Clinical Experience - Thoracic Surgery Fellowship Program

Our traditional two-year training program has a strong culture of producing practice-ready cardiothoracic surgeons for both community and academic settings. With a strong emphasis on operative experience, our fellows excel in areas of operative and perioperative decision making and development of technical skill. The supportive, close-knit, training environment and operative volume fosters the development of both competence and confidence.

We average over 800 major cardiovascular cases and 800 thoracic cases each year, and possess a rapidly growing congenital program. Trainees participate in all areas of adult cardiac surgery with special emphasis on valve repair and replacement, aortic surgery, coronary surgery, mechanical circulatory support, and TAVR. Fellows learn and become confident in organ procurement without attending oversight. Thoracic surgery exposure includes all types of minimally invasive techniques for esophageal and pulmonary operations involving robotic (DaVinci Xi and DV5) and thorascopic approaches, as well as state-of-the-art airway and esophageal endoscopic procedures. Trainees also gain experience in thoracic transplant and congenital cardiac surgery. The department is actively involved in NIH and other clinical research trials which include, but are not limited to: EMPRO Trial, PACES Trial, Everest hemostatic agent, Impella device platform, HeartMate 3, Partner Trial, Mitra Clip, Portico, and Ochsner Tumor Biobank.

The division is comprised of three adult cardiac surgeons, three thoracic surgeons, and three congenital surgeons. We match one fellow each academic year who rotate covering cardiac and thoracic services, all on the Ochsner Main Campus. Care teams for each service include the faculty, general surgery residents assigned to the service, midlevel providers, and first assistants in the operating room. Overnight patient care is provided in the dedicated TCV-ICU and on the floor by general surgery residents and ICU APP’s. Fellows take call from home.