Dr. Murray Kwon, MD

On Nov. 13th, 2024 I was rushed to the ER and diagnosed with an Aortic Dissection which required emergency prep for open heart surgery. Thank God when this happened, Dr. Murray Kwon was on call at Ronald Reagan UCLA. Dr. Kwon spoke to my wife before my surgery. His approach, calming demeaner, straightforward explanation of the situation and upcoming surgery was excellent and reassuring in a time of uncertainty and fear. After a 12-hour surgery to find and repair the dissection, I spent a week in the ICU and another week in a room. Dr. Kwon made it a point to visit regularly and answer all questions that I had. At home, Dr. Kwon, Rafi Boghossian and his office were accessible. While it’s difficult to put into words the experience, the pain, the fear, the unknown, I can say that my experience with Dr. Kwon, his team and Ronald Reagan UCLA was was and continues to be exceptional. Each follow up appointment with Dr. Kwon is attentive, knowledgeable, straight-forward, yet compassionate.

Dr. Kwon and his team are beyond extraordinary. Dr. Kwon performed an emergency, life saving surgery of a very unexpected Type A aortic dissection when I was 29 years old. I was blue and nearly dead when he learned about my case in the emergency room at UCLA. But he quickly performed the surgery and against all odds, I woke up in the ICU 2 days later and was able to go home within a week, and recovered fairly quickly given the circumstances. 6 months I continued on and was able to live out my very active lifestyle. Because it was a very rushed and emergency surgery, I required close monitoring, and was informed I may require another surgery.Nearly 4 years later, and as anticipated, I required, what seemed to be a very complex repair of my aortic root and repair of my arch. I was of course nervous, but Dr. Kwon is an extraordinary surgeon and human. He is calm, thoughtful and he put my mind to ease. I quite literally trust him with my life. The surgery went beyond what I could have

Dr. Kwon took the time to make sure I knew everything about my condition and the necessary surgery. While I was in the hospital, he came by every day to answer any questions I might have and to let me and my family know how I was doing. I felt very comfortable with his knowledge and his experience.

Dr. Murray Kwon was recommended by my cardiologist for my dilated aortic root. He listened attentively, explained options clearly, and minimized incision size, which was important. I was a candidate for valve-sparing aortic root replacement, which resolved my moderate aortic regurgitation. Surgery was promptly scheduled, with thorough pre-op coordination by his assistant, Rafi Boghossian. At UCLA Ronald Reagan, the intake was efficient. The OR nurses kept my family informed of progress during the surgery. Post-surgery in the ICU, attentive care accelerated my recovery. My recovery has been excellent--at 3 days post discharge I walked 5000 steps and could climb up a couple flights of stairs without issue. Overall, my experience with Dr. Kwon and his team at UCLA has been exceptional. I am incredibly grateful for the care and attention I received throughout this entire process. Dr. Kwon’s expertise, compassion, and dedication to his patients are truly commendable. Highly recommended!

Simple & Short: If you have a cardiac issue that requires surgical intervention, Dr. Murray Kwon is the surgeon you want.I’m a 42-year-old male, diagnosed with mitral valve prolapse in 2017. In 2024 my mitral valve regurgitation had progressed to the early stages of severe. I felt completely fine, ran a 10K a month prior, but the echocardiogram told a different story. Dr. Kwon was an exceptional surgeon from my initial consult through my recovery. He answered all questions, made time for my family and I after hours via tele-health, provided a clear plan of care, and executed a beautiful mitral valve repair as well as correcting two additional issues discovered during surgery.His staff is also incredible! His patient coordinator, Rafi Boghossian, takes all the guess work out of appointment scheduling and coordination. The nurse practitioners that work with Dr. Kwon both in office and on the cardiac floor are second to none. I am so Dr. Kwon and his staff were with me on this journey.

Dr. Kwon and his Staff are amazing. I felt so comfortable having my surgery with Dr. Kwon, specially speaking to Rafi Boghossian, who prepared me for the procedure. I very happy and recommend to anyone that is getting ready to have heart surgery to consider Dr. Kwon.

Right after finding the news regarding my cardiovascular condition, I hesitated to decide on doctors’ recommended approach to address it. I had never been hospitalized before and the perspective of going through heart surgery seemed daunting to me. It was Dr. Murray Kwon that took the time and explained to me the issue in detail, walking me patiently through the entire process step by step. Eventually, I became confident that the recommended procedure would take me to a good place. The surgery went very well thanks to Dr. Kwon’s and his team exquisite professionalism and kind attention. My family and I will be forever grateful to Dr. Kwon and the UCLA Ronald Reagan Hospital personnel that took care of me throughout the surgery and then while recuperating within ICU facilities. My deepest thanks go to the administrative personnel, too, especially to the surgery coordinator Rafi Boghossian.

I am a 72 year old male, still working full-time as a physicist. My main concern in embarking on this necessary surgery was preservation of brain function. Dr. Kwon and his team-nurse practitioner Parntip Lai and Ravi Boghossian- immediately focused on this concern and all options for addressing it. In the end I've come through very well thanks to the genius of Dr. Kwon, his anesthesiologists, and the rest of his surgical team. I have no doubt that Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center was my very best option. Skill and competence were everywhere evident in my ICU care. My pain was managed very effectively. I would not let fear of the procedure be a deterrent to anyone who needs this operation.

I do feel blessed in having Dr, Kwon perform my ascending aortic aneurism surgery, starting from my first consultation with Dr. Kwon. Dr. Kwon was well prepared to discuss my specific medical condition as I was told by another cardiologist that my condition was not as serious. A delay in the surgery would have put my life in jeopardy with future life-threatening complications. He explained his diagnosis, the detailed procedure, and answered any questions I had with courtesy and professionalism, easing any fears or concerns.

Dr Kwon reviewed my extensive records and recommended valve saving surgery. His ease and professional stood out as he talked myself and my wife through the procedure. After 4.5 years of dealing with this issue I walked out of his office confident we had found our surgeon.

Dr. Kwon replaced my valve and more during an operation on June 1st. On the 5th I left the hospital. I did not use any pain medicine after I left the hospital. On the 26th I will be back teaching my students. I felt total confidence in Dr. Kwon and his amazing team at UCLA, Ronald Reagan Hospital. He explained things in a clear and caring way, that I have nothing but admiration for him as a surgeon.

Dr. Kwon provided exceptional care for my valve replacement and aneurysm repair. Pre-surgery, he spent a ton of time explaining everything and answering every question. His demeanor was kind, calm and confidence inducing. On the day of surgery he again spent time making sure I was prepared and aware of what would transpire. Post surgery he came by every day to check on me and make sure my recovery was going well. My recovery went exceptionally well. I cannot recommend Dr. Kwon highly enough. Also, his support staff, Rafi, was helpful and attentive.

I was referred to Dr. Kwon by my cardiologist for a mitral valve repair. After our initial consultation. I knew I was in safe hands. He presented the entire procedure in clear and understandable terms. After my surgery, he patiently answered my family's questions leaving them at ease.

Dr Kwon performed CABGx4 surgery on me June 16, 2022. I know I had the best care with this highly skilled, caring surgeon and his team. I was confident after our initial consult that this was the best path to follow. Rafi, his assistant, became my guide as he helped me navigate the various appointments and tests Preop. He was my “go to” guy for help and questions. Very quickly my anxiousness subsided and I was confident and trusting as I entered the OR. Dr Kwon and his team performed a 4x bypass that was “textbook” perfect. Ronald Reagan Hospital with it’s state of the art CardioThoracic ICU cared for me post op. and now I am home walking on the beach and gardening with what has been an almost painless recovery. I am forever grateful to Dr Kwon.

My father had aortic stenosis and needed a valve replacement. We had an initial consult with both Dr. Aksoy and Dr. Kwon and the initial tests on the same day to determine if TAVR was going to be an option for us. In the end we decided to go with the open heart surgery with a tissue valve with Dr. Kwon. We had a wonderful experience with Dr Kwon and his staff (Rafi, Maria, and others) since the first day. They were always mindful of us living about 4-5 hrs away from LA. Emails and calls were always returned from any of the family members. During the surgery we felt at ease with having Dr. Kwon perform the open heart surgery at the UCLA Ronald Reagan Hospital. From our pre and post op conversations Dr. Kwon was very professional, caring, and calmed our nerves with his confidence, expertise and experience. I would recommend anyone that needs open heart surgery to see Dr. Kwon regardless of whether you are local or not. World class care from Dr. Kwon's Team and the Hospital Staff

If you need aortic surgery, look no further than Dr. Kwon. From the initial consultation where he patiently explained everything to the constant follow ups post-surgery, I felt like I was in the best possible hands throughout the process. Dr. Kwon, his unbelievably caring and tireless assistant Rafi, and his entire medical team made this physically and emotionally tough surgery (a valve sparing aortic root replacement) about as painless as I could have hoped for. I had complete trust in Dr. Kwon, a calm, thoughtful true professional who genuinely cares about his patients. I also had a great experience at UCLA/ Ronald Reagan Hospital, where I was cared for, checked on constantly, and looked after by a squadron of kind, well trained nurses.

Needed a valve replacement and was disappointed when I was informed I did not qualify for a TAVR procedure thus would be requiring open heart surgery. I was referred to Dr. Kwon who put me more at ease at the thought of having to have open heart surgery by answering all my questions at my initial consultation. Julia, the nurse at his office was great and very helpful during my post-op visit.

I experienced an aortic dissection. Dr. Kwon took great care in explaining the problem and what he could do to fix it which involved a stent graph and carotid artery bypass. I felt total confidence in his expertise. The operation was a success and I have had no further problems. I am so thankful for Dr. Kwon.

Exceptional work. Trustworthy and great skill.

I must say - an excellent surgeon - surrounded by an excellent support staff. My wife and I both felt very well informed and confident! Open heart - tissue valve replacement - was out of hospital in 5 days and home recovering nicely. what more can I say......