Stanford Cardiothoracic Surgery Welcomes Dr. Anelechi Anyanwu as the Inaugural Dr. Philip E. Oyer Visiting Professor

by Roxanna Van Norman
February 27, 2025

The Stanford Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery was pleased to welcome Anelechi Anyanwu, MD, as the Inaugural Dr. Philip E. Oyer Visiting Professor on January 27, 2025.

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.

Philip E. Oyer, MD, PhD, is an emeritus cardiovascular surgeon who we recognize with a visiting professorship lecture for his world-renowned achievements in cardiovascular surgery.

“To honor Dr. Oyer, we wanted to invite someone who embodies his key contributions to cardiac surgery, heart failure, heart assist devices, transplantation, and innovative surgical approaches for complex heart conditions. We could think of no one better than Dr. Anelechi Anyanwu from Mount Sinai,” said Joseph Woo, MD, Chair and Norman E. Shumway Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery, in his opening remarks. “We are very fortunate to welcome him here to teach us about history, surgery, and new perspectives.”

Dr. Anyanwu, known for his leadership in heart transplantation and mechanical circulatory support, has played a pivotal role in advancing the heart failure program at Mount Sinai. His clinical practice is predominantly in valve surgery and surgery for heart failure. His specialized interests include re-operative cardiac surgery, mitral valve repair, mitral valve re-repair, ventricular assist devices, and minimally invasive options for valve disease.

At the event, Dr. Anyanwu delivered an engaging lecture, "Learning From Our History," highlighting the historical achievements and contributions of Dr. Oyer. He focused on Dr. Oyer's pioneering achievements and contributions after an in-depth review of his extensive research publications. “I read one paper, then the next, and the next – and I realized that for this talk, I wanted to go through some of Dr. Oyer’s most impactful publications over the decades,” Dr. Anyanwu said. "I realized I did not come here to teach, but I came here to learn [...] and share with you what I've learned from Dr. Oyer’s history of publications.”

His discussion included Dr. Oyer's involvement in heart and lung transplantation, immunosuppression therapy, the development of artificial heart pumps and left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) as a bridge to transplantation, and leading the heart transplant program at Stanford.

Dr. Anyanwu also offered philosophical perspectives on the lessons and the importance of studying the history of medicine. In referencing an address by medical historian Eugene F. Cordell, MD, Dr. Anyanwu pointed out how history helps us better understand the evolution of the field. “Reading Dr. Oyer’s papers transported me to the operating room and to his lab, trying to grasp what was happening at that time,” he said. "You cannot get that by just reading the facts. You can only get that by going back in history."

He further highlighted how studying medicine's history increases one's knowledge, puts the evolution of medical practices and discoveries over time into perspective, and shows how the work of our past colleagues can better enhance our own patient care. Quoting a philosopher, Dr. Anyanwu said, "There's nothing we do in modern medicine that you can't find in the seeds of medicine in the past."

Dr. Anyanwu was trained in cardiothoracic surgery at the Harefield Hospital, London, United Kingdom, and affiliated hospitals in the University of London Network, as well as Mount Sinai Medical Center. He was trained by internationally renowned surgeons, including Sir Magdi H. Yacoub, MD, Gilles D. Dreyfus, MD, and Tom Treasure, MD. Under the tutelage of Dr. Yacoub and Asghar Khaghani, MD, he was trained in heart and lung transplantation. While at Harefield Hospital, Dr. Anyanwu was one of the few surgeons worldwide who was trained in all aspects of thoracic transplantation, including heart transplantation, heterotopic heart transplantation, heart-lung transplantation, domino heart transplantation, and lung transplantation.

He has a lot of accomplishments in both clinical outcomes research and novel techniques of valve repair and transplantation, with numerous peer-reviewed publications. He serves on multiple committees and is in leadership roles within the American Association for Thoracic Surgery.

About Dr. Philip E. Oyer

World-renowned for his technical expertise in clinical cardiovascular surgery, Dr. Philip E. Oyer’s accomplishments include developing an artificial heart assist device, research on heart and heart-lung transplantation, and innovative approaches to complex surgeries. Dr. Oyer has led a successful career in the operating room, helping patients receive specialized treatments for aortic diseases, heart valve conditions, and thoracic aortic aneurysm. He was named the first Roy B. Cohn -Theodore A. Falasco Professor in Cardiothoracic Surgery in 2011.

In the 1970s, Dr. Oyer, in partnership with Peer Portner, PhD, began researching mechanical pumps that would successfully support failing hearts. Dr. Oyer would eventually make history in 1984, co-developing and implanting the first mechanical ventricular assist device to successfully serve as a bridge to heart transplantation. In the same year, Dr. Oyer, with Dr. Norman E. Shumway's surgery team, successfully performed breakthrough pediatric heart transplants. Dr. Oyer has produced over 260 articles in peer-reviewed publications, including research on implantable heart assist devices, heart and heart-lung transplantation, and valve replacement studies.

Dr. Philip Oyer

After receiving his medical degree in 1969 and a doctorate in biochemistry in 1970 from the University of Chicago, Dr. Oyer came to Stanford and completed his residencies in cardiovascular surgery and general surgery. Dr. Oyer became a faculty member in the department in 1976, later serving as the associate chair for the department in 2003 and acting as interim department chair from 2012 to 2013.

The lecture was well-attended by faculty, fellows, residents, and students alike, who were inspired by the contributions of Dr. Anyanwu and Dr. Oyer, and the role of history in modern-day cardiothoracic surgery.