Biography

Dr. Yoshiya Toyoda after completing his training in cardiac surgery at Kobe University in Japan, he spent several years at Harvard Medical School where he conducted basic research in the area of myocardial protection during surgically induced ischemia-reperfusion. After completing his clinical cardiac surgical training at Massachusetts General Hospital, Dr. Toyoda completed an advanced fellowship in cardiopulmonary transplantation and ventricular assist devices at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He joined the University of Pittsburgh as a cardiothoracic surgeon in 2006 and has headed the division of cardiothoracic transplantation from 2008 to 2011 when the University of Pittsburgh established one of the world's most successful cardiothoracic transplant programs. Since 2008, under his leadership, the program has led the world in number of lung transplants, and has also performed increasing numbers of heart transplants and ventricular assist device insertions. Dr. Toyoda then became Professor of Surgery, Director of Mechanical Circulatory Support, Surgical Director of Heart and Lung Transplantation, Vice Chief of Cardiovascular Surgery at Temple University in Philadelphia. Over the past eight years, Dr. Toyoda has performed more than 450 heart, lung and heart-lung transplants. He pioneered the antero-axillary approach in lung transplantation, a new minimally invasive form of surgery that avoids complications of the standard double-lung transplant procedure and the prophylactic tricuspid valve repair in heart transplantation, which prevents primary graft failure due to right ventricular failure. He has also developed numerous innovative surgical techniques to further improve clinical outcomes in the area of cardiothoracic surgery.

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Research Interest

Myocardial protection/preservation, Pulmonary protection/preservation, Cardiac anatomy, structure and function, Thoracic transplantation, Mechanical circulatory support