Igor Gregorič
Photo: personal archive, Text: Kaja Stradovnik

Gregorič Igor

After completing his studies at the Faculty of Medicine in Ljubljana, Igor embarked on a successful career as a cardiovascular and cardiothoracic surgeon. He has lived and worked in the United States for over 30 years, but maintains strong links with his home country.

Professor Gregorič specialised in cardiovascular and cardiothoracic surgery at the University of Texas, Houston, which is one of the leading institutions for cardiovascular surgery, heart transplants and mechanical circulatory support. After completing his specialisation, he was invited to become a full member of a team headed by pioneering heart surgeon Professor Denton Cooley. Today he is a professor at the University of Texas at Houston, programme director at the Center for Advanced Heart Failure, and head of the surgical department at the Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center in Houston. He founded Medartis, a private medical centre in Nova Gorica, and is visiting professor at Belgrade Military Medical Academy.

Despite being based so far away, Dr Gregorič maintains close ties with Slovenia, helping to train future Slovenian physicians in the US. He is also organiser and co-organiser of large-scale conferences on vascular and heart surgery in Slovenia and elsewhere. He returns regularly to the country of his birth, often spending a large part of the year here with his family. Dr Gregorič’s most recent Slovenia-related project was a study of paediatric heart surgery at Ljubljana University Medical Centre, which he conducted in collaboration with an international team of surgical experts. The results of the study will be used to set up a centre for the treatment of children suffering from heart conditions in Ljubljana.