Ralph James Damiano Jr., MD
- Phone: 314-362-7327
Specialty Areas
- Surgery for atrial fibrillation
- Surgery for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (septal myectomy)
- Valve repair/replacement
- Coronary artery bypass surgery
- Minimally invasive cardiac surgery
- Complex, multi-diagnosis heart surgery
- Redo cardiac procedures
Common Procedures
- Valve surgery (aortic, mitral, tricuspid)
- Coronary artery bypass surgery
- Cox-Maze IV for atrial fibrillation
- Septal myectomy
Common Diagnoses
- Atrial fibrillation
- Aortic stenosis
- Mitral regurgitation
- Mitral stenosis
- Aortic aneurysm
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
- Coronary artery disease
Board Certifications
- Surgery – Certified
- Thoracic Surgery – Certified
Degrees
Medical School: Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, 1980
Post Doctoral Education
Surgery Residency: Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, 1982
Research Fellow: Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, 1984
Senior Surgery Residency: Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, 1988
Professional Memberships
- American Association for Thoracic Surgery
- American Surgical Association
- American College of Surgeons
- Heart Rhythm Society
- International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery
- Society of Clinical Surgery
- Society of Thoracic Surgeons
- Southern Surgical Association
Editorial Positions
- Editor
- Innovations
Editorial Board
- Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery
- Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
- Journal of Laparoendoscopic and Advanced Surgical Techniques
Associate Editor
- Journal of Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery
Editorial Review Group Chair
- Cardiothoracic Surgery, Doody Publishing
Activities, Awards, and Honors
- Alpha Omega Alpha
- US Public Health Service NRSA Award
- ACS Faculty Fellowship Award
- Computerworld Smithsonian Award for work in robotic heart surgery
- St. Louis Business Journal’s Physician Healthcare Hero Award
- Evarts A. Graham Professor
- AATS Foundation, Vice President
- AATS Board of Directors
- 1999-2008 Associate Editor – Journal of Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery
- 2008-2018 Editor-in-Chief, Innovations
- Past President, International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery; Society of Clinical Surgery; Cardiac Surgery Biology Club
Areas of Research Interest
- Surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation
- Myocardial protection
- Minimally invasive and robotic surgery
Clinical Trials
- On-X Anticoagulation Trial
- PROACT Xa Trial
- Partner 3 Trial – SAPIEN 3 Transcatheter Heart Valve
- Portico Re-sheathable Transcatheter Aortic Valve System
Innovations
- First robotically-assisted CABG procedure in North America
- Developed the Cox-Maze IV procedure
- Pioneered minimally invasive valve surgery
Financial Disclosures
- Medtronic, AtriCure
Publications
- Bakir NH, MacGregor RM, Khiabani AJ, Musharbash FN, Schill MR, Sinn LA, Schuessler RB, Melby SJ, Gleva MJ, Damiano RJ Jr. Concomitant Cox-Maze IV and septal myectomy in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. Ann Thorac Surg. 2021 Mar1;S00034975(21)00352-0. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2020.12.090. Online ahead of print. PMID: 33662312.
- Khiabani AJ, Schuessler RB, Damiano RJ Jr. Surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation in patients with heart failure. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2020 Aug 15;S0022-5223(20)32412-0. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2020.15.125. PMID: 32948298.
- Khiabani AJ, MacGregor RM, Bakir NH, Manghelli JL, Sinn LA, Maniar HS, Moon MR, Schuesler RB, Melby SJ, Damiano RJ Jr. The long-term outcomes and durability of the Cox-Maze IV procedure for atrial fibrillation. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2020 May 5;S022-5223(20)31065-5.doi:10.1016/j.jtcvs.2020.04.100. Online ahead of print. PMID: 32563577.
Hospital Affiliations
Barnes-Jewish Hospital
Patients Seen At:
Center for Advanced Medicine
Heart and Vascular Center
4921 Parkview Place, A, 8
St. Louis, MO 63110
314-362-7327 or 1-888-800-9484
Fax: 314-747-0917
Washington University School of Medicine
Department of Surgery
Campus Box 8234, 660 S. Euclid Ave
St. Louis, MO 63110
Barnes-Jewish Hospital (south)
Queeny Tower Suite 3106
One Barnes-Jewish Hospital Plaza
St. Louis, MO 63110
(314) 362-7327
Fax: (314) 367-8459