Thoracic Surgery Independent Fellowship Training Locations

Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center is the primary private adult hospital affiliate of the College. Fellows spend twenty-one months at Baylor St. Luke's rotating on a multiple cardiothoracic services, including adult cardiac surgery, cardiothoracic transplantation, aortic surgery, structural heart, and general thoracic surgery. Baylor St. Luke's and the Texas Heart Institute, which is partnered and co-located with Baylor St. Luke's in the provision of cardiovascular clinical services, have a rich history in cardiothoracic surgery. More that more than 140,000 cardiac procedures, more than 1,400 heart transplants, more than 1,200 ventricular assist devices (VADs) s and more than 7,000 complex aortic reconstructions have been performed at Baylor St. Luke's. This hospital has twelve dedicated cardiovascular-thoracic surgery operating rooms, including two hybrid cardiovascular operating rooms and two robotic operating rooms. Consistent with the standing of the Texas Heart Institute and Baylor College of Medicine as leaders in cardiovascular surgery at BSLMC, a number of clinical trials involving contemporary devices in aortic endografting, structural heart valves, VADs, and ex-vivo organ care systems are under clinical trials and investigation at our flagship adult hospital affiliate. BLSMC is also the private hospital partner for the Baylor College of Medicine Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, an NCI designated comprehensive center, enabling fellows to participate in clinical studies in thoracic oncology.

Texas Children's Hospital is one of the nation's busiest, highest ranked and most comprehensive specialty pediatric hospitals, with more than 4.3 million patient encounters annually and nearly 1000 pediatric beds. A preeminent institution in congenital cardiac surgery, Texas Children's has four dedicated cardiac surgery operating rooms and performs more than more than 1,000 cardiovascular and thoracic surgery cases annually. Fellows spend three months at Texas Children's during which time they participate in all aspects of clinical care and engage in numerous didactic conferences, and have opportunities to become involved in clinical research, all providing an exceptional exposure to congenital cardiac surgery during their thoracic surgery fellowship.

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is one of the largest cancer centers in the world, working to eliminate cancer for more than seven decades. The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has a busy thoracic oncology service in all aspects of thoracic oncology, including cancer of the pleura, lung, and esophagus. Residents and fellows spend three months with hands-on experience performing complex thoracic resections in a multi-disciplinary cancer center of excellence.

The Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center has been affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine since 1949. The MEDVAMC is one of the VA's largest hospitals, serving Harris County and 27 surrounding counties. The MEDVAMC has two dedicated cardiothoracic operating rooms and one hybrid operating room and performs more than more than 350 cardiac cases annually. Fellows participate in TAVR and Mitraclip procedures performed in the hybrid operating room. Thoracic experience includes robotic and thoracoscopic lobectomy and esophagectomy. A VAD and heart transplant program will start in 2020, making the MEDVAMC one of only two VA hospitals in the country to perform these procedures on site. Trainees rotate twelve months at the MEDVAMC as part of the thoracic surgery (Independent) Fellowship program.

Ben Taub Hospital is a medical and surgical hospital that is nationally recognized for its Level I trauma center, caring for more than 108,000 emergency patients each year. Harris Health is a community-focused academic healthcare system dedicated to improving the health of those most in need in Harris County through quality care delivery, coordination of care, and education. Ben Taub has one dedicated CV operating room and two hybrid operating rooms and performs 300 cardiothoracic operations per year. Fellows are exposed to a diverse patient population and a broad array of cardiothoracic pathologies. Fellows are involved in complex aorta, TAVR, TEVAR, minimally invasive valve procedures, adult congenital, and thoracic oncology procedures and lead multi-disciplinary heart and pulmonary team conferences. Fellows spend three months at the Ben Taub Hospital during their final year of training.