Associate Professor
Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Houston, Texas
Dr. Afifi is a distinguished vascular surgeon and an Associate Professor in the Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery at McGovern Medical School, with clinical affiliations at Memorial Hermann Hospital. She specializes in vascular and endovascular surgery, with a particular focus on complex aortic disease, women’s cardiovascular health, and pregnancy-associated aortic pathology.
Dr. Afifi graduated from Technion – Israel Institute of Technology in 2004 and completed her residency and vascular surgery training at Carmel Hospital. In 2013, she moved to the United States to pursue advanced fellowship training in complex aortic surgery at UTHealth Houston. She subsequently joined the faculty, where she has built an academic career focused on advancing multidisciplinary aortic care and improving outcomes for high-risk patient populations.
She has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications, abstracts, and book chapters and has presented nationally and internationally on aortic pathologies and vascular surgery. Dr. Afifi also serves as Program Director of the Advanced Aortic Fellowship and Co-Vice Chair for Quality within her department.
In 2018, she founded the Women’s Vascular and Cardiac Health Interdisciplinary Initiative (WVACHI), a multidisciplinary program dedicated to improving cardiovascular outcomes in women.
In addition to her roles within her institution, Dr. Afifi is actively engaged in regional societies and the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS). She serves as the chair of the SVS Cultural Competency Committee (CCC), the President of the Texas Society for Vascular and Endovascular Surgery (TSVES), and the Treasurer of the International Society for Endovascular Specialists (ISEVS).
Type R Endoleak: What is it and why it is important to treat it
Thursday, June 11, 2026
1:35 PM - 1:45 PM ET
Saturday, June 13, 2026
11:15 AM - 12:30 PM ET