of “THE EURO-ASIAN BRIDGE” Society, a link between Cardiac Surgeons from 28 countries, from Balkans and Middle East, which he personally inspired and created in 2004, promoting the cooperation and friendship among neighbour colleagues. Since 2012, is the Vice Chancellor of the World Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons (W.S.C.T.S). He is also member in 10 international societies, including the American STS, the ISMICS, the Europeans’ E.A.C.T.S. and ESCVS, the ASCVTS and others.