Stanford Cardiothoracic Surgeon Featured in New York Times

Leah Backhus, MD, MPH, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Stanford Medicine, was recently featured in a prominent New York Times article, highlighting the rarity of women in cardiothoracic surgery, and the mission of the Women in Thoracic Surgery’s (WTS) to advance women in the field.

As the current Vice President of the WTS, Dr. Backhus was featured alongside other leading female cardiothoracic surgeons discussing roadblocks women face when choosing a career in cardiothoracic surgery and possible opportunities to address them. Their collective experiences were also shared at the recent WTS annual meeting, which drew more than 200 participants and showcased how women are trying to change one of medicine’s most demanding fields.

The article notes that women make up about 30 percent of all surgeons in the United States. According to the American Board of Thoracic Surgery, which confers the certificates to surgeons, women make up only 5% of board-certified cardiothoracic surgeons in the United States as of 2024.

For Dr. Backhus, however, the true highlight of the feature was the personal response it generated.

A recent Stanford Medicine patient, Doug Cole, read the article and was moved to reach out to Dr. Backhus to personally share his comment he wrote to the New York Times in response to the story. He and his wife, Betsy Bowerman, wanted Dr. Backhus to know of his gratitude for her exceptional care.

They first met Dr. Backhus a few years ago when Doug arrived at Stanford Hospital with a “massive thoracic infection from an esophageal rupture.” He was septic and weak and Betsy feared he would die.

“Then appeared Dr. Backhus. She was a glowing beacon of competence and comfort, and she had a plan for my survival,” Doug said.

Doug’s road to recovery took a few months, with Dr. Backhus at his side. He concluded his comment by asking for, “more women surgeons, please!”

“I was incredibly moved by Doug and his wife’s message,” said Dr. Backhus. “Sentiments like theirs are what buoy us forward professionally. I remain humble knowing that I was privileged to have played a part in his health and am deeply grateful that our team worked together to support his recovery and well-being.”

Dr. Backhus is the Thelma and Henry Doelger Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery. She practices at Stanford Hospital and is Chief of Thoracic Surgery at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Hospital. Her surgical practice consists of general thoracic surgery with special emphasis on thoracic oncology and minimally invasive surgical techniques. Her research interests include lung cancer screening and surveillance.

In 2023, Dr. Backhus was awarded the inaugural Society of Thoracic Surgeons and WTS Extraordinary Women of Cardiothoracic Surgery for her notable contributions to the specialty. She is in line to be the next WTS President for the 2027-2029 term.

Congratulations to Dr. Backhus on this recognition.