Veterans Affairs
Adult Cardiac
Member Since: 2007
Biography:
Gregory Trachiotis, MD, is a Professor of Surgery and Biomedical Engineering and Chief of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery at The George Washington University Medical Center, and Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Director Heart Center, at The Veterans Affairs Medical Center/Capitol VISN-5 Network. His clinical and surgical interests include end-stage heart and lung disease, video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS), lung cancer, coronary artery disease, aortic and mitral valvular disease, off-bypass coronary revascularization, mini-pump technology and surgery for heart failure, Transcatheter valve therapy. He is board certified by the National Board of Medical Examiners, American Board of Surgery and American Board of Thoracic Surgery in Cardiothoracic Surgery, and General Surgery. Dr. Trachiotis earned his medical degree from The George Washington University. He served as a cardiovascular and thoracic surgery resident and later became chief resident and instructor of surgery at The George Washington University and chief resident of vascular surgery at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. He also completed a heart and lung transplant surgery fellowship at Emory University and Affiliated Hospitals in Atlanta. He has earned numerous awards including Washingtonian Top Doc (2005, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020,2022, 2023), Outstanding Chief of Surgery Resident Award, Department of Surgery, at The George Washington University, American College of Surgeons Zehner Memorial Traveling Fellowship, Chest Foundation's American College of Chest Physicians Young Investigator Award, International Who's Who of Professionals, Marquis Who's Who in Medicine and Health Care, and Alley-Sheridan Scholar Harvard Health Policy and Secretary of Veterans Health Affairs Hand and Heart Award.
Dr. Trachiotis's research topics include revascularization for left ventricular dysfunction, cardiac imaging for valvular heart disease, off-bypass coronary operations, cardiovascular disease in sleep apnea, cancer and tumor markers (DNA pooling) in esophageal and lung cancer. He collaborates with and is the surgical principal investigator with the Biomedical Science and Engineering Research lab at the George Washington University. He is also the Principal Investigator on several clinical studies. He maintains a FTE resident Cardiothoracic research program since 2011. He has 1-3 residents and post doc fellows or students in his Cardiothoracic research Lab program at all times. He has more than 300 publications and presentations on his research findings at both the national and international level, including those published in Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Hospital Physician, Chest, American Surgeon, Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Surgical Rounds, Transplantation, Innovations, World Journal Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, Journal of Heart Lung Transplant, Journal of Circulatory Support and Journal of Trauma, Nature and Science. Dr. Trachiotis has also been asked to lecture and be a visiting surgeon in Greece and Cyprus more than six times. Dr. Trachiotis's professional memberships include the American College of Surgeons (FACS), Society of Thoracic Surgeons, Southern Thoracic Surgical Association, American College of Surgeons, DC Chapter, International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation, International Society of Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery, AHA Council on Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, American College of Chest Physicians (Fellow), and the elite society The American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS). He is the VAMC CT rotation director for George Washington University medical students. He has been a member of the editorial board of the Innovations Journal, Cardiovascular Engineering and Technology Journal , Heart Surgery Forum and VATS. He serves as a medical student and resident mentor for the AATS in Washington, DC.
What Does the AATS Mean to You:
Premier academic forum; comradery, and fellowship
My First Experience with AATS:
Forum presentation as an Advanced Cardiac and CT Transplant Fellow at Emory and presented CABG Results in LV Dysfunction 1997.
Why I became an AATS member:
Academic standing; networking; exposure for trainees
The most impactful presentation I have seen at an AATS meeting:
Many, yet Presidential Addresses by. Drs. David, Cox and Patterson stand out.
The first presentation I gave is:
As above 1997
The first paper I had published is:
Annals Thoracic Surgery-Open Lung Biopsy in Management of AIDS
I plan on becoming more involved in the organization through:
Supporting my residents and trainees; meeting attendence; and Committee representations
A significant case/patient interaction that impacted my career is:
Each case, patient and family interaction, especially to the Veterans I serve is a continued honor and privilege."
My career in CT Surgery was inspired by:
My mentors as a student and resident-Dr. L. Thompson Bowles; Dr. Benjamin Aaron, and Dr. William Hix. Committed to CT surgery career as a 3rd year Medical Student, after spending summer taking care of PIG heart transplant recipients. And to my mentors who continue to support and follow my career Dr. James Cox; Dr. Alec Patterson and Dr. Sudhir Sundaresan.
A significant case/patient interaction that impacted my career is:
Each case, patient and family interaction, especially to the Veterans I serve is a continued honor and privilege.
The biggest impact my mentor had on my career is:
To commit to care for Veterans
The topic most important to advancing the field of CT Surgery is:
That our profession and Societies have taken the lead in collaboration-whether in coronary or valve therapy or thoracic oncology or trainee education.
The most pressing issues impacting CT surgery are:
Adopting and advancing, and taking the lead in evolving technology, therapies, and research.
Advice for Trainees:
Listen and observe; read and be a student always; pay attention to the details; seek balance in your lives.