My dad was a surgeon in Egypt. He was a general surgeon. As a little boy I always admired what he was doing, and I wanted to do surgery.

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

What I worry about is the lack of understanding in society around the world that there is a divide in the world between those who have and those who do not.

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.

My dad was a surgeon in Egypt. He was a general surgeon. As a little boy I always admired what he was doing, and I wanted to do surgery.

I dont have any regrets. I consider myself really privileged to belong to medicine and do what I do. I would do it all again.

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