Newswise — Washington, D.C., July 31, 2017 – MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute is pleased to announce that Vinod Thourani, MD, will join its leadership team as the chairman of Cardiac Surgery, effective August 14. A nationally recognized cardiothoracic surgeon and researcher, Dr. Thourani brings with him extensive expertise in structural heart disease and valve surgery, specifically TAVR (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement) and minimally invasive aortic and mitral valvular surgery.
Dr. Thourani joins MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute from Emory Healthcare in Atlanta, Ga., where he is a professor of surgery and medicine, and was co-director of the Structural Heart and Valve Center, and chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Emory University Hospital Midtown. In his new role at MedStar Heart, Dr. Thourani will be responsible for all cardiac surgical services at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and MedStar Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore.
“Dr. Thourani is the rising star in his generation of cardiovascular surgeons,” said Stuart F. Seides, MD, physician executive director, MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute. “With his strong and well-established background in academic surgery, education and research, Dr. Thourani will continue to enhance our already highly distinguished cardiac surgery program, and will help us secure our position as one of the nation’s premier heart and vascular institutes.”
Dr. Thourani will be building on the legacy established by Dr. Paul Corso who has led the cardiac surgery program for more than 20 years. Under Dr. Corso’s direction, MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute has continually pioneered innovations in surgical techniques and secured the highest three-star rating from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons for 10 consecutive years. Dr. Corso will be remaining with MedStar Heart in order to focus on one of his passions–ensuring the highest quality outcomes for cardiac surgery patients–and to help ensure a smooth leadership transition.
During his tenure at Emory, Dr. Thourani focused on developing and refining innovative strategies and devices to treat structural heart disease, particularly in those patients who previously had no treatment alternatives. He played a pivotal role in directing a number of large studies that have helped to significantly expand the understanding of the use of TAVR in ever larger populations, having served as national principal investigator and having received NIH funding for his work in the structural heart arena. His skills are a strong fit with the high level of expertise and innovation in the treatment of structural heart disease that is already well-established at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and MedStar Union Memorial Hospital.
Dr. Thourani also brings with him a commitment to education and leadership development. He served as the director of the Advanced Transcatheter Valve Surgery fellowship at Emory, and he was a fellow of Emory’s Woodruff Leadership Academy. He currently holds significant leadership positions in the major cardiology and cardiothoracic surgical associations, including serving on the Board of Directors of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons.
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MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute is a national leader in the research, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease. A network of 10 hospitals and 150 cardiovascular physicians throughout Maryland, Northern Virginia and the Greater Washington, D.C., region, MedStar Heart also offers a clinical and research alliance with Cleveland Clinic Heart & Vascular Institute, the nation’s #1 heart program. Together, they have forged a relationship of shared expertise to enhance quality, improve safety and increase access to advanced services. MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute was founded at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, home to the Nancy and Harold Zirkin Heart & Vascular Hospital. Opened in July 2016, the hospital ushered in a new era of coordinated, centralized specialty care for patients with even the most complex heart and vascular diagnoses.
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