Prof. El-Khoury arrived in Belgium from Lebanon when he was 18 and completed medical school at Université Catholique de Louvain from 1977–1984 (maxima cum laude). In September 1996, he joined the UCL St. Luc, as Associated Professor in the Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, Université Catholique de Louvain. Since 2004, he has been the head of the Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery Department. He is recognized as a pioneer in aortic valve repair. Prof. El-Khoury and his team run what has become a key center in the treatment of valve disease. The center is considered a true authority on cardiac surgery, as illustrated by its many daily visitors, its active involvement in high-level international conferences (live surgery, lectures, postgraduate courses, etc.) and the organization of three international meetings each year.