News

Washington University Lung Transplant Program reaches an impressive milestone at the start of 2023.

Mario Cafaro, MD, begins a two-month visiting fellowship with Washington University thoracic surgery after receiving the 2022 F. Griffith Pearson Fellowship from the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS).

Taras Lysyy, MD, MCh, an expert cardiac surgeon from Ukraine, was awarded the highly selective and inaugural Matthew Gerdisch Arrhythmia Fellowship from the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS).

At a ceremony held on February 13, 2023, Tsuyoshi Kaneko, MD, was formally installed as the John M. Shoenberg Chair in Cardiovascular Disease.

Washington University pediatric cardiothoracic surgeons treat children with congenital cardiac disorders. Washington University specialists treat a wide range of conditions, from atrial septal defects to complex single ventricle anomalies, neonatal surgery, surgery for congenital heart disease and tracheal reconstruction

Washington University cardiac surgeons are widely recognized as national surgical leaders. As part of the highest-ranked heart program in Missouri by U.S. News & World Report, they have a long history of performing adult cardiac surgeries and fostering innovation in the field of cardiac medicine.

The board-certified, internationally recognized thoracic surgeons at Washington University provide leading-edge respiratory medical and critical care, research and training.

Ten Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery faculty members have been recognized on the 2023 Castle Connolly Top Doctors® list.

After a shocking diagnosis, Scott Pulley was told a heart transplant was his only option. The Washington University heart team came together to find another way – and save his life in the process.

On December 1, 2022, the Section of Abdominal Transplant welcomed Robert A. Montgomery, MD, PhD, to the School of Medicine to deliver a presentation at the 13th Annual Anderson-Newton Lectureship in Transplantation.

Researchers identify measures to improve treatment quality, health outcomes.

Leading experts in the field of cardiothoracic surgery, cardiology, anesthesia, and intensive care are preparing to dive into a breadth of topics at the inaugural St. Louis Shock Symposium.

Tsuyoshi Kaneko, MD, a leading cardiac surgeon with expertise in transcatheter therapeutics and minimally invasive surgery, joins the Department of Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis as new section chief of cardiac surgery.

On Wednesday, August 31, faculty and trainees of the Washington University Department of Surgery and Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery gathered for the long-awaited second annual Nicholas T. Kouchoukos Research Day, presented by the Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

The most common type of irregular heart rate is called atrial fibrillation or AFib. “Fibrillate” means “to quiver” – and atrial fibrillation occurs when the electrical pulses that keep your heart beating fire abnormally in the uppermost chambers of the heart (the atrium), causing the atrium to flutter or quiver.

Washington University surgeons are part of a multidisciplinary team of experts who provide lifesaving ECMO support at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

Nine members of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery have been recognized on the 2022 Castle Connolly Top Doctors® list.

In 2021, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force updated its lung cancer screening guidelines, nearly doubling the number of individuals eligible for screening.

For the second year in a row, Barnes-Jewish Hospital has been recognized by the American Heart Association and the Mitral Foundation as one of the top medical centers for mitral valve repair surgery in the United States.

Audrey was born with a rare combination of heart conditions. Thanks to an organ donor and the St. Louis Children’s and Washington University Heart Center team, she celebrated her first birthday at home with a new heart.

Several Washington University cardiothoracic surgery faculty members and trainees trekked to Boston to present cases and research, moderate panels and discuss areas of expertise at the American Association for Thoracic Surgery’s 102nd Annual Meeting.

Reviewing the effectiveness of the Cox-Maze IV procedure, Washington University surgeons and researchers discovered there are significant long-term outcomes and durability to this treatment program. This research study demonstrates the effectiveness of the procedure in patients with life-threatening heart arrhythmia.

Surgeons in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery recently joined in on a specialized training program tailored around treating congenital heart defects. The HOST (Hands-On Surgical Training) program, led by cardiovascular surgeons from the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada, guided surgeons from around the world through the surgical repair of complex heart defects utilizing realistic simulation models.

Puja Kachroo, MD, has been named surgical director of the Center for Diseases of the Thoracic Aorta (CDTA) at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

Lung transplantation can be lifesaving for some people with severe chronic lung conditions. Unfortunately, the body’s innate immune response often causes damage to donor lungs. A new study has identified triggers that cause tissue damage in donor lungs during reperfusion.

Investigators within the Washington University Department of Surgery are doing critical research to understand the immunological processes that can lead to severe complications after lung transplant surgery, including primary graft dysfunction.

Physicians from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis Department of Surgery, Siteman Cancer Center, Saint Louis University School of Medicine and VA St. Louis Health Care System collaborated on a study to understand the long-term health impact of persistent smoking after surgery for lung cancer.

Jacob Miller, MD, joined the Section of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery within the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis in 2021 as an instructor of surgery.

Amit Pawale, MD, has been named surgical director of the Heart Transplant, Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) and Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) Program at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

A team of Washington University cardiac surgeons, general and interventional cardiologists, cardiac nurses and sonographers work together within the Washington University and Barnes-Jewish Hospital Heart & Vascular Center.

Assistant Professor of Surgery Akinobu Itoh, MD, PhD, will depart from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis this December to join the faculty at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School as Director of Heart Transplant and Mechanical and Circulatory Support.

Barnes-Jewish Hospital has been recognized as one of the nation’s top medical centers for mitral valve repair surgery.

With their rich history of innovation, utilization of leading edge techniques and multidisciplinary approaches to lung cancer treatment, Washington University thoracic surgeons provide the highest level of care for patients with lung cancer.

With dreams of becoming a pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon, General Surgery resident Connor Callahan, MD, MSc, followed his own heart and seized the opportunity to train as the Congenital Heart Surgeons’ Society (CHSS) John W. Kirklin-David Ashburn Fellow at the Society’s Data Center at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Callahan is the first Washington University School of Medicine resident to be selected for this coveted fellowship.

The Department of Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine has been conducting renowned healthcare and research for over a century. Evarts Graham, MD, established and led the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery

A Washington University thoracic surgeon who specializes in traditional, minimally invasive and robotic surgical treatments for benign and malignant conditions of the lung and esophagus, Dr. Meyers answered some frequently asked questions about lung nodules.

Alec Patterson, MD, was appointed the new Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.

Congratulations to the Department of Surgery faculty recognized on the 2021 Castle Connolly Top Doctors® list.

The Lung Transplant Program at Washington University School of Medicine reaches a major milestone by performing 1,900 lung transplants.

Washington University cardiothoracic surgeon Shuddhadeb Ray, MD, MPHS, answers patient questions about hiatal hernias.

Guest lecturer Condoleezza Rice, 66th U.S. Secretary of State, joined AATS President Marc Moon, MD, in conversation at the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery.

The Department of Surgery 2020 Annual Report features clinical, research and educational accomplishments from the Section of Cardiac Surgery.

The Department of Surgery 2020 Annual Report features clinical, research and educational accomplishments from the Section of Thoracic Surgery

The Department of Surgery 2020 Annual Report features clinical, research and educational accomplishments from the Section of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery.

The Department of Surgery Annual Report is available now. The report recognizes the Department’s clinical, research and educational accomplishments from the past year.

Cardiothoracic surgeon Shuddhadeb Ray, MD, MPHS, brings his expertise in heart, lung, and esophageal surgery to Christian Hospital after a decade of training at Washington University School of Medicine.

Lung surgeon Benjamin Kozower, MD, MPH, explains new lung cancer screening guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.

Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery Ralph Damiano, Jr., MD, shares life-saving advances in lung transplant and heart surgery with the Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

James Cox, MD, FACS, Emeritus Evarts A. Graham Professor of Surgery and former Division Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery, has been named the recipient of the 26th Jacobson Innovation Award of the American College of Surgeons.

Christian Cares is a patient magazine from Christian Hospital and is an engaging health and wellness resource that highlights patient care stories, community events and news about the advanced technology and procedures Christian Hospital offers.