Ramzy named chief, Division of Cardiac Surgery
Anthony Estrera, MD, chair of the Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, has appointed Danny Ramzy, MD, PhD, as professor and chief of the Division of Cardiac Surgery, effective June 1, 2022.
Ramzy, a globally recognized leader in all forms of minimally invasive and robotic cardiac surgical inventions, also will be the director of Robotics for Cardiac Surgery in the Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery and the medical director of cardiothoracic surgery for the Heart & Vascular Institute at Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center.
“Dr. Ramzy brings a wealth of experience in robotic procedures, such as mitral repair and replacement, coronary arterial bypass, Maze procedures, as well as right anterior thoracotomy aortic valve replacement, ascending aortic replacement, and myectomies,” said Estrera, the Hazim J. Safi, M.D., Distinguished Chair in Cardiovascular Surgery. “We are extremely pleased to welcome him to our department and look forward to advancing the latest minimally invasive and robotic methodologies for the benefit of our patients.”
Ramzy joins McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston from Cedars Sinai, where he was director of Robotic & Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery and an associate professor of surgery. A graduate of McMaster University School of Medicine, he completed residency at the University of Toronto and a fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania.
Ramzy also is widely recognized for his leadership in TAVR; TMVR; the implementation of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation; left ventricular arterial support, including Impella; and the total artificial heart.
Ramzy’s innovations in minimally invasive, robotic, and transplantation methodologies have led to more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and over 200 abstracts. He was named Reviewer of the Year for 2020 by the Annals of Thoracic Surgery in the field of adult cardiac surgery. He also serves as an editorial board member for The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.
“My goal is to make the Heart & Vascular Program of the McGovern School of Medicine and Memorial Hermann a leader in the proliferation and adoption of minimally invasive and robotic surgeries,” he said, adding that he has devoted his career clinically, within research, and in teaching, to the proposition that the advantages of minimally invasive and robotic procedures offer less discomfort and faster recovery times for patients; greater efficiency for both providers and patients; and a higher standard of care for the next generation of patients and physicians alike.