Meet Dr. J. Michael DiMaio

Michael DiMaio, M.D., is Surgical Director of the Lung and Heart/Lung Transplant Programs at UT Southwestern Medical Center and St. Paul University Hospital. He is also Director of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery Research at UT Southwestern, where he holds the Laurence and Susan Hirsch/Centex Distinguished Chair in Heart Disease.

We’re continuing to push the envelope, trying to expand the use of robots for minimally invasive heart and lung surgery.”

A highly experienced, board-certified surgeon, Dr. DiMaio performs minimally invasive and advanced cardiothoracic procedures on patients who have end-stage heart or lung disease. Some of these patients require ventricular assist devices or heart and lung transplants.

“It’s a great challenge to work on the human heart and lung and do transplantation, where you take out a sick heart or lung and replace it with a new one,” Dr. DiMaio says. “But it’s also a very challenging and satisfying experience.”

He finds it equally rewarding to work with medical students.

“I get a lot of enjoyment from working with my staff and teaching young people, whether it’s doctors or medical students,” he says.

Dr. DiMaio is actively involved in basic science research, studying different proteins and molecules that may help regenerate heart muscle damaged by a heart attack. He also is studying stem cells and how to use them to regrow muscle.

On the clinical trials side, Dr. DiMaio founded Spectral MD™, a medical-device company that he runs in partnership with UT Southwestern Medical School. The company uses technology to improve health care and currently has a device that is being considered for FDA approval.

Clinical Interests/Specialties

Transplantation

• Heart transplant
• Lung transplant

Cardiac Surgery

• Ventricular aneurysm repair
• Aortic stenting

Minimally Invasive and Robotic Surgery

• Minimally invasive and robotic cardiac and thoracic surgery

Holmium-YAG Laser Therapy for Tracheal and Thoracic Obstructive Processes