Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery

Click image for larger size Resident research spotlight: Visual Abstract by UCLA General Surgery Resident Yas Sanaiha on Trends in Utilization, Mortality, and Resource Use Following Implantation of LVADs in the US.

The Division of Thoracic surgery has several large robust research groups addressing adult, congenital, and transplant cardiac disease as well as national clinical trials in thoracic oncology. The division of cardiothoracic surgery also collaborates with electrophysiology as a high volume center for minimally invasive stellate ganglionectomy.

UCLA is home to numerous faculty instrumental in sentinel clinical trials, including the National Lung Screen Trial which demonstrated a 20% lung cancer mortality reduction with low-dose CT screening. Opportunities for collaboration with leaders are abundant.

The Division of Thoracic Surgery also has a robust extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) life support (ECLS) program with ECLS transports throughout Southern California. As an ELSO Gold Center, UCLA serves as a regional leader in ECLS best practices. Opportunities for national and institutional ECLS outcomes research are available given the expertise of the ECLS leaders at UCLA.

The Division of Thoracic Surgery is also involved in several collaborations with bioengineering and cardiology in development and program design for blue-tooth enabled monitoring devices, pressure regulated ventilatory splitting, 3D-printing of cardiac models and cardiopulmonary support tools, as well as testing of miniaturized technology.

Examples of health services and health policy research by UCLA surgical faculty: 

• Dr. Peyman Benharash
• Dr. Jay Lee
• Dr. Jane Yanagawa