Two congenital heart surgeons will be joining the Texas Children’s Heart Center® team this fall. Dr. Christopher Caldarone will serve as the chief of congenital heart surgery and Dr. E. Dean McKenzie will serve as a congenital heart surgeon.
“Drs. Caldarone and McKenzie bring a remarkable commitment to innovation, collaborative patient-centered care and dedication to achieving the best possible outcomes,” said Dr. Larry Hollier, surgeon-in-chief. “I know our patients and their families will benefit tremendously from their vast knowledge and background in this field.”
Caldarone is an internationally-recognized leader in congenital heart surgery and most recently served as surgeon-in-chief at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. He will join Texas Children’s in September as the chief of congenital heart surgery and professor of congenital heart surgery at Baylor College of Medicine.
“I have always admired Texas Children’s Hospital and it is a great honor to serve as the congenital heart surgery chief,” said Caldarone. “My role is to find ways to make a great program even greater and we are off to a terrific start with Dr. McKenzie joining the team. Together, I know we will be able to contribute to the team and drive innovation in ways to better serve our patients.”
Caldarone received his undergraduate degree from Johns Hopkins University and his medical degree from Columbia University. He completed his general surgery and cardiothoracic surgery residencies at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School. He also completed a fellowship in congenital heart surgery at The Hospital for Sick Children. Caldarone is a member of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and the Congenital Heart Surgeons’ Society.
McKenzie, who will officially join Texas Children’s in October, is a world-renowned leader in congenital heart surgery. He was previously a member of Texas Children’s Heart Center team for more than 15 years. Most recently, he served as chief of pediatric congenital cardiothoracic surgery at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, and professor and chair of the division of cardiothoracic surgery at Emory University School of Medicine.
“I’m looking forward to returning to the institution where my career as a congenital heart surgeon truly began,” said McKenzie, who will also serve as professor of congenital heart surgery at Baylor. “As I rejoin the incredible team I know so well, I am excited to be a part of all we will accomplish under Dr. Caldarone’s leadership.”
McKenzie received his undergraduate degree from The University of Texas at Austin and his medical degree from Baylor. He completed his residency in general surgery at the University of Louisville and his residency in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery at The University of Florida College of Medicine. McKenzie is a member of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the Congenital Heart Surgeons’ Society and the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation.
Texas Children’s Heart Center is ranked No. 1 in the nation for cardiology and heart surgery by U.S. News & World Report. The integrated, multidisciplinary team at the Heart Center has combined cutting-edge technology with a compassionate and family-centered approach to care for more than half a century. Annually, nearly 1,000 surgeries are performed and more than 28,000 patient encounters occur in the outpatient clinic.
“At Texas Children’s Heart Center, we are committed to achieving the best possible outcomes,” said Dr. Daniel Penny, chief of pediatric cardiology at Texas Children’s. “Drs. Caldarone and McKenzie will help us continue to grow and develop our exceptional heart program in order to provide the most advanced clinical care and surgical treatments to our patients.”
The Heart Center is led by Penny and Caldarone, as well as Dr. Lara Shekerdemian, chief of critical care at Texas Children’s, and Dr. Emad Mossad, chief of cardiovascular anesthesia at Texas Children’s.
“We are so excited for Drs. Caldarone and McKenzie to join our outstanding congenital heart surgery team as we strive to provide the best possible care to infants, children and young adults with heart disease,” said Shekerdemian.
To learn more about Texas Children’s Heart Center, click here.