Miami Cardiac and Vascular Institute
Adult Cardiac
Member Since: 2018
Biography:
Dr. Tom C. Nguyen is the Chief Medical Executive, Director of Minimally Invasive Valve Surgery, and Barry T. Katzen Endowed Chair of Baptist Health Miami Cardiac and Vascular Institute. Dr. Nguyen comes from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), where he was the Charles Schwab Distinguished Professor of Surgery, Co-Director of the Heart and Vascular Center, and Professor and Chief of the Division of Adult Cardiothoracic Surgery. At UCSF, he flourished in a productive practice of nearly 300 pump cases/year. While at UCSF, Dr. Nguyen transformed the division of cardiothoracic surgery helping to double the volume and set milestones in quality, outcomes, and research. He is an internationally recognized surgeon with expertise in performing high-risk heart operations through the smallest possible incision, including transcatheter technologies.
Dr. Nguyen is active in research and creativity at a regional, national, and international level. He has published nearly 300 peer-reviewed articles, serves on the editorial board for four academic journals and is editor of several textbooks on surgery. Before turning 40, he received the Houston Business Journal?s 40 Under 40 Award. He has been principal investigator on landmark trials exploring transcatheter aortic and mitral valve replacements. He recently served as President of the 21st Century Cardiothoracic Surgery Society and is a Director of the American Board of Thoracic Surgery (ABTS). He also serves on the Board of Directors for the STS Thoracic Surgery Foundation (TSF), CTSNet, and the International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery (ISMICS).
Dr. Nguyen was born in Vietnam and as an immigrant, perseverance embodies his life philosophy. He went to college at Rice University, medical school at Johns Hopkins, general surgery residency at Stanford University, cardiothoracic fellowship at Columbia Presbyterian, and he completed a transcatheter fellowship at Emory University.
My First Experience with AATS:
I was a general surgery resident at Stanford University working in Craig Miller's lab studying mitral annular dynamics in an ovine model. I was privileged to have the opportunity to first participate and then present at the AATS. The science and camaraderie were invigorating and further piqued my interest in cardiothoracic surgery. I was lucky to have several prominent surgeons mentor me throughout the AATS meetings and career. These AATS values of leadership, education, innovation, and mentorship continue to resonate with me as I try and pay it forward to others interested in our wonderful specialty.
Why I became an AATS member:
I believe in the long history of the AATS and its core values to promote scholarship, innovation, and leadership.
The most impactful presentation I have seen at an AATS meeting:
I am a minimally invasive mitral surgeon and remember a plenary presentation looking at long term outcomes of an edge-to-edge suture technique (i.e. Alfieri stitch) versus leaflet resection for myxomatous and Barlow's disease. The long term data for the Alfieri's edge-to-edge technique was very compelling and generated a lot of discussion. This topic has remerged now as we debate the value of MitraClip for primary degenerative disease.
The first presentation I gave is:
We looked at the effect of pure volume overload in an ovine model on mitral annular dynamics.
The first paper I had published is:
"Subvalvular Repair: The Key to Repairing Ischemic Mitral Regurgitation?"
I plan on becoming more involved in the organization through:
I believe to stay relevant, all organizations and associations need to constantly look into the future. In addition to leadership, scholarship, and mentorship, I welcome opportunities to help strategize the future of our speciality and association.
My career in CT Surgery was inspired by:
It’s an incredible privilege to practice medicine. Not only is there a unique doctor-patient relationship implicitly built upon trust, but with surgery, there’s an opportunity to use your hands to help offer patients a chance at renewed health and extended life."
My career in CT Surgery was inspired by:
It’s an incredible privilege to practice medicine. Not only is there a unique doctor-patient relationship implicitly built upon trust, but with surgery, there’s an opportunity to use your hands to help offer patients a chance at renewed health and extended life. Cardiothoracic surgery is even more mesmerizing where surgeons use sutures thinner than most peoples hair follicles to connect vessels and anatomy back together again. The technical skills and demands of cardiothoracic surgery have always fascinated and inspired me. Lastly, the unique ability to routinely stop the heart (and bring it back) is another facet that I remain in continual awe. Not many professions do all this in a routine day.
A significant case/patient interaction that impacted my career is:
Chronic mitral regurgitation (MR) is relatively well tolerated, but acute MR can spiral to decompensation in short order. I had a young obese pregnant patient with a ruptured papillary muscle and subsequent pulmonary edema and respiratory failure. Her lungs were completely whited out. She was placed on ECMO for support and immediately after she delivered her baby, I performed minimally invasive mitral valve repair. She did very well and the opportunity to watch her hold her baby for the first time will never be forgotten.
The biggest impact my mentor had on my career is:
Mentorship takes energy and sacrifice, but it's all worth it.
The topic most important to advancing the field of CT Surgery is:
Look into the future. Don't sit on dogma.
The most pressing issues impacting CT surgery are:
Rising healthcare costs. Importance of surgeon-led innovation and participation in transcatheter technologies.
Advice for Trainees:
The first organ the heart feeds is itself. Take care of yourself.