Biography

Dr. Chris Greenleaf is an Assistant Professor of Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery at McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) in the Department of Pediatric Surgery. He is certified by the American Board of Surgery in general surgery and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery in thoracic surgery.  A Pennsylvania native, Dr. Greenleaf grew up in the Philadelphia area and received his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania. A former rower, Dr. Greenleaf represented the United States on the Men’s National Team in 2004. He received his Medical Degree, as well as a Master of Business Administration, from Jefferson Medical College and Widener University in Philadelphia. He completed his general surgical residency at Lankenau Medical Center in Wynnewood, PA. During his surgical training, he received a resident teaching award and was a chief surgical resident. He completed his fellowship in Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.  He finished his fellowship and clinical instructorship in Congenital Cardiac Surgery at Texas Children’s Hospital.  During his time there he was awarded the 2018 John A. Hawkins Top Scoring Abstract Award by the Congenital Heart Surgeons’ Society.  Dr. Greenleaf became faculty at UTHealth in 2019.

Education

BS, Biological Basis of Behavior
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
MBA Hospital Administration
Widener University, Chester, PA
MD, Doctor of Medicine
Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, PA
Residency, General Surgery
Lankenau Medical Center, Wynnewood, PA
Fellowship - Cardiothoracic Surgery
University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS
Fellowship Congenital Cardiac Surgery
Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX

Areas of Interest

Clinical Interests

Dr. Greenleaf’s area of clinical interest is to offer solutions for the most challenging heart defects.  He specializes in the care of:

  • Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) and other Complex Single Ventricle Patients
  • Heterotaxy Syndrome Patients
  • Aortic Arch Reconstruction and Coarctation Repairs without Hypothermic Circulatory Arrest
  • Atrial and Ventricular Septal Defects
  • Acquired Heart Disease in Children
  • Adult Congenital Heart Surgery
  • Heart Transplantation and Ventricular Assistance Devices (VAD)
  • Biventricular Conversions and Repairs for Single Ventricle Patients
  • Pulmonary Vein Stenosis (PVS) and Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Connections (TAPVC)
  • Neonatal complete repairs of:
    • Pulmonary Atresia
    • Double Outlet Right Ventricle (DORV) including Taussig Bing
    • MAPCAS
    • Truncus Arteriosus
    • Transposition of the Great Arteries
  • Anomalous Coronary Arteries including ALCAPA, ARCAPA and AAOCA
  • Shone’s, Williams, and DiGeorge patients
  • Valve-sparing Aortic root surgery
  • Aortic Surgery for Connective Tissue Disorders such as Marfan, Loeys-Dietz, and Ehlers-Danlos
  • Patent Dustus Arteriosus
  • Tetralogy of Fallot
  • Sub Aortic Membrane and Stenosis with Aortic Valve Repair and Resuscitation
  • Mitral valve, Tricuspid valve, and Aortic valve repairs
  • Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery

Research Interests

Dr. Greenleaf is a clinical scientist who has published on a wide array of topics within Congenital Cardiothoracic Surgery.  His research interest includes topics that move the specialty forward in pursuit of serving children and adults with heart disease so they may live their lives to the fullest.