Huntington Health Adds Eight Surgeons to its Heart and Lung Program

Huntington Health, a part of Cedars-Sinai, has hired eight new surgeons for its Cardiac, Vascular, and Thoracic Surgery Program that offers a range of life-saving and life-enhancing surgeries to local patients. 

The Program can now offer more types of surgeries for heart and lung problems, including some that use high-tech robots or small incisions. 

The goal is to make the Program one of the best in the San Gabriel Valley, a Huntington Health statement on Wednesday said.

Dr. Lori J. Morgan, Huntington Health President and CEO, said she was happy to have the new surgeons join the Program to ensure patients have greater access to expert care. 

“In addition to the leading interventional and non-invasive options we offer at our Helen and Will Webster Heart & Vascular Center, we now have the best surgical team available around the clock for more complex cases,” Dr. Morgan said.  

Dr. Eduardo Marbán, Executive Director of the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai, said the new surgeons and care teams “will continue to spur not only surgical innovations but also leading research and scientific advances.”

The new surgeons at Huntington Health’s Cardiac, Vascular & Thoracic Surgery Program include Dr. Robbin Cohen, who’s the Director of the Cardiac Surgery Program and holds the position of Professor of Cardiac Surgery in the Department of Cardiac Surgery at Cedars-Sinai. Dr. Cohen is also responsible for directing the Cedars-Sinai Cardiac Surgery Residency program at Huntington Health. He resides in Pasadena.

Dr. Michael Bowdish serves as the Vice-Chair and Professor of Cardiac Surgery in the Department of Cardiac Surgery at Cedars-Sinai. He’s an expert in adult cardiac surgery and aortic surgery, with a special focus on aortic root and arch reconstruction, valve-sparing aortic root repairs, and hybrid approaches to the aortic arch. Dr. Bowdish is Chair of the National Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database group. He and his family reside in La Canada Flintridge.

Dr. Armin Kiankhooy is a seasoned cardiothoracic surgeon and holds the title of Associate Professor in the Department of Cardiac Surgery at Cedars-Sinai. His specialization encompasses adult cardiac surgery, structural heart surgery, adult general thoracic surgery, and minimally invasive atrial fibrillation surgery. He and his family live in Pasadena.

Dr. Dominic Emerson is a nationally recognized cardiothoracic surgeon who has pioneered a new robotic cardiac surgery and mitral valve repair program at Huntington Health. He’s an expert on minimally invasive cardiac surgery and mitral valve repair, and holds the record of successfully performing the first robotic mitral valve repair in the San Gabriel Valley. Dr. Emerson is Director of the Robotic Cardiac Surgery Program at Cedars-Sinai, and also leads the Thoracic Surgery Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Residency and Fellowship.

Dr. Tyler Gunn is a cardiothoracic surgeon, holding the position of Director of the Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) Program at Cedars-Sinai, where he’s also an Assistant Professor of Cardiac Surgery. He specializes in heart failure surgery, aortic surgery, and coronary bypass procedures. Dr. Gunn divides his time between Huntington Hospital and the Department of Cardiac Surgery in the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai.

Dr. Amirhossein Paymon Mahfoozi is a thoracic surgeon with a focus on cardiovascular surgery and robotic minimally invasive thoracic surgery. He also specializes in working with lung cancer patients. Dr. Mahfoozi divides his time between Huntington Hospital and Torrance Memorial Medical Center and contributes to Cedars-Sinai’s Thoracic Surgery Program. He is fluent in both English and Farsi.

Dr. Sally Schonefeld is a vascular surgeon with specialization in dialysis access and the treatment of endovascular aneurysm repair, carotid artery disease, peripheral arterial disease, mesenteric disease, and venous disease, including varicose vein treatment. Her primary practice is at Huntington Hospital.

Dr. Theodore Teruya is a vascular surgeon exclusively practicing at Huntington Hospital. His specialization covers dialysis access and the treatment of endovascular aneurysm repair, carotid artery disease, peripheral arterial disease, and venous disease, including varicose vein treatment. Dr. Teruya is a distinguished fellow of the Society of Vascular Surgery.

To learn more about Huntington Health in Pasadena, visit www.huntingtonhealth.org.