Ralph J. Damiano Jr., MD

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

Common Diagnoses

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

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
314-362-7260
Fax: 866-272-2816

Washington University School of Medicine
Department of Surgery
Campus Box 8234, 660 S. Euclid Ave
St. Louis, MO 63110
Barnes-Jewish Hospital (south)
One Barnes-Jewish Hospital Plaza
St. Louis, MO 63110

314-362-7260
Fax: 866-272-2816

PubMed page for Dr. Damiano