Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center - Houston, Texas

Cardiothoracic Surgery

About the program

The Houston VA Medical Center Cardiothoracic Surgery Program is the largest Cardiothoracic Surgery Center in the VA system. On average, the Houston program performs more than 300 cardiac cases and over 25 thoracic cases annually.

It is one of the only programs in the VA system that performs minimally invasive surgeries. Our surgeons each have more than 20 years of experience in the field of cardiothoracic surgery.

Our Surgical Intensive Care Unit has 18 beds dedicated to cardiothoracic surgery patients. On average we perform about 400 heart and lung surgery cases annually.

Services offered

Minimally Invasive Procedures

• Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic (VATS) lobectomy
• Robotic DaVinci lobectomy and mediastinum mass removal
• TAVR (trans-catheter aortic valve replacement)
• Mini thoracotomy mitral valve repair and replacement
• Mini sternotomy aortic valve replacement
• Minimally invasive MAZE ablation procedures for atrial fibrillation
• Convergent hybrid atrial fibrillation ablation procedure

Cardiac Surgery

• MEDVAMC has a busy practice performing:
• Cardiac surgical procedures
• Coronary artery bypass grafting to treat coronary arterial disease
• Valve repair and replacement to treat cardiac valve pathologies related to the aortic
• Mitral and tricuspid valves
• Aortic aneurysm replacement for thoracic aortic aneurysm and aortic dissections
• MEDVAMC is also in the process of developing a destination VAD program for terminally ill heart failure patients.

Lung Surgery

• Treatments for esophageal cancer, thymoma, and other rare cancers such as mediastinal tumors and mesothelioma. 
• Procedures included, but not limited to:
• lobectomy for lung cancer
• esophagectomy for esophageal cancer
  We also frequently treat patients with benign conditions of the chest, such as infections, achalasia, esophageal stricture, diaphragmatic hernia, hiatal hernia, fundoplication for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), and CP myotomy (diverticulotomy) for Zenker’s diverticulum, or esophageal motility disorders.

Cardiothorasic Surgery Team

Meet your providers and team members.