UAB Synopsis, Vol. 25, No. 26, October 23, 2006

James K. Kirklin, MD, new director of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, is implementing changes to further position UAB’s program as one of the preeminent programs worldwide.

“We are expanding the division’s academic and clinical impact by recruiting an eminent surgeon to head neonatal cardiothoracic surgery and an expert in adult cardiovascular procedures,” Dr. Kirklin says.

“We have recruited pediatric cardiac surgeon Christopher J. Knott-Craig, MB, ChB, who developed an internationally recognized neonatal cardiac surgery program at the University of Oklahoma, to head the neonatal cardiovascular surgery program. Octavio E. Pajaro, MD, PhD, is joining us from the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, where he served as codirector of the heart and lung transplant team.”

David C. McGiffin, MD, professor of surgery, serves as deputy division director, as well as chief of heart and lung transplantation. Dr. McGiffin is an internationally recognized expert in heart and lung transplantation, cardiac revascularization, and valvular heart disease.

Robert J. Cerfolio, MD, professor of surgery, heads thoracic surgery — one of the busiest programs in the country.

In his former position as Director of Heart and Lung Transplantation, Dr. Kirklin was instrumental in forming the Cardiac Transplant Research Database and the Pediatric Heart Transplant Study to predict treatment outcomes and develop tailored therapies for end-stage heart disease. UAB is a coordinating center for both programs, which collect clinical information from major transplant centers to better guide patient management.

He was instrumental in UAB’s designation as a Destination Therapy Facility for end-stage heart disease patients who are not candidates for transplantation. He also is principal investigator for a $6.3 million, 5-year National Institutes of Health contract to establish a national registry for patients who receive mechanical circulatory support devices, which provides scientific direction for the evolution of mechanical circulatory support from a ‘bridge’ to cardiac transplant to permanent therapy.

“The restructuring of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery expands our level of service and brings our expertise to more patients and referring physicians,” Dr. Kirklin says.