Dr. med. Nikolaos Kalampokas, MUDr., HRM, M.Sc.
Cardiac Surgeon
Academic Brilliance
Dr. Kalampokas graduated from the Faculty of Medicine of Comenius University in Bratislava in 2013. Following his initial training in General, Visceral and Trauma Surgery in Germany, he joined the Department of Cardiac Surgery at the University Hospital of Düsseldorf in 2017, where he completed his specialist training and obtained Board Certification in Cardiac Surgery in 2024. Since 2018, he has also been actively involved in academic teaching at the Medical Faculty of Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf.
His academic development includes a Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Heart Failure, Cardio-Oncology and Cardiovascular Rehabilitation. In 2024, he was awarded his Doctorate (Dr. med.) by Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, with research focusing on cannulation strategies and outcomes in postcardiotomy veno-arterial ECMO.
Specialization and Expertise
Dr. Kalampokas has developed particular expertise in advanced heart failure and mechanical circulatory support. His clinical experience includes ECLS/ECMO, IABP, Impella, TandemHeart, ventricular assist devices (VAD), total artificial heart systems and heart transplantation, as well as endoscopic vein and artery harvesting techniques.
Following his Board Certification, he continued as a Cardiac Surgeon at the University Hospital of Düsseldorf. He became a certified member of the Heart Explantation Team for heart transplantation of the German Organ Procurement Organization (DSO) and subsequently joined the TAVR Program within the Structural Heart Disease Heart Team as an implanter. In 2026, he also obtained Board Certification in Intensive Care Medicine.
Research and Publications
Research forms an important part of Dr. Kalampokas’s academic career. His scientific work focuses particularly on postcardiotomy extracorporeal life support, ECMO, ventricular assist devices, advanced heart failure and heart transplantation.
He has contributed to numerous scientific publications and international multicenter studies and has participated as a co-investigator in clinical research involving advanced mechanical circulatory support technologies, including the Aeson Total Artificial Heart and Brio VAD systems. He is also a member of the Digital Health Lab in Cardiac Surgery at the University Hospital of Düsseldorf and a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Thessaly.
Through his combination of cardiac surgical training, advanced heart failure expertise, intensive care experience and active scientific research, Dr. Kalampokas brings a broad and modern clinical background to the Cardiac Innovation Center.