Michael Jessen, M.D.

Frank M. Ryburn, Jr., Distinguished Chair in Cardiothoracic Surgery and Transplantation

Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery
Heart Rhythm Treatment/Electrophysiology
Surgical Treatment of Thoracic Aortic Disease

Biography

The son of a veterinarian, Michael Jessen, M.D., was born, raised, and educated in Canada, graduating from the University of Manitoba Medical School in 1981.

During his general surgery residency, Dr. Jessen performed many procedures in a full range of surgical specialties, including vascular surgery, neurosurgery, plastic surgery, and cardiothoracic surgery.

Dr. Jessen left Canada in 1986 for fellowship training at Duke University Medical Center, where his research focused on myocardial metabolism and the biochemistry of myocardial protection.

While there, he joined the Residency Program in Thoracic Surgery, training under the direction of Dr. David C. Sabiston, Jr., an early innovator in cardiac surgery. This training program became the model for UT Southwestern's programs that train physicians for the future and for leadership in surgery.

Dr. Jessen joined the faculty of UT Southwestern in 1990, after completing his thoracic surgery residency.

He serves today as Professor and Chair of the Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery and holds the Frank M. Ryburn, Jr., Distinguished Chair in Cardiothoracic Surgery and Transplantation. He combines his continued interest in research and cardiothoracic surgery with teaching, faculty recruitment, and the management of a growing clinical team that has performed more than 400 heart transplants.

Dr. Jessen directs an active basic research laboratory that has received funding from the National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Association, and the Texas Advanced Technology Program. His research examines myocardial metabolism, which examines the ways the heart burns fuel during heart surgery as well as ways to preserve the heart longer. His lab also investigates the effects of cardiopulmonary bypass and a novel technique for long-term cardiac preservation for transplantation. This work has yielded a broad array of publications in the literature.

Dr. Jessen has been included in D Magazine's Best Doctors list several times and has been named a Super Doctor by Texas Monthly. In 1994 he received the Lyndon Baines Johnson Research Award of the Texas Affiliate of the American Heart Association.

He is the Director of the Residency Program in Thoracic Surgery at UT Southwestern and teaches in the Biomedical Engineering Program at UT Southwestern Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. He has an active clinical practice that focuses on cardiac surgery, surgical electrophysiology, aortic surgery, and cardiac transplantation.

Dr. Jessen's professional affiliations include the American Association for Thoracic Surgery; American Heart Association; Council on Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery; Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada; Society of Thoracic Surgeons; and the Thoracic Surgery Directors Association.

Personal Note

Away from UT Southwestern, Dr. Jessen likes to spend time with his family. Both his young sons are involved in a variety of activities, including a youth hockey team, which Dr. Jessen coached for two years. Sometimes they enjoy just relaxing at home with a movie.

Meet Dr. Jessen

Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgeon

Michael Jessen, M.D., Chair of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center, believes excellent teamwork really counts.

"The clear emphasis at UT Southwestern is on making quality the top priority: making patient safety, the patient experience, and patient outcomes the best they can be, and that's really something special."

Whether a team is collaborating to figure out the best possible treatment for someone who is very ill, or working side-by-side in surgery to give someone a new heart, or “shaking the trees” all over campus to recruit Heart Walk participants, Dr. Jessen likes to be on teams with great skills, knowledge, enthusiasm, and commitment. And as a leader, he likes to build them.

A native of Canada, Dr. Jessen followed an early interest in surgery, and during his training found himself working with and learning from many of the pioneers of heart surgery. He arrived at UT Southwestern in 1990, just two years after W. Steves Ring, M.D., performed the Medical Center’s first heart transplant. On Thanksgiving Day, 2010, the 400th heart transplant was performed. Dr. Jessen was named to succeed Dr. Ring as department chair the same year.

“Naturally, we’re proud that our team has performed over 400 heart transplants,” Dr. Jessen says, ”but what really makes us happy is that our program consistently ranks among the top 10 in the United States. Our one- and three-year survival rates – key measures in program success – exceed the national average.”

Dr. Jessen believes that multidisciplinary collaboration is very important for cardiothoracic surgery patients. Not only do they benefit from the combined experience of each team member, they also have access to the most effective new treatments and can even participate in important clinical trials. Involvement in the evaluation of new drugs and devices also keeps UT Southwestern’s cardiothoracic surgery program at the forefront of the field.

“This institution has a real commitment to patient care and is devoting its resources to making the whole patient experience the best it can be,” says Dr. Jessen. “And, we are building a brand new hospital so that patients have both top medical expertise and a state-of-the-art medical facility for treatment when they most need it.”

Education & Training

Residency - Duke University Hospital (1988-1990), Thoracic Surgery
Fellowship - Duke University Hospital (1986-1988), Research
Residency - University of Manitoba (1982-1986), General Surgery
Internship - University of Manitoba (1981-1982), Surgery
Medical School - University of Manitoba (1977-1981)

Professional Associations & Affiliations

Thoracic Surgery Directors Association
Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
American Heart Association, Council on Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery
American Association for Thoracic Surgery

Honors & Awards

D Magazine Best Doctor 2020-2022
Lyndon Baines Johnson Research Award 1994, American Heart Association, Texas Affiliate
Harold Micay Surgical Resident Award 1985, University of Manitoba
Davis and Geck Surgical Resident Award 1984, University of Manitoba
Maxwell Rady Scholarship 1977, University of Manitoba
Isbister Scholarship 1976, University of Manitoba

Books & Publications

Publications
- Perfusion preservation vs. static preservation for cardiac transplantation: Effects on myocardial function and metabolism
  Rosenbaum DH, Peltz M, DiMaio JM, Meyer DM, Wait MA, Merritt ME, Brown R, Chao RY, Ring WS, Jessen ME Journal of Heart Lung Transplantation 2008 Volume 27 93-99
- Benefits of perfusion preservation in canine hearts stored for short intervals.
  Rosenbaum, DH, Peltz, M, Merritt, ME, Thatcher, JE, Sasaki, H, Jessen, ME J Surg Research 2007 140 243-249
- Hypothermic circulatory arrest for repair of injuries of the thoracic aorta and great vessels
  Peltz M, Douglass D, Meyer DM, Wait MA, DiMaio JM, Ring WS, Jessen ME Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg 2006 5 560-565
- Perfusion preservation maintains myocardial ATP levels and reduces apoptosis in an ex-vivo rat heart transplantation model
  Peltz M, He TT, Adams GA, Koshy S, Burgess SC, Chao RY, Meyer DM, Jessen ME Surgery 2005 138 795-805
- Impact of recipient age and procedure type on survival following lung transplantation for interstitial pulmonary fibrosis
  Meyer DM, Edwards LB, Torres F, Jessen ME, Novik RJ Ann Thorac Surg 2005 79 950-0
- Pyruvate-modified Perfadex improves lung function after long-term hypothermic storage
  Peltz M He TT, Adams GA, Chao RY, Jessen ME, Meyer DM J Heart Lung Transplantation 2005 24 896-903
- Myocardial oxygen demand and redox state affect fatty acid oxidation in the potassium arrested heart
  Peltz M, He TT, Adams GA, Chao RY, Jessen ME Surgery 2004 136 150-159
- Antifibrinolytic Therapy During Cardiopulmonary Bypass Reduces Proinflammatory cytokine levels: A randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study of e-Aminocaproic acid and aprotinin
  Greilich PE, Brouse CF, Whitten CW, Chi L, DiMaio JM, Jessen ME J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2003 126 1498-1503
- Extracorporeal Life Support
  Meyer DM, Jessen ME 2001
- Effects of amino acids on substrate selection, anaplerosis and left ventricular function in the ischemic reperfused rat heart
  Jessen ME, Kovarik TE, Jeffrey FM, Sherry AD, Storey CJ, Chao RY, Ring WS, Malloy CR J Clinical Invest Spring 1993 92 831-839

Research

Biocompatibility of materials for cardiopulmonary bypass and effects of the inflammatory response to extracorporeal circulation
Metabolic mechanisms of myocardial protection and the effects of substrate modifications on organ protective strategies
Dynamic organ preservation with continuous perfusion

Clinical Focus

Heart Rhythm Treatment/Electrophysiology
Surgical Treatment of Thoracic Aortic Disease
Heart Valve Repair/Replacement
Open Heart Surgery
Heart Transplant Surgery