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For more than 35 years, I have been treating patients who have complex valvular and structural heart problems and diseases of the aorta. As director of the Mitral Valve Repair Program and surgical director of the Aortic Center, I am proud to have contributed broadly to the surgical treatment of patients with valvular heart disease and thoracic aortic aneurysms.

Performing cardiac surgery is the major way in which I directly help people with heart disease. I am internationally recognized for my work on mitral valve repair for degenerative disease and pioneered the use of minimally invasive operative approaches for mitral valve repair. I am also a leader in the surgical treatment of ischemic mitral valve insufficiency, a complication associated with coronary artery disease and injury to the heart.

Trust and good communication are extremely important to me. When people come to my office for a consultation, I provide a detailed explanation of their heart condition. I use everyday language to explain what needs to be done, and like to use a model of the heart for visual demonstration. I listen to my patients’ concerns and want them to know that I care about what happens to them. I explain the entire treatment process, beginning prior to surgery, continuing to the operating room and throughout the hospital stay, and ending as they recover after being discharged.

Much of my research has been directly related to the many advantages of the minimally invasive surgical approach as an alternative to open heart surgery. I have been involved in numerous clinical trials related to valvular heart disease, some of which have been used to help establish the standard of care for treating patients with mitral valve insufficiency. I also have been involved with studies on surgery for aneurysms of the aortic root, thoracic aorta, and thoracoabdominal aorta. I invented numerous medical devices that are used throughout the world for mitral valve repair, tricuspid valve repair, and aortic valve replacement.

I have published more than 230 peer-reviewed articles and have written numerous book chapters about cardiac surgery. My research has always focused on identifying the methods that produce the best outcomes for the patient.