It has been a great honor to serve as chair of surgery of the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery since November 2012, having been afforded the unique opportunity to continue the storied legacy that began with Dr. DeBakey assuming this role almost 80 years ago. These achievements continue to motivate patients and learners from around the world to seek our highly trained and specialized surgeons and scientists who advance medical care at renowned Texas Medical Center hospitals and at research centers. This past year, for the sixth consecutive year, the Department was ranked one of the top 20 departments of surgery in the nation by US News and World Report.
2024 saw major clinical milestones: the first of a new generation of BiVACOR total artificial heart driven by a magnetically levitated rotor was implanted by Alexis Shafii, M.D., and Kenneth Liao, Ph.D., M.D. Dr. Liao also surpassed 600 robotic heart operations, making him one of the busiest robotic heart surgeons in the nation and Shawn Groth, M.D., one of the most active robotic esophagectomy surgeons in the country, surpassed 100 cases performed. Drs. Liao and Groth together launched our new Center for Robotic Cardiothoracic Surgery. Gabriel Loor, M.D., led our lung transplant program to over 100 transplants this year—making us one of the top five busiest programs in the nation. R. Taylor Ripley, M.D., also became the first surgeon in Texas and one of only two in the United States to perform a new surgical procedure for the newly recognized, painful Slipping Rib Syndrome, reflecting the culture of innovation that is a source of pride for our Department. Our Department faculty at Texas Children’s Hospital were ranked No. 1 in the nation for both pediatric heart care and organ transplant volume and our transplant team there performed eight combined kidney and liver transplants for pediatric patients with rare genetic disorders, setting a new national record.
Our Department research programs led by Vice Chair for Research Livia Eberlin, Ph.D., also reached new heights, ranking 24th in NIH grant funding, with nearly $8 million in credited funding. This achievement caps our $20 million in extramural funding, including our first CPRIT award which was awarded to Thomas Milner, Ph.D., an internationally renowned pioneer in nano-photonics who will lead our new Michael E. DeBakey Center for Nano-Photonics.
Our education programs likewise continue to flourish, with new innovation and education research tracks recently added to our General Surgery Residency Program—one of the largest in the United States—and new fellowships launched in endocrine surgery, a second year in critical care surgery and others planned for colorectal and breast surgery.
Amongst nearly a dozen other new recruits, we are pleased to welcome Shanda Blackmon, M.D., MPH, who joins our Division of Thoracic Surgery from the Mayo Clinic to lead the 7mÊÓƵ Lung Institute, founded by David J. Sugarbaker, M.D., in 2014. Finally, among many other accomplishments and milestones that you will read about in this annual report, I am pleased to announce a transformative $10 million endowment to the Department made by the DeBakey Medical Foundation. In a related development, the Michael E. DeBakey International Surgical Society, founded by Dr. DeBakey in 1976, was integrated into the Department this past year to maintain the reach and vitality of this alumni society honoring Dr. DeBakey.
Reflecting on this year’s successes, I could not be prouder of our team’s dedication to excellence, innovation and patient care. We are poised to continue pushing the boundaries of medical science and providing exceptional care to patients.
