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Dr. Timothy Lee

Timothy Lee, M.D., is American Board of Thoracic Surgery – Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery and American Board of Surgery – General Surgery.

Dr. Lee was born and raised in California but traveled across the United States for his training.  He earned a Bachelor’s Degree at Harvard College where he became inspired to become a physician after volunteering at the Boston Children’s Hospital.  He found his passion in Cardiac Surgery while attending the University of Michigan Medical School where he earned his Medical Degree.  While in Ann Arbor, he also obtained a Master’s Degree in clinical and translational research.  As part of his research, he worked on stem cell treatment for heart failure.  He continued his surgical residency and cardiothoracic fellowship at the prestigious New York University and is double board certified in surgery and thoracic surgery.

Prior to joining Newport Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery, Dr. Lee worked at Kaiser in San Francisco.  There, he established the endoscopic radial harvest program and became known for his arterial revascularization techniques in coronary artery bypass.  During his early career, he was awarded the AATS Cox Fellowship to provide patients with new surgical therapies for atrial fibrillation and prevention of stroke.   In addition, he also has an interest in the repair and replacement of heart valves, aortic surveillance and surgery, minimally invasive procedures and transcatheter therapies.  He is currently involved with multiple surgical trials exclusively available to Hoag including the newest generation artificial valves, atrial fibrillation technologies, and transcatheter systems.   He shares the commitment to bringing top-tier university-level care to a setting that puts the patient first.

“It is rare to find an institution that brings together clinical trial research for the latest therapies with patient-centric care, a combination that appeals to me.  Hoag’s reputation for innovation combined with personal and compassionate care makes it one of the premier places to work as a cardiothoracic surgeon.   I am excited to be a part of Newport Cardiac & Thoracic Surgery and work with this cutting-edge team.”

Education

Harvard College BA Physics, 2006

University of Michigan Medical School, 2011

University of Michigan School of Public Health, 2010

Specialty Training

University of Michigan, 2008 – 2011

  • Devaney Heart Failure Lab
  • Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Research Division

New York University 2011-2018

  • General Surgery
  • Cardiac Surgery
  • Chief Fellow
Specialty Interest
  • Multi-arterial coronary artery revascularization (CABG)
  • Aortic valve replacement
  • Aortic surgery
  • Mitral valve repair and replacement
  • Atrial fibrillation ablation and left atrial appendage clip
  • Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery
BOARD CERTIFICATION
  • American Board of Thoracic Surgery – Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery
  • American Board of Surgery – General Surgery
Current Position
  • ERAS Lead Surgeon (2018-2021)
  • Senior Partner TPMG (2021)
  • CLASP and APOLLO Subclinical Investigator (2018-2021)
  • Momentis Trial Subclinical Investigator (2022-Present)
  • Converge Trial Subclinical Investigator (2022-Present)
Honors
  • Harvard Research Grant and Dean’s Grant (2003)
  • Magna Cum Laude Harvard College (2006)
  • Biomedical Research Grant (2007)
  • Clinical and Translation Research Grant (2009-2010)
  • American Board of Surgery In-training Examination Score Award (2016-2018)
  • AATS Graham Foundation Robotic Fellowship (2017)
  • AATS Cox Maze Grant and Fellowship (2018)
Journal Articles

  • Clark DA, Gabel CV, Lee TM, Samuel AD. Short-term adaptation and temporal processing in the cryophilic response of Caenorhabditis elegans J Neurophysiol. 2007 Mar;97(3):1903-10.

  • Hirsch JC, Goldberg C, Bove EL, Salehian S, Lee T, Ohye RG, Devaney EJ.Fontan operation in the current era: a 15-year single institution experience. Ann Surg. 2008 Sep;248(3):402-10.

  • Devaney EJ, Lee T, Gelerhter S, Hirsch JC, Ohye RG, Anderson RH, Bove EL. Biventricular Repair of Atrioventricular Septal Defect with Common Atrioventricular Valve and Double Outlet Right Ventricle Ann Thorac Surg. 2010 Feb;89(2):537-42

  • Hayanga AJ, Mukherjee D, Chang D, Kaiser H, Lee T, Gearhart S, Ahuja N, Freischlag J. Teaching Hospital Status and Operative Mortality in the United States. Is there a Tipping Point in the Volume Outcome Relationship following Colon Resections? Arch Surg. 2010 Apr;145(4):346-50.

  • Hayanga, AJ, Lee TM, CJ Pannucci, BS Knipp, SH Olsen, SC Wang, LM Napolitano Paraneoplastic Pemphigus in a Burn Intensive Care Unit: Case Report and Review of the Literature J Burn Care Res. 2010 Jul 28

  • Wilder NS, Kavarana MN, Voepel-Lewis T, Paugh T, Lee T, Ohye RG Efficacy and Safety of Aprotinin in Neonatal Congenital Heart Operations Ann Thorac Surg. 2011 Sep;92(3):858-63

  • Lee, TM, Aiyagari R, Hirsch JC, Ohye RG, Bove EL, Devaney EJ Risk Factor Analysis for Second Stage Palliation of Single Ventricle Anatomy Ann Thorac Surg. 2012 Feb; 93(2):614-8

  • Obeid, NR, Bryk DJ, Lee T, Hemmert KC, Frangos SG, Simon RJ, Pachter HL, Cohen SMFatal Falls in New York City: An autopsy Analysis of Injury PatternsAm J Forensic Med Pathol. 2016 Jun; 37(2):80-5

  • Chakravarti SB, Reformina DA, Lee TM, Malhotra SP, Mosca RS, Bhatla P. Procalcitonin as a Biomarker of Bacterial Infection in Pediatric Patients After Congenital Heart Surgery Ann Pediatr Cardiol. 2016 May-Aug; 9(2): 115-9

  • Foster JA, Shukla O, Lee T, Sesti J, Donington JSMarjolin’s Ulcer Of The Pleural Surface Within A Long-Standing Eloesser FlapAnnals Of Thoracic Surgery. 2016 Nov; 102(5):e383-e385

  • Ward AF, Lee T, Ogilvie JB, Patel KN, Hiotis K, Bizekis C, Zervos M Robot-Assisted Complete Thymectomy For Mediastinal Ectopic Parathyroid Adenomas In Primary Hyperparathyroidism Journal Of Robotic Surgery. 2016 Oct 22; 11(2):163-169

  • Lee TM, Cerfolio RJ Robotic Thymectomy Mediastinum. 2017 Nov 30; 1(21)

  • Vining PF, Lee TM, Bizekis CS, Zervos MD. Use of electromagnetic navigational bronchoscopy in robotic pulmonary resection. J Robot Surg. 2018 Dec;12(4):613-616. doi: 10.1007/s11701-018-0783-8.

  • Lee T, Chikkabyrappa SM, Reformina D, Mastrippolito A, Chakravarti SB, Mosca RS, Shaw G, Malhotra SP Ubiquitin C-Terminal Hydrolase 1 and Phosphorylated Axonal Neurofilament Heavy Chain in Infants Undergoing Cardiac Surgery: Preliminary Assessment as Potential Biomarkers of Brain Injury. World J Pediatr Congenit Heart Surg. 2018 Jul;9(4):412-418

  • Chu BJ, Lee T, Gilbreth JG, Nielsen JC, Ludomirsky A, Tretter JT, Bhatla P. Left Ventricular Mass Quantification by Two-Dimensional Echocardiography in a Pediatric Population: Correlation with Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Pediatr Cardiol. 2019 Feb;40(2):412-420