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FoundationPostgraduate
TrainingProspective
Patients and Referring Physicians
The history of the division of cardiothoracic surgery has been punctuated by a variety of innovations, including:
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Dr. Charles Hatcher's performance of Georgia's first "blue baby" open heart procedure in 1962. |
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Dr. Robert Guyton's design of a pediatric heart patch in 1984 that grew along with the heart, negating the need for additional surgery. |
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The performance of the first adult heart transplant in Georgia in 1985. Since then, the adult cardiothoracic transplant service has grown into the largest and most comprehensive in the state of Georgia, with patient survival rates higher than the national average, and is at the forefront of the use of mechanical circulatory assist devices. In March 2008, the 500th adult heart transplant was performed at Emory University Hospital. | |
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Dr. Kirk Kanter and Dr. Omar Lattouf’s 1988 performance of the first "domino" heart transplant in Georgia, involving the healthy heart of a patient with failing lungs being transplanted into another patient, with the donor-patient receiving a heart-lung transplant from a cadaveric donor. |
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The establishment of the heart transplant program at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta in 1988, which has grown into one of the busiest such services in the nation. As of early 2008, Emory cardiothoracic surgeons had performed two hundred pediatric heart transplants. |
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Dr. Joseph Craver's performance of Georgia's first minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass surgery in 1996. |
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Dr. John Puskas' performance of the world's first minimally invasive triple off-pump bypass surgery using Mini-CABG instrumentation in 1997. |
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The performance in 1999 of the first implantation in Georgia of a dual pump ventricular assist device (VAD) to serve as a bridge to heart transplantation by Dr. J. David Vega. |
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Dr. Thomas Vassiliades' establishment in 2003 of one of the only cardiac surgery centers in the world to offer endoscopic atraumatic coronary artery bypass (Endo-ACAB). |
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The performance of the state’s 100th lung transplant in 2003 by Dr. Seth Force. |
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In late 2003, Dr. Daniel Miller's premiere of microthoracoscopic sympathectomy, his adaptation of thoracoscopic surgery for treating hyperhidrosis. The only surgeon performing the procedure in Georgia, he has achieved success rates of 99% for the hands, 90% for the armpits, and 70-85% for the feet. | |
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Dr. Vega and his surgical team's February 2006 implantation of Georgia's first ventricular assist device VAD, a HeartMate XVE, as a form of destination therapy for individuals who are not eligible for or unwilling to undergo a heart transplant. In 2007, Dr. Vega and his team implanted Georgia's first HeartMate II VAD for the same purpose, a unit smaller and lighter than the XVE with an automatic speed control mode designed to regulate pumping activity based on different levels of patient or cardiac activity. | |
For information on the division's fellowship and ACGME approved residency, please visit the division and training section or contact Dr. Robert Guyton, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, 1365A Clifton Road, NE, Suite A2223, Atlanta, GA 30322; 404.778.3836.
Prospective Patients and Referring Physicians
General information, appointment scheduling, referring physicians: 404.778.5040 or 1.800.43HEART.
Please visit the following Emory Healthcare-based links for clinical information on the following specialty areas:
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General thoracic surgery | |
The pediatric cardiothoracic surgery program is based at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston.
| Department
of Surgery Emory University School of Medicine Atlanta, GA 30322 |
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2008, Emory University Direct comments and questions to the webmaster Emory University disclaimer Last updated on March 28, 2008 |