I actually consider myself as totally privileged to be able to serve science and medicine in a global fashion, because science and medicine know no boundaries.

I don't have any regrets. I consider myself really privileged to belong to medicine and do what I do. I would do it all again.

Leaving Egypt and the people I loved so much, and the environment I liked, was definitely worth it, because I also have great love for medicine and science.

It is totally unacceptable that there are countries with no paediatric cardiac surgeries.

I always wanted to be a surgeon, because I had a lot of admiration for my father, who is also a surgeon. I also wanted to be a heart surgeon. That was motivated by the fact that my young aunt, a sister of my dad, died in her early 20s of a correctable heart disease.

As a heart surgeon I am on constant call, and when not researching or giving lectures, I like to be with my family.