AATS Member Spotlight

This month's featured member is:

John H. Calhoon, MD

University Health System

Adult Cardiac/Congenital Heart Surgery

Member Since: 1996

Biography:

Integral member of the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio for over 30 years. Attended the University of Texas at Austin on a scholarship to play golf, graduated from Baylor College of Medicine in 1981 and started surgical residency in San Antonio in general surgery. Selected for Thoracic Surgery residency immediately following general surgery with Dr. Kent Trinkle. Selected as chief resident at the Harvard Medical School Boston Children?s Hospital in pediatric cardiac surgery. Joined the faculty at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in 1989 and became Professor and Head of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery in 1994. In 2010, Dr. Calhoon was named Founding Chairman of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery. Areas of clinical expertise include congenital heart surgery, adult cardiac surgery, and pulmonary transplantation. In 2015, he was formally selected to lead the UTHSCSA Heart and Vascular Institute and has transitioned that role to Dr. Allen Anderson, Chief of Cardiology in May of 2020. In addition, serve as the Director of the UHS/UTH Congenital Heart Institute since 2018 and has been the leader of the congenital heart program until 2024 since joining the UTHSCSA.

Honors include a variety of teaching awards from the institution and department including being awarded the first ever President?s Council Chair for Excellence in Surgery in 2003. He is author of over 100 peer reviewed journal articles, 20 book chapters, and a host of other abstracts and presentations. Dr. Calhoon is a Past Council Chair and Past President of the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association and was founding President of the Thoracic Surgery Foundation. He is a past Board member and past officer of the Joint Council on Thoracic Surgical Education and aided it its transition to STS. He is a Past President of the Thoracic Surgery Director?s Association, past Chairman of the American Board of Thoracic Surgery and a former Board member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Most recently, he served as President of the STS in 2022-2023. He is a member of the American Association of Thoracic Surgery, and Texas Surgical Society. Active in a number of civic areas, he has served as Chairman of the local American Heart Association Board, President of the local Surgical Society, Chairman of the Board of the Dominion Country Club and was a Founder of HeartGift San Antonio. He served as Chair of the 2015 San Antonio AHA Heart and Stroke Walk. His most important personal honors are being named a distinguished Young Texas Ex in 1997 from his undergraduate institution, marriage to his wife and best friend, Ms. Sarah Lucero, a former top ranked news anchor, and four healthy children.

A seasoned and highly experienced master Adult Cardiac and Congenital Cardiac Surgeon, he is part of a great congenital heart and adult cardiac surgery team able to tackle the most complex cardiac repairs. In addition, he is a master at complex reoperative heart surgery of all kinds ? children and adults. He is particularly experienced and adept in handling in infections of the aortic valve and aortic root. His team maintains a variety of homograft valves to handle this dreaded disease. He and the UTH Cardiac Surgical team have done more than 100 Ross Procedures and Dr. Calhoon has significant expertise in Ross Procedures which develop enlarging and leaking pulmonary autograft valves. His team is acknowledged for their personal attention to detail and personal touch with the family and the patient. Although indications are rare, he is a master reoperative cardiac and coronary bypass surgeon and one who utilizes arterial grafting when possible.

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