Adult Cardiac Surgery
The Department of Cardiac Surgery provides a patient-centered environment for patient care, clinical and basic research, education, and prevention of thoracic diseases. The faculty has nationally and internationally recognized expertise in both Acquired Adult Cardiac and Congenital (Pediatric & Adult ) Heart Disease. Some of these procedures include coronary revascularization, valve repair and replacement, ventricular failure surgery, heart transplantation, congenital heart repair, arrhythmia repair, aortic aneurysm repair, re-operative heart surgery, arch anomalies, anomalous coronary artery repair, atrial & ventricular septal defects, mitral valve stenosis and regurgitation, cyanotic heart disease, left ventricular outflow tract obstruction repair, Ross procedure, Norwood procedure, transposition repair and single ventricle repair.
Chairman, John G. Byrne, M.D.
John G. Byrne, M.D.
Chairman of Cardiac Surgery
William S. Stoney Professor of Surgery
Department of Cardiac Surgery
The Vanderbilt Heart Institute
1215 21st Avenue South
MCE-North Tower, Suite 5025
Nashville, TN 37232-8802
(615) 343-9195
Email: john.byrne@Vanderbilt.Edu
Education
- B.S., University of California, Davis (Biochemistry), 1982
- M.D., Boston University, 1987
Postgraduate Training
- 1987-1989 Intern and Junior Resident in General Surgery
University of Illinois Affiliated Hospitals, Chicago, IL - 1989-1992 Research Fellow in Cardiac Surgery
Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA - 1992-1995 Senior and Chief Resident in General Surgery
University of Illinois Affiliated Hospitals, Chicago, IL - 1994-1995 Administrative Chief Resident in General Surgery
University of Illinois Affiliated Hospitals, Chicago, IL - 1995-1997 Resident and Chief Resident in Cardiothoracic Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
Credentials
- Fellow of the American College of Cardiology
- Fellow of the American College of Surgeons
- Board Certified by the American Board of Surgery
- Board Certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery
Clinical Interests
- Valve relpacement/reconstruction
- Coronary revascularization
- Thoracic aortic aneurysm surgery
- Congestive heart failure
- Heart transplantation
- Mechanical assist devices
- Pulmonary embolectomy
Research Interests
- Clinical outcomes based on patient data, particularly newer approaches to heart surgery such as minimally invasive valve surgery, and reoperative valve surgery, as well as risk factors for early and late adverse outcomes of other operations, so as to more carefully select patients for major open-heart procedures.
Tarek S. Absi, M.D.
Tarek S. Absi, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Cardiac Surgery
Staff Surgeon, Cardiac Surgery, Nashville VA Hospital
Department of Cardiac Surgery
The Vanderbilt Heart Institute
1215 21st Avenue South
MCE-North Tower, Suite 5025
Nashville, TN 37232-8802
(615) 343-9195
Email: tarek.absi@vanderbilt.edu
Education
B.S., American University of Beirut, 1991
M.D., American University of Beirut, 1995
Postgraduate Training
Internship, Sinai Hospital of Detroit-Wayne State University
Residency, North Shore University Hospital-N.Y.U. School of Medicine
Cardithoracic Surgery Research Fellowship at Washington University School of Medicine-Barnes Hospital
Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Cardiac Transplant/VAD Fellowship at Brigham and Women's Hospital-Harvard School of Medicine
Credentials
Board Certified by the American Board of Surgery
Board Certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery
Rashid M. Ahmad, M.D.
Rashid M. Ahmad, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Cardiac Surgery
Director, Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit
Director, Cardiac Surgery Informatics
Department of Cardiac Surgery
The Vanderbilt Heart Institute
1215 21st Avenue South
MCE-North Tower, Suite 5025
Nashville, TN 37232-8802
(615) 343-9195
Email: rashid.ahmad@Vanderbilt.Edu
Education
- B.S., Mathematics-Computer Science, magna cum laude, Brown University
- M.D., College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University
- AOA Research Fellowship to develop a computer model of the heart, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University
Postgraduate Training
- Internship and Residency, The New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center
- Two-year Research Fellowship at Harvard Medical School, developing a model for heart failure
- Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery Training at The Cleveland Clinic
Credentials
- Board Certified by the American Board of Surgery
- Board Certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery
Clinical Interests
- Surgery for heart failure including assist devices and transplantation
- Arrhythmia surgery
- Mitral and aortic valve repairs
- Redo valve surgery and coronary revascularizations
- Minimally invasive valve surgery
- Aortic surgery
Research Interests
- Three dimensional computer reconstruction of the mitral annulus of patients with ischemic mitral regurgitation
Jorge M. Balaguer, M.D.
Jorge Balaguer, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Cardiac Surgery, Vanderbilt
Chief of Cardiac Surgery, Department of
Department of Cardiac Surgery
The Vanderbilt Heart Institute
1215 21st Avenue South
MCE-North Tower, Suite 5025
Nashville, TN 37232-8802
(615) 343-9195
Email: Jorge.balaguer@vanderbilt.edu
Education
- 1979-85 Physician, University of Buenos Aires Medical School, Argentina
Postgraduate Training
- 1987-90 Resident, General Surgery, Finochietto Hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- 1992-94 Fellow, Cardiac Surgery, St. Vincent Hospital & University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA
- 1994-96 Fellow, Cardiac Surgery, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA
- 1996-97 Advanced Fellow, Cardiac Surgery, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Credentials
- Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians
- Board Certified by the Medical Board of Examiners in the state of Tennessee and the commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Clinical Interests
- All aspects of heart failure cardiac surgery in the adult, particularly Cardiac Transplantation, Ventricular Assist Devices, Cardiogenic Shock
- All aspects of surgery for ischemic heart disease including conventional Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery, Coronary Endarterectomies and Transmyocardial Laser Revascularizations.
Research Interests
- Neurologic and neuro-cognitive protection and stroke prevention during cardiac surgery operations.
Stephen K. Ball, M.D.
Stephen K. Ball, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Cardiac Surgery
Department of Cardiac Surgery
The Vanderbilt Heart Institute
1215 21st Avenue South
MCE-North Tower, Suite 5025
Nashville, TN 37232-8802
(615) 343-9195
Email: stephen.ball@vanderbilt.edu
Education
B.S., Engineering, Mississippi State University, 1983
M.D., University of Mississippi School of Medicine, 1987
Postgraduate Training
Internship and Residency, University of Mississippi Medical Center
Cardiothoracic Residency, Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center
Credentials
Board Certified by the American Board of Surgery
Board Certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery
James P. Greelish, M.D.
James P. Greelish, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Cardiac Surgery
Director of Research & Education for Department of Cardiac Surgery
Department of Cardiac Surgery
The Vanderbilt Heart Institute
1215 21st Avenue South
MCE-North Tower, Suite 5025
Nashville, TN 37232-8802
(615) 343-9195
Email: james.greelish@Vanderbilt.Edu
Education
- B.A., Emory University, 1986
- M.D., AOA, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, 1992
Postgraduate Training
- General surgery training at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
- Post-doctoral research fellowship at the Institute for Human Gene Therapy, University of Pennsylvania
- Cardiothoracic Surgery residency and fellowship (three years) at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Credentials
- Board Certified by the American Board of Surgery
- Board Certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery
Clinical Interests
- Mitral valve repair
- Minimally invasive valve surgery
- Off-pump CABG
- Aortic surgery
- Complex coronary revascularization
Steven J. Hoff, M.D.
Steven J. Hoff, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Cardiac Surgery
Department of Cardiac Surgery
The Vanderbilt Heart Institute
1215 21st Avenue South
MCE-North Tower, Suite 5025
Nashville, TN 37232-8802
(615) 343-9195
Email: steven.hoff@vanderbilt.edu
Education
B.A., University of Minnesota, 1982
M.D., The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1986
Postgraduate Training
Internship and Residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Research Fellowship in Cardiac Surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Credentials
Board Certified by the American Board of Surgery
Board Certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery
Michael R. Petracek, M.D.
Michael R. Petracek, M.D.
Professor of Clinical Cardiac Surgery
Department of Cardiac Surgery
The Vanderbilt Heart Institute
1215 21st Avenue South
MCE-North Tower, Suite 5025
Nashville, TN 37232-8802
(615) 343-9195
Email: michael.petracek@Vanderbilt.edu
Education
- B.S., Baylor University, Waco, TX, 1967
- Research Fellow, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 1968-69
- M.D., The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine,1971
Postgraduate Training
- Internship, Surgery, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, 1971-72
- Resident, Surgery, Vanderbilt University Hospital, Nashville, TN, 1975-78
- Research Fellow, Vanderbilt University Hospital, 1977
- Chief Surgical Resident, Vanderbilt University Hospital, 1979
- Resident, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Vanderbilt University Hospital, 1979-81
Credentials
- Board Certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery
Clinical Interests
- Aortic and mitral valve surgery
- Heart arrhythmia surgery
- Minimally invasive valve repair and replacement
