Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery

George J. Magovern Jr., M.D., Department Chairman

Throughout its 50-year history, the Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery has been an important contributor to the field of cardiothoracic surgery. In 1961, the chairman of the hospital’s Department of Surgery performed the state’s first heart-valve replacement. Later in 1961, a cardiothoracic surgical team at Allegheny General Hospital performed the city’s first coronary artery bypass for coronary obstruction. In 1969, Allegheny General Hospital cardiac surgeons performed the hospital’s first heart transplant — the second in the state. Physicians at Allegheny General Hospital performed the nation’s first double ventricular assist, a procedure that proved that, under some circumstances, a damaged heart can rest and repair itself. Department surgeons are recognized leaders in the use of minimally invasive techniques for both cardiac and general thoracic surgical procedures. The Allegheny Minimally Invasive Surgery Center is under the direction of the Division of General Thoracic Surgery.

The Allegheny General Hospital Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery comprises the Divisions of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery.

The Division of Vascular Surgery coordinates peripheral vascular procedures performed in the departments of Surgery and Cardiothoracic Surgery. More than 400 peripheral vascular procedures are performed by surgeons with the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery.

Comprehensive surgical therapy for diseases of the lung and pleura, trachea and bronchi, diaphragm and esophagus are performed in the very active Division of General Thoracic Surgery. This division directs a large multidisciplinary center dedicated to treating lung and esophageal disease and performs more than 1,000 surgical procedures each year.

The Division of Cardiac Surgery leads the state of Pennsylvania in patient volume for cardiac surgery. More than 900 open-heart procedures are performed annually, including coronary bypass, valve repair and replacement and thoracic aorta repair. In conjunction with the Allegheny General Hospital Center for Heart Failure Services, department surgeons perform heart transplantation and direct the Allegheny mechanical heart assist program.

Research Efforts

The Cardiothoracic Research Center fosters the development of interdisciplinary research programs and supports investigator research and education in the cardiac, vascular, pulmonary and renal specialties. The center provides guidance on research design, funding sources, access to laboratory and animal research facilities, project development and implementation, statistical assistance and full editorial services.

Closely integrated with the clinical service, the cardiac surgery research program focuses on heart-assist devices, skeletal muscle energetics, myocardial preservation, clinical trials of pharmacologic aids for the damaged myocardium and myoblast/stem cell transfer therapy. Surgeons and residents in the Division of General Thoracic Surgery participate in a variety of ECOG and otherr national trials and collaborate with many major thoracic centers worldwide in development and evaluation of new surgical and patient management techniques.

The Research Center adds a vital dimension to the residency program, stimulating the creative aspects of cardiothoracic surgery and challenging the resident early in his career to contribute to the development of this field.

 

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