Ralph J. Damiano Jr., MD

Ralph J. Damiano Jr., MD

Chief, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Evarts A. Graham Professor of Surgery

Expertise


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
Education


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
Research


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.
Location


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

Contact

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