Methodist Physicians has a highly trained team of cardiothoracic surgeons, meaning specially trained surgeons who treat conditions of the heart, lungs and chest. Our board certified surgeons are part of an integrated, multidisciplinary team of doctors and health professionals working together across Methodist Healthcare to improve heart care of our patients.
They treat many conditions and perform many complex procedures, including heart failure surgery, heart transplantation, heart valve surgery, surgery to treat congenital heart defects in children and congenital heart disease in adults, transcatheter aortic valve replacement and implantation of ventricular assist devices.
Mechanical circulatory support
For patients with advanced heart failure awaiting a heart transplant, or who are not eligible for a heart transplant, physicians with Methodist Physicians specialize in mechanical circulatory support and ventricular assist devices, or VADs. VADs are mechanical pumps that are implanted in the chest that helps circulate blood from the ventricles (lower chambers of the heart) to the rest of the body. Our team specializes in surgeries dealing with the following:
- Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) Implantation and Management
- Bridge to Transplantation
- Mechanical Circulatory Support (MCS)
- Post-Cardiotomy Shock
- High Risk Cardiac Surgery (High-risk, Reoperative)
- Destination Therapy Left Ventricular Assist Devices (DT LVAD)
- CentriMag
- HeartMate II
- Impella
- HeartAssist5
- Thoratec pVAD and Thoratec iVAD Bridge to Recovery
- HeartMate XVE
- TandemHeart
Aortic surgery
Our heart and vascular specialists also offer first-class treatment for aortic aneurysms, including thoracic aortic aneurysms and abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs), along with other conditions affecting the aorta, like aortoiliac disease. Our doctors and experienced medical teams are recognized as regional leaders in treating vascular conditions and are specially trained in performing these life-saving surgeries.
Our Methodist Heart and Lung Institute Aortic Center team provides patients treatment plans from critical to advanced therapy measures to those who have been diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm to reduce the need for surgery.
Heart transplants
Heart transplants are performed when other treatments have not worked, leading to heart failure. This could be caused by a weakening of the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy), coronary artery disease, heart valve disease, congenital heart defects or recurring abnormal heart rhythms.
The Methodist Heart and Lung Institute’s Heart Failure and Transplant Center is the largest heart transplant program in Central and South Texas. The team, made up of surgeons from Methodist Physicians, has performed more than 500 transplants since the start of the program in 1986.
Congenital heart surgery – pediatric and adult
Our Congenital Heart Surgery team at Methodist Physicians | Pediatric Specialists of Texas is dedicated to providing optimal care using state-of-the-art technology for children and adults with cardiac diseases and anomalies, and we offer results that rank among the best in the United States.
Together with the team of Methodist Children’s Heart Institute, this performs a full range of congenital cardiac surgical procedures, including:
- Neonatal and infant heart surgery
- Heart arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) surgery
- Beating heart surgery
- Minimally invasive septal defect repairs
Adults with congenital heart disease face unique challenges as a result of their complex medical and surgical history. Our Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) Program offers seamless, multispecialty care at Methodist Hospital.
This integrated ACHD program, led by a team from Methodist Cardiology Clinic of San Antonio, includes outstanding cardiovascular subspecialty expertise in congenital heart surgery, interventional cardiology, clinical cardiac electrophysiology, minimally invasive valve repair and replacement, advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology and pulmonary hypertension management.
