I am a cardiac surgeon and chief of Heart Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support Programs at Memorial Cardiac & Vascular Institute. I care for patients with end-stage heart disease, including providing heart transplants and mechanical support for those with extensive heart disease. I also specialize in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), which provides prolonged cardiac and respiratory life support.
I grew up in south Texas, where many family members and people in the community had coronary disease but did not seek or receive adequate care. This led me to pursue a career in medicine, where I became enamored with the circulatory system, which centers around the heart.
For the past 25 years, I’ve devoted my career to advancing care and treatment options for people with heart and lung disease through education, research and training. I’ve helped build reputable clinical programs around the country and been a longtime educator, holding leadership positions at multiple institutions including Indiana University (Methodist Hospital), Harvard University (Massachusetts General Hospital), and the University of Maryland Medical Center. I was honored to be named one of “America’s Top Surgeons” for five consecutive years by the Consumer’s Research Council of America and served as principal investigator on numerous research studies.
Now, as leader of the Heart Transplant and Ventricular Assisted Device Programs at Memorial, I’m striving to increase the number of patients and families we can assist while ensuring the best quality care and experience for all. Throughout my career, I have transplanted approximately 300 hearts and 400 lungs and personally implanted more than 700 ventricular assist devices (VADs), which provide patients a bridge to transplant or treat those who aren’t heart transplant candidates.
When working with patients, I take the time to fully understand and evaluate their health and situation, and then provide a thorough, well-thought-out plan to be executed. I want patients and their loved ones to feel comfortable with me and our team, understand their options and have confidence in their care and treatment plan.
The most enjoyable part of my work is witnessing patients who were once extremely sick or at the end of life due to heart or lung failure and restoring their health and quality of life to the point that they can get back to enjoying daily normal activities. It’s the most gratifying part of what I do.
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