Mid America Heart & Lung Surgeons

Saint Luke's cardiovascular surgeons are among the finest-trained anywhere and the most experienced in cardiac surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, and heart surgery. Our heart transplant volumes rank in the country’s top 15 and is the only top 15 center in the Midwest. We’ve also performed nearly one-third of all valve surgeries in Kansas City in 2016.

Our surgical teams perform the full spectrum of surgical cardiovascular interventions, including:

• Coronary bypass
• Aortic aneurysm repair
• Vascular surgery
• Lung repair
• Esophageal repair
• Valve repair and replacement

Our surgical services include:

• Atrial fibrillation treatment
• Aneurysm repair
• Bypass surgery
• ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation)
• Heart transplant
• Hyperhydrosis treatment
• Left ventricular assist device placement
• Patent ductus arteriosis (PDA) treatment for newborns
• Robotic thymectomy
• Structural repair
• Thoracic surgery
• Valve repair and replacement
• Valvuloplasty
• Vascular surgery

The surgical team is housed in Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute's state-of-the-art building and is backed up by a full complement of critical care physicians and cardiologists.

Saint Luke's cardiovascular surgery program features:

• The region’s longest continuously active adult heart transplant program
• LVADs (left ventricular assist devices), or mechanical pumps to treat heart failure patients. These provide long-term support and greatly improve the quality of life for patients not eligible for cardiac transplantation.
• Comprehensive management of aortic valve disease
• Outcomes that consistently surpass national benchmarks

Cardiac surgery:

• Minimally invasive vein harvesting reduces site complications
• A blood conservation initiative
• An atrial fibrillation prevention protocol

Vascular surgery:

• Pioneered stent grafting for thoracic aortic aneurysms
• Endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair using stent grafting
• Participation in a multidisciplinary vascular conference approach

Thoracic surgery:

• Minimally invasive and robotically assisted thoracic surgery
• Multidisciplinary care

Committed to cutting-edge research

Our surgeons participate in a variety of clinical trials, including but not limited to:

• Ventricular support devices
• Percutaneous valves
• Stem cell therapy
• Anti-inflammatory mediators
• Vaccines to prevent postoperative staph infections
• Neuro-protective drugs
• Hemostatic factor replacement
• Outcomes research in cardiac transplantation