Surgery: Cardiovascular Surgery Expert Witnesses: 5

Dr. Thomas J. Berger, was board certified in 1981 as a cardiac surgeon by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery and has been involved, as an expert, in over 300 medical malpractice cases. Most of this experience has been since 1998, when his firm, Heart of the Matter Expertise, began to gain recognition, within the legal community, as the premier expert witness service for cases involving cardiac surgery and cardio-thoracic disease.

Areas of Expertise:

• Cardiovascular Surgery
• Cardiology
• Surgery - General
• Thoracic Surgery

Mission Statement

To see that the truth about every case, in which an associate of Heart of the Matter Expertise becomes involved, is uncovered and understood, whether this means assuring justice for a poorly treated patient or protecting the precious reputation of an unfairly accused physician.

Robert A. Ertner, MD, is a Board Certified, fellowship-trained Cardiac Anesthesiologist in full-time clinical practice at a Northern California county hospital that serves as a level 2 trauma center. Dr. Ertner has been a certified Echocardiographer for 15 years. He specializes in Cardiac and Thoracic surgical procedures for which he is fellowship-trained.

Background: Dr. Ertner has previously served as an academic physician teaching residents in both MD and CRNA programs.  He has served as a locum tenens anesthesiologist performing direct care and both supervising and directing CRNAs, and presently provides care to over 700 patients each year. He provides Spinal, Epidural, Regional, and General Anesthesia for patients undergoing cardiovascular and thoracic procedures as well as general, orthopedic, bariatric, urologic, vascular, otorhinolaryngological (ENT), ophthalmologic, gynecologic, and neurologic surgery in both the hospital inpatient and outpatient surgery center settings.   He provides care for obstetric patients in the labor and delivery suites and operating rooms.  Additionally, he provides care for a variety of procedures performed “out-of-department,” such as in the cardiac catheterization suites, the interventional radiology suites, and CT and MRI cases.  

Dr. Ertner maintains licenses in California where his practice is located, as well as in Texas and Georgia, where he trained, and in Missouri and Oregon. He was awarded Diplomat status by the National Board of Echocardiography in 2007.

Litigation Support: Dr. Ertner has been involved in medical-legal work since 2014. He has reviewed cases for attorneys representing both plaintiff and defense. Dr. Ertner has consulted on over 85 cases, including preparation of affidavits, forensic report writing, and providing testimony at deposition and trial. He works with clients to offer both an understanding of the relevant medicine (anatomy, pathophysiology, pharmacology, etc.) and how to think about what information they need to seek going forward as they pursue their cases.

Areas of Expertise:

Anesthesiology Cardiac Anesthesiology Thoracic Anesthesiology Peripheral Nerve Block Epidural Anesthesia Spinal Anesthesia Airway Management

Airway Trauma Intubation Transesophageal Echocardiography Nerve Injury Bronchospasm Laryngospasm Cardiac Arrest and Resuscitation

Elite Medical Experts is a physician-led team that hand selects nationally recognized Professors of Medicine and Surgery as expert witnesses. Each expert is a board-certified specialist with a busy clinical practice and impeccable credentials.  From Stanford to Yale, and from every healthcare specialty and field, Elite aligns leading specialists from top-tier medical universities.

Actionable benefits to our clients:

     ♦  Zero-Risk Guarantee:  Approve the expert or we'll refund the fee.

     ♦  Avoid costly mistakes with real-time access to our physician-led Strategy Team.

     ♦  No subscriptions - we earn trust one case at a time.

     ♦  Work directly with hand-selected university experts screened for your specific case.

     ♦  No database or advertised experts - we plan for discovery and transparency at every stage.

Please call [877] 670-8625 to speak directly with our in-house Case Strategy Team. There's no charge for phone or video consultation consultation and we'll outline a a strategic plan for moving forward.

Dr. Burton Bentley II, M.D., FAAEM
CEO, Elite Medical Experts

Areas of Expertise:

Anesthesiology Bariatric Surgery Cardiology Cardiothoracic Surgery Critical Care COVID-19 (SARS Cov-2; Coronavirus) Dermatology and Aesthetic Dermatology Ears, Nose & Throat (Otolaryngology) Emergency Medicine Endocrinology Epidemiology Family Medicine Gastroenterology General Surgery Gerontology Gynecologic Oncology Gynecology Hand Surgery Hospital Medicine (Hospitalist) Infectious Disease Intensive Care (ICU) Medicine Internal Medicine Interventional Radiology Laparoscopic Surgery Maternal-Fetal Medicine

Neonatology Nephrology Neurology Neurosurgery Obstetrics Oncology Ophthalmology Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Orthodontics Orthopedic (Orthopaedic) Surgery Pathology Pediatric Surgery Pediatrics Perinatology Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PMR) Podiatry Psychiatry Pulmonology (Pulmonary Medicine) Radiology Rheumatology Sports Medicine Toxicology Transplant Surgery Trauma Surgery Urology Vascular Surgery

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Alexander R. Marmureanu, MD, is a prominent Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeon, with a special expertise in the field of minimally invasive surgery where he developed and pioneered several techniques and procedures. He maintains a busy and active cardiothoracic surgery practice performing over 400 surgical cases per year with outstanding results.

Litigation Support - Dr. Marmureanu provides expert witness case review for issues involving Cardiothoracic Medical Malpractice. His services are available to counsel representing both Plaintiff and Defense.

Education and Background Experience - Dr. Marmureanu completed his General Surgery Residency and a research fellowship at New York University Medical Center in New York City. He continued his surgical training at Mount Sinai Medical Center, also in New York City, where he was actively involved in the field of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery research. His cardiothoracic surgery fellowship was completed at UCLA, where he continued to practice as UCLA faculty/Clinical Instructor, and then joined Cedars Sinai Medical staff.

Achievements - Dr. Marmureanu is nationally and internationally recognized in the field of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery and has authored numerous research papers and clinical publications. He has built several very successful cardiothoracic surgery programs, and appeared as guest speaker on numerous TV and radio shows discussing the benefits of cutting edge surgical techniques as well as the advantages of minimally invasive surgery for the thoracic and cardiovascular patients. He is a member of multiple organizations Boards and committees, both nationally and internationally.

View Dr. Marmureanu's Consulting Profile.

Andrew J. Manganaro, MD has been a board certified Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeon for more than 25 years. He has experience in all areas of adult cardiac, vascular, and thoracic surgery, and has cared for more than 10,000 patients in his practice.

Litigation Support - Dr. Manganaro has more than 15 years of experience in medical expert opinions for both plaintiffs and defendants. His services include medical record review, written reports, depositions, and trial testimony as needed. He is licensed to practice in Ohio, Michigan, Delaware, New Mexico, Illinois, New York, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, and North Dakota.

Areas of Expertise:

Cardiac Surgery Pulmonary Surgery Esophageal Surgery

Trauma Surgery Vascular Surgery Endovascular Surgery