Community Leader

COMMUNITY leader

ALL HEART Dr. Nidal Abi Rafeh

By Liesel Schmidt

Being a physician is one of the most difficult professions in the world, requiring so many characteristics, not the least among them dedication, determination, empathy, and clear-headedness. It takes years of sacrifice and long hours to make it through internship and residency, and so many hopefuls realize that they simply don’t have what it takes. For those who do, it is passion that drives them through the challenges and the frustrations, the cases that seem to have no solution, the patients that pull at their hearts, and the endless periods of high tension. It is passion that keeps them going strong, and passion that makes them the greatest advocates for their patients.

For Dr. Nidal Abi Rafeh, passion is what has driven him to the top of his field as a cardiologist, making him world renown for his expertise in the performance of complex and high-risk Chronic Total Occlusion Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (CTO PCI), a minimally invasive technique that is used to treat patients with complete blockages of the coronary arteries caused by plaque buildup that compromises blood flow to the heart.

A native of Lebanon, Abi Rafeh’s story is an international one that proves determination to see his dreams through to fruition. “I put in a lot of hard work and made a lot of sacrifices to achieve my goals,” he says. “I spent countless hours on research after class, training and work so I could provide people care and treatments that can change their lives.”

After earning a medical degree from the Lebanese University School of Medicine in Lebanon, he moved to the U.S. in 2004 to complete an internship, residency as chief resident and fellowship as chief fellow in cardiovascular medicine through Staten Island University Hospital in New York. From there, he completed a second fellowship in interventional cardiology at Tulane University in New Orleans. Now certified in interventional cardiology and as a diplomate in cardiovascular disease by the American Board of Internal Medicine, Abi Rafeh also is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology. In practice since 2012, Abi Rafeh’s skill in the field of cardiology has become an asset to the team at North Oaks Cardiology Clinic. His path has included the Lebanese Hospital Geitaoui-University Medical Center in Beirut, Lebanon; Tulane University School of Medicine; Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System in New Orleans; and St. George HospitalUniversity Medical Center in Beirut.

Clearly, his expertise has been in high demand; and Abi Rafeh is highly regarded in research and education relevant to CTO PCI. He currently serves as a consultant and complex CTO PCI physician proctor for multiple companies and co-chairs the American Progress CTO Registry for the MENATA Chapter (Middle East, North Africa, Turkey and Asia). He is also a past director and founder of Tulane Medical Center’s CTO program.

Throughout his career, Abi Rafeh has been dedicated to sharing his knowledge and expertise with future generations of physicians. His commitment to doing so has seen him as an adjunct Assistant Professor of Medicine, faculty member and interventionalist with The Heart and Vascular Institute at Tulane University School of Medicine, and associate professor of medicine for Balamand University School of Medicine in Beirut.

He also serves on the editorial board of multiple peer review journals in addition to contributing to several research books and articles for peerreviewed journals, including The Lancet, Journal of Women’s Health, Journal for Healthcare Quality, and the International Journal of Cardiology.

Interestingly, Abi Rafeh has been a lover of cardiology since he was a child. “I know its cliché, but I’ve been fascinated by the dynamics of the heart since I was a little kid,” he says. That deep-seated passion is clear in his dogged pursuit of knowledge, his growing expertise, and his desire to keep moving forward in technology, innovation, and technique for patient care and treatment options. For Abi Rafeh, it’s not just a career—it’s a calling. “I love the challenge of cardiology because it’s a specialty with multiple areas of focus,” he says. “From reading heart images with radiology and reviewing lab work with patients in the clinic to performing innovative heart surgeries and procedures alongside our Cath Lab team, interventional cardiology can make a difference in someone’s life quickly. That is what drives me every day.”

As prestigious as his career has been, Abi Rafeh gives praise to a higher power. “I credit the Lord with everything that has happened in my life, from my family to my career,” he says. “My greatest pride is what the Lord has provided me. He gave me everything, and He can take it all at any time.”

Naturally, moving to the U.S. after a lifetime in his home country was not easy, but Abi Rafeh recognized the opportunities for himself and his family—specifically along the NorthShore. “When it came time to plant roots for our family, my wife and I considered numerous opportunities across the U.S.,” he says. “We chose the NorthShore area because of the kindness and hospitality. You can never go wrong raising your children in this environment.”

For the people in his care, Abi Rafeh is a gift, a kind-hearted warrior in a battle for their lives. With a smile, he offers reassurance. With his words, he gives hope. In this day and age of so much worry, that hope is a lifeline. says. “Sometimes it's best to give them the tools, the resources, and the latitude to let them do what they do.”

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