Dr. Rocco J. Lafaro, MD

Expert Publications

• Successful management of an aneurysmal aortoesophageal fistula.
• Recurrence of renal cell carcinoma with extensive vena caval thrombus three years after radical nephrectomy.
• Atherosclerotic pseudoaneurysm of the ascending aorta.
• Multimodality cardiac imaging of a patient with syncope.
• Repair of Circumflex Aortic Arch in an Adult.
• Extracardiac Fontan Operation Through a Right Thoracotomy.
• Pretreatment of human myocardium with adenosine during open heart surgery.
• Cardiac cavernous hemangioma mimicking pericardial cyst: atypical echocardiographic appearance of a rare cardiac tumor.
• Malignant renal tumor with extension to the inferior vena cava.

Media Releases

Get to know Cardiothoracic Surgeon Dr. Rocco J. Lafaro, who serves patients in New York. 

Dr. Lafaro is a board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon who has over 30 years of experience in his field. In addition to his affiliation with Westchester Medical Center, he serves as Director of Cardiothoracic Surgery at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx. St. Barnabas Hospital, a 422-bed, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, acute care community hospital and Level 2 Trauma Center, is authorized to treat the most critically ill and severely injured patients. As a New York State-designated Stroke Center and State-designated AIDS Center, it provides access to much-needed services in the community.

A 1982 graduate of the New York Medical College in Valhalla, Dr. Lafaro went on to complete his residency at Westchester Medical Center, followed by his fellowship at Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center. Thereafter, he became board-certified in thoracic and cardiac surgery by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery, an American surgical organization devoted to surgery of the chest. Moreover, he holds a membership with several professional organizations, including the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons.

Pertaining to his philanthropic endeavors, Dr. Lafaro is involved with the Association for the Protection of Animals and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Cardiothoracic surgery is the field of medicine involved in the surgical treatment of organs inside the thorax. Cardiothoracic surgeons are medical doctors who specialize in surgical procedures inside the thorax, which may involve the heart, lungs, esophagus, and other organs in the chest. Alongside performing surgery, they also diagnose and treat diseases of these organs. 

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