James D. Luketich, MD, FACS

Dr. Luketich is the Founding Chair of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, serving in this role from the Department's inauguration in 2010 to 2023.  He currently serves as the Henry T. Bahnson Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery.  His areas of interest include thoracic and esophageal surgery. These include gastroesophageal reflux disease, management of hiatal hernias, management of giant paraesophageal hernias, and other disorders of the esophagus, including diverticulitis, strictures, and many others.  He has particular expertise in the multi-disciplinary management (combined chemotherapy/radiation and surgery) of esophageal and gastroesophageal cancer, Barrett’s esophagus, and lung cancer. He performs numerous complex operations on disorders such as these using minimally invasive techniques, for which he has become world renowned, performing over 1,500 minimally invasive esophagectomies.  Dr. Luketich is the principal investigator or co-investigator on numerous research grants and has published over 250 peer-reviewed manuscripts, 150 invited reviews, textbook chapters, and editorials, and 350 abstracts.  He is frequently invited as an honored speaker around the world to present topics that relate to his research and minimally invasive techniques.  Dr. Luketich serves on the editorial boards of the Annals of Surgery, Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, and the Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery. Dr. Luketich is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and is a member of many prestigious surgical societies including the American Surgical Association, the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, among many others.