Departmental Highlights & News
Drs. Norman Shumway, left, and Donald C. Harrison meet the press after they perform the first adult human transplant in the United States in January 1968.
Stanford is able to leverage a series of "firsts," including the first heart transplant in the US, the first heart-lung transplant in the world, and one of the first left ventricular assist device (LVAD) procedures in the world. Stanford dominates the market in programs involving a high percentage of complex procedures. Several of Stanford's most successful cardiac programs have a broad geographical base, with over 20% of the volume for heart transplants, aorta and valve procedures coming from outside the Bay Area. Stanford also has a strong international cardiac market with cardiac patients representing more than 50% of overall international business.
Dr. Bruce Reitz and his surgical team perform the world’s first successful combined adult human heart-lung transplant in 1981
2025
Stanford Showcases Innovation and Leadership in Clinical Care and Research at AATS 105th Annual Meeting
The five-day conference brought together leading experts in adult cardiac, general thoracic, congenital, and transplant surgery to exchange ideas, present new research, and showcase innovations shaping the future of the field.
May 14, 2025
Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley marks 10 years of service upgrades and growth
Since affiliating with Stanford Medicine in 2015, Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley has modernized and expanded its various specialties, including cardiothoracic surgery. Drs. James Longoria, Douglas Liou, and Maria Currie provide surgical care at the Tri-Valley campus.
May 12, 2025 - Stanford Medicine News Center
Fellows Match Day 2025: General Thoracic Surgery Fellowship Match Announced
The Stanford Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery has matched Lye Yeng Wong, MD, from Oregon Health and Science University to the General Thoracic Surgery Track of its Traditional Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellowship Program.
May 7, 2025
Renowned Cardiac Surgeon and Stanford Residency Graduate Dr. Marc Moon Inspires Colleagues at Annual Shumway Visiting Professorship Lecture
Dr. Moon is renowned for his technical surgical skills, vast research experience, and intentional leadership in masterfully teaching the next generation of cardiac surgeons. His presentation was titled "Professionalism, Diversity, and the Training of a Surgeon."
May 2, 2025
Department Announces New Partnership Between Stanford Cardiothoracic Surgery and Sequoia Hospital
Through this partnership, Stanford surgeons will expand the list of offered cardiothoracic surgeries at Sequoia Hospital and bring Stanford’s expertise in cardiac surgery and patient-centered care to support Sequoia’s well-established cardiac surgery program.
May 1, 2025
Revolutionizing heart care with 3DQ imaging for TMVR
Stanford Medicine surgeons, including Dr. John W. MacArthur, use advanced imaging from the Stanford 3D and Quantitative Imaging Laboratory (3DQ Lab) to personalize a TMVR procedure to their patient’s needs.
April 25, 2025 - Stanford Health Care – Doctor Stories
The Marfan Foundation and Stanford Medicine Collaborate on the Northern California Regional Symposium: Living Better with Marfan, Loeys-Dietz, and VEDS
The symposium featured a full-day educational program designed for individuals and families living with Marfan syndrome, Williams syndrome, Loeys-Dietz syndrome, Vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and other related syndromes.
April 25, 2025
Dr. Arvind Bishnoi Promoted to Clinical Assistant Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Dr. Bishnoi practices at Stanford Medicine Children's Health. His clinical interests and expertise include pulmonary atresia and unifocalization, ventricular assist device and heart transplant, arterial switch in regressed left ventricle and hybrid cardiac procedures. Dr. Bishnoi is dedicated to delivering outstanding care to every pediatric patient he treats.
April 24, 2025
Stanford CVI 2025 Spring Quarterly Newsletter
This issue highlighted several accomplishments from our CT Surgery faculty. Dr. Mark Moon and Dr. Anelechi Anyanwu were recognized as the Norman E. Shumway and Philip E. Oyer Visiting Professors, respectively. Drs. Natalie Lui, Brandon Guenthart, and Yihan Lin received grant awards, while Drs. Yasuhiro Shudo and Michael Ma earned promotions. Drs. Leah Backhus and Claire Watkins were elected to positions within the STS. The issue also featured clinical highlights, including the 3DQ Nuss procedure (Drs. Backhus and Berry) and endovascular work by Dr. Watkins, along with notable resident and postdoctoral achievements.
April 24, 2025
Cardiothoracic Surgery Experts Provide Insights at 2025 Stanford Lung Cancer Summit
The summit brought together Stanford clinicians and researchers to explore and focus on a lung cancer health disparity: lung cancer in people who have never smoked disproportionately affects Asian populations, especially Asian women.
April 17, 2025
New Lungs Give Young Girl Her Laugh Back
Stanford Children’s is the only pediatric program in the Western United States that performs lung or combined heart-lung transplants from infancy through early adulthood. The transplant team, including pediatric heart surgeon Dr. Elisabeth Martin, successfully treated a 7-year-old patient with a life-saving lung transplant.
April 16, 2025 - Healthier, Happy Lives Blog
Dr. Backhus Presents Webinar on Lung Cancer Surveillance at the National Cancer Institute
Her talk titled, “Bringing Precision Oncology to Lung Cancer Surveillance,” was part of the Director Series, presented by the institute’s Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences. During the hour, she reviewed her own research and that of others to offer a significant summary of surveillance after lung cancer treatment, presenting the current state of surveillance, roadblocks, and next steps in future surveillance research.
April 15 2025
Stanford Cardiothoracic Surgery Quarterly Newsletter - April 2025
The past few months have been filled with notable accomplishments and growth in our department.
April 11, 2025
New Heart Leads to Dreams of Becoming a Doctor
Stanford Medicine Children’s Health team helped give a 6-year-old a second chance at life with a heart transplant. "There is a huge need here for awareness from all communities to encourage organ donation because it’s a scarce resource. And it’s lifesaving for kids like Mikayla,” said Dr. Michael Ma, Division Chief of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery.
April 7, 2025 - Healthier, Happy Lives Blog
Revenue vs. risk reduction: Inside 4 systems’ cardiac care strategies
Jack Boyd, MD, a Cardiac Surgeon at Stanford Health Care and Clinical Associate Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Stanford University discusses how their organizations balance resources between lucrative procedures and low-cost prevention strategies.
April 7, 2025 - Beckers Hospital Review
World-Renowned Pediatric Surgeon Dr. Pedro del Nido Speaks at the Dr. Edward B. Stinson Translational Cardiothoracic Surgeon Scientist Visiting Professorship
Renowned for his expertise in pediatric cardiac surgery, prolific scientific research, and innovative medical inventions, Dr. del Nido has dedicated his distinguished career to pioneering reconstructive techniques for complex congenital heart defects.
March 31, 2025
Multidisciplinary Series: Providing Exemplary Heart Transplant Care Through System-Wide Collaboration
Pediatric heart surgeons from the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery worked with a highly specialized imaging lab at the Department of Radiology to quickly perform donor size matching and create a 3D-printed model of Zoë’s heart — a tangible keepsake and a powerful tool for surgical planning.
March 31, 2025
Match Day 2025: Three New Interns Join Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency Program
Please join us in welcoming Dhamanpreet Kaur of Stanford University School of Medicine, Arian Mansur of Harvard Medical School, and Alice Zhou of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine!
March 31, 2025
James B. D. Mark, early adopter of minimally invasive lung surgery, dies at 95
The Nashville-born surgeon was a Southern gentleman uniquely devoted to patient care. His work helped establish the gold standard for lung resection.
March 27, 2025 - Stanford Medicine
Baby Born With Half a Heart Inspires Mom to Change Her Life
Stanford Children’s congenital heart surgeons save newborn with serious single ventricle heart defect
March 20, 2025 - Healthier, Happy Lives Blog
Drs. Michael Ma, Natalie Lui, and Yasuhiro Shudo Nominated into Prestigious American Association for Thoracic Surgery for 2025
Members are nominated by current members who complete a lengthy application process, including three sponsors.
March 17, 2025
Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford Reverified as Level I Children’s Surgery Center
Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford has been reverified as a Level I Children’s Surgery Center by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) for 2025.
March 12, 2025 - Stanford Medicine Children's Health
Understanding Heart Disease: Advances in Risk Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Dr. Joseph Woo spoke at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s panel forum, “Understanding Heart Disease: Advances in Risk Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment,” on February 26, 2025. The panel highlighted the latest innovations in cardiovascular disease risk assessment, with a special emphasis on public health initiatives and practical guidance for the audience.
March 3, 2025 - The Harvard Gazette
Dr. Michael Ma Promoted to Associate Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Dr. Ma is widely recognized as an outstanding clinician, translational scientist, leader, and educator. His practice encompasses all aspects of congenital heart disease, with an emphasis on neonates, complex biventricular repair, pulmonary artery reconstruction, and heart failure.
March 1, 2025
Multidisciplinary Series: Advancing Thoracic Surgery Care with 3DQ Imaging for Nuss Procedure
In a recent case study series through the Stanford 3D and Quantitative Imaging (3DQ) Laboratory, a patient diagnosed with pectus excavatum and experiencing chest pain and breathing difficulties was referred to the Department of Radiology and the 3DQ Lab for advanced medical imaging. Pectus excavatum is a congenital chest wall deformity that causes a sunken chest.
February 28, 2025
Stanford Cardiothoracic Surgery Welcomes Dr. Anelechi Anyanwu as the Inaugural Dr. Philip E. Oyer Visiting Professor
Dr. Anyanwu is a professor and vice chair of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and serves as Surgical Director for the Heart Transplantation and Mechanical Circulatory Support Program at Mount Sinai Medical Center.
February 27, 2025
Heart Teams Move Mountains to Get Kenson Home to Hawai‘i
Several heart teams came together quickly to save Kenson’s life. Heart surgeon and chief of pediatric cardiac surgery Michael Ma, MD, placed a ventricular assist device (VAD), an advanced heart pump, in his chest. Only large heart centers are able to provide VAD support, and Stanford Children’s is a national leader in the use and innovation of VADs in kids.
February 26, 2025 - Healthier, Happy Lives Blog
Cardiothoracic Surgery Resident Dr. Perry Choi Receives Stanford MCHRI Clinical Trainee Award
“My long-term career goal as a surgeon-scientist is to leverage my surgical expertise in investigative research to delineate the biomechanics underlying complex valve repair in congenital heart disease to inform and optimize surgical management of this vulnerable population,” said Dr. Choi. He will receive funding for his research training and project, “Biomechanical Optimization of Repair Techniques for Congenitally Diseased Heart Valves.”
February 26, 2025
Postdoctoral Fellow Yellappa Palagani, PhD, Receives Stanford MCHRI Postdoctoral Support
With this support, Palagani will advance his research on the “Novel Adjustable Pulmonary Artery Band for the Management of Congenital Heart Diseases.” He aims to gain extensive training in the specialty, expand his expertise beyond bioelectronics and biomechanics, and acquire the skills needed to become an independent medical investigator.
February 25, 2025
Stanford Cardiovascular Institute 2024 Recognition Award: Dr. John MacArthur
Dr. MacArthur is celebrated for his sustained efforts to support and mentor trainees from underrepresented backgrounds across all career stages, fostering a culture of inclusivity and respect. Through his dedication, he has made exceptional contributions to the CVI community by promoting an environment where diversity, belonging, and mutual respect thrive.
February 24, 2025
Baby on Hospice Receives Second Chance with Lifesaving Heart Surgery
Pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Michael Ma combines unifocalization with innovative valve repair to save baby Hazel, who was born with a rare combination of heart defects, collectively called tetralogy of Fallot (ToF) with pulmonary atresia and major aortopulmonary collateral arteries (MAPCAs).
February 20, 2025 - Healthier, Happy Lives Blog
Dr. Yasuhiro Shudo Promoted to Clinical Associate Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Dr. Shudo practices at Stanford Hospital, Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley, and Stanford-affiliated Santa Clara Valley Medical Center and O’Connor Hospital. Dr. Shudo is deeply committed to providing innovative, comprehensive, and compassionate care for every patient he treats.
February 17, 2025
Stanford Cardiothoracic Surgeons in Congenital Heart Disease at CATCH Hawai‘i 2025
Dr. John J. Lamberti moderated a session on surgical advances in adult congenital heart disease care. He also hosted a lunch talk titled “Tribute to Dr. Louis Capecci and Observations from a PGY58.” Another faculty member, Dr. Elisabeth Martin presented during the session on “Conotruncal Aortopathy–When to Operate?”
February 14, 2025
Detecting Lung Cancer Early, Screening Test Recommendations & How It Works
MARCH 15, 2025: Learn and chat about early detection of lung cancer with Dr. Natalie Lui, MD, Assistant Professor, Cardiothoracic Surgery (Thoracic Surgery), Stanford School of Medicine.
February 13, 2025 - Patch
Passing of a Beloved Cardiothoracic Surgeon Dr. James B.D Mark
Dr. Mark was a dedicated physician, scholar, and mentor who made an extraordinary impact on our field and on the Stanford Medicine community. He touched countless lives not just through his surgical expertise but also through his compassion, mentorship, and unwavering dedication to his colleagues, trainees, and patients.
February 10, 2025
CT Surgery Faculty Featured in CVI Quarterly Winter 2025 Newsletter
The latest CVI Quarterly Newsletter, Winter 2025, is filled with numerous updates and commendable achievements from the Stanford Cardiothoracic surgery faculty.
February 4, 2025
StanfordMed Pulse: Recognizing American Heart Month 2025
From new therapies to treat a rare form of heart disease, to cardiac pumps for the youngest patients to the first beating heart transplant, Stanford Medicine continues to be a multidisciplinary center of innovation and a leader in cardiovascular care.
February 3, 2025 - StanfordMed Pulse
Stanford Completes First Investigational Endovascular Ascending Aorta Stent Graft in the Western U.S.
Endovascular stent grafts are available for repairing aneurysm or dissection in the descending aorta, yet there are no approved devices for the ascending aorta. As part of a five-year National Institutes of Health clinical trial, Stanford surgeons are testing an ascending aorta stent graft as a minimally-invasive alternative to open surgery.
February 1, 2025
GlobalSurgBoxAI: Combining Simulation-Based Training and Computer Vision Algorithms to Enhance Surgical Skills Training Globally
Drs. Yihan Lin and Nicole Lin were recently awarded the 2024-2025 Stanford Teaching and Mentoring Academy Innovation Grant, for their project titled “GlobalSurgBoxAI: Combining GlobalSurgBox and Computer Vision Algorithms to Enhance Surgical Skills Training Globally.”
January 30, 2025
A Novel Lung Lobectomy Surgical Simulation Model
Drs. Natalie Lui, Brandon Guenthart, and Carolyn Chang were recently awarded the 2024-2025 Stanford Teaching and Mentoring Academy Innovation Grant. With this support, they developed an innovative, low-cost robotic lobectomy model.
January 30, 2025
Women of Thoracic Surgery Elects Dr. Leah Backhus as Vice President and Dr. A. Claire Watkins as Member-at-Large for 2025
The Women of Thoracic Surgery announced its newly elected leaders and committee members for 2025 during the WTS Annual Reception at the Society of Thoracic Surgeon 61st Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, Calif.
January 29, 2025
Revolutionizing Heart Care Through a Multidisciplinary Approach with 3DQ Imaging
A patient with severe mitral regurgitation underwent a transcatheter mitral valve replacement led by cardiothoracic surgeon John W. MacArthur, MD, and interventional cardiologist Rahul P. Sharma, MD, at Stanford Health Care. Prior to the procedure, the patient was referred to the Stanford 3D and Quantitative Imaging Laboratory for advanced medical imaging, which was featured in a case study series.
January 29, 2025
Showcasing Stanford Excellence in Cardiothoracic Surgery at the 2025 STS 61st Annual Meeting
Several faculty and trainees from the Stanford Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery were present throughout the conference, serving as moderators and speakers, as well as faculty participants in hands-on courses that provided an immersive learning experience in various surgical procedures for residents and early career surgeons.
January 28, 2025
Department Welcomes Dr. Minh Vu as Clinical Assistant Professor
The Stanford Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery is pleased to welcome Minh Vu, MD, as its newest Clinical Assistant Professor. Dr. Vu will provide clinical care and cardiothoracic surgery for patients at Mercy Medical Center in Redding, California.
January 23, 2025
Department Welcomes Dr. Shaun P. Setty as Clinical Assistant Professor
The Stanford Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery is pleased to welcome Shaun P. Setty, MD, as its newest Clinical Assistant Professor. Dr. Setty serves as the Surgical Director of the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit, Director of Global Cardiac Care, and a member of the pediatric cardiac surgery team at the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford.
January 6, 2025