Cardiothoracic surgery in Tulsa, OK
The cardiothoracic surgery team provides quality care for complex and serious conditions of the heart, lungs and chest. Our compassionate cardiothoracic surgeons provide both general thoracic surgery and minimally invasive surgery care to thousands of patients at our Hillcrest Medical Center and Hillcrest South campuses. Our surgical center is on the leading edge of treating cardiovascular and cardiothoracic conditions, using innovations like minimally invasive techniques and robot-assisted surgery. No matter your needs, our top surgeons are ready to provide exceptional surgical services that you and your loved ones can depend on.
Our cardiothoracic surgery services
Our surgeons offer almost all types of cardiothoracic (CT) surgery, including elective or emergency surgery to treat the following conditions:
- Aortic aneurysm
- Arrhythmias
- Congenital heart diseases
- Coronary artery disease
- Esophageal cancers
- Heart failure
- Heart valve disease
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
- Lung cancer
- Pericarditis
- Tracheal diseases
Cardiovascular and thoracic surgeons Drs. Ajit Tharakan, Jim Neel and Kelly Nagasawa, as well as vascular surgeons Drs. Julia Chen, Prashanth Iyer and Adel Barkat, offer minimally invasive valve repair and replacement procedures for patients with complex and serious conditions that affect people of all ages. OHI has a unique combination of approaches, which result in the best possible outcomes for our patients.
Our surgeons offer almost all types of cardiac surgery, including elective or emergency surgery for heart valve disease, aortic aneurysm, coronary artery disease, lung cancers, esophageal cancers, tracheal diseases, arrhythmias, heart failure, LVAD surgery, ECMO and conditions previously deemed inoperable with success rates above the national average.
We utilize the newest surgical techniques, equipment and devices, including minimally invasive surgery, off-pump bypass, robotically assisted thoracic surgery and percutaneous procedures. As a participant in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) public reporting initiative, OHI is proud to have achieved the highest rating in several categories including the composite quality metrics for coronary bypass surgery.
Please call us to learn more about our cardiothoracic surgery services.
Robotic thoracic surgery
OHI’s CT and vascular surgery teams have completed over 100 robotic thoracic surgery procedures including lobectomy, bilobectomy, esophagectomy, mediastinal diseases and thymectomy. They have performed over 100 total procedures with 0% in hospital mortality. Our CVT team offers a variety of minimally invasive valve repair and replacement procedures. Click below to watch a video of Drs. Tharakan and Neel explaining these procedures.
Left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) at OHI
The LVAD is an implantable mechanical pump that supports a weak left ventricle and helps pump blood to the rest of the body. This mechanical circulatory support device can be a therapy option for symptomatic patients with advanced heart disease that centers around a weak left ventricle. OHI performed the first LVAD implant in northeast Oklahoma in 2018. Our team also celebrated the LVAD program’s five-year anniversary in 2023.
OHI cares for the largest number of patients with durable mechanical devices, like the HeartMate 3 LVAD, in northeast Oklahoma. The HeartMate 3 is a centrifugal flow pump that utilizes Full MagLev Flow technology, which helps protect the blood as it flows through the pump.
Excellence in life support
The team played a large role in securing the state of Oklahoma’s first ever Gold Level ELSO Award of Excellence in life support at OHI. You can read more about this achievement here.
Recognition from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Through this team’s work, OHI has earned multiple three-star ratings from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) in its CABG composite score. This score is calculated using a combination of 11 measures of quality divided into four broad categories or domains. This three-star achievement in multiple categories is only achieved by 15% of all cardiac surgery programs across the country.
Working across specialties
Our surgeons routinely work with the structural heart, heart failure, electrophysiology and cardiovascular critical care teams to care for patients with complex cardiovascular needs and to conduct procedures that are part of clinical trials and research studies. This cross-specialty collaboration is part of what makes OHI such an effective and efficient comprehensive cardiac care center.
Our CT and vascular surgeons are joined by a large number of advanced practice providers who assist them in caring for patients in need of surgical cardiovascular or thoracic intervention. Their clinical focuses range from critical care and heart failure to heart valve operations and preventive cardiac care.
This team’s depth of experience allows us to perform complex operations, such as second or third heart surgeries and conditions previously deemed inoperable with success rates above the national average. These experts use the newest surgical techniques, equipment and devices, including minimally invasive surgery, off-pump bypass, robotically assisted thoracic surgery and percutaneous procedures.
Learn more about our research efforts.