Cleveland Clinic Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery has had three great mentors, teachers, and friends leaving us a legacy of excellence in cardiothoracic surgery that will be preserved for generations through all of us. The academic leadership of Drs. Fred Loop, Bruce Lytle, and Toby Cosgrove will forever be heralded through their services as the Presidents of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, among many other accomplishments.
Bruce Lytle, MD
Bruce W. Lytle, MD, was a staff surgeon in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic for 38 years with a special interest in coronary artery disease, arterial bypass grafting, valvular heart diseases, valve surgery, re-operations, disease of the thoracic aorta, idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and laser transmyocardial revascularization surgery. He served as chair of the Sydell and Arnold Miller Family Heart Vascular Institute at the Clinic from 2007-2014.
His numerous publications cover a wide range of topics such as coronary artery bypass grafting, thoracic aortic dissections, surgery for acquired heart disease, surgery for coronary atherosclerosis, blood conservation in cardiac surgery, and a novel synthetic sealant to treat air leaks at cardiac re-operation.
Dr. Lytle served President of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery in 2006-2007 after having served on its Council from 2001 - 2008.
Floyd D. Loop, MD
Floyd D. Loop, MD, joined the Cleveland Clinic as a cardiac surgeon in 1970, and ultimately became chairman and CEO of the Clinic in 1989 serving until 2004. During his tenure, the Cleveland Clinic became an integrated regional healthcare delivery system, with an expanded main campus, hospital and clinic in Florida, and its own medical school program.
Dr. Loop performed more than 12,000 cardiac surgeries in his career and was the author of 350 papers on all aspects of cardiovascular surgery. He refined arterial grafting, improved reoperative techniques, and confirmed the superiority of the internal thoracic artery as a bypass graft to the left anterior descending coronary artery. He helped establish the world’s first computerized registry of cardiac surgery outcomes.
Dr. Loop served as Treasurer of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery from 1988 - 1989 and as its President from 1997 - 1998
Toby Cosgrove, MD
Delos (Toby) M. Cosgrove, MD, served as the CEO and President of Cleveland Clinic, an $8 billion healthcare system, from 2004 to 2017. During his tenure, he emphasized patient care and patient experience, including the re-organization of clinical services into patient-centered organ- and disease-based institutes. He also launched major wellness initiatives for patients, employees, and communities.
Dr. Cosgrove has published one book, nearly 450 journal articles, book chapters, and 17 training and continuing medical education films. He performed more than 22,000 operations and has an international reputation for expertise in all areas of cardiac surgery, especially valve repair. As an innovator, Dr. Cosgrove has 30 patents filed for developing medical and clinical products used in surgical environments.
From 1999 - 2000, Dr. Cosgrove served as President of he American Association for Thoracic Surgery having served on its Council from 1990 - 1994.