Clips

Story by Sarah Haufrect

Before 1992, a baby who was born with an undeveloped left chamber in his or her heart was considered a lost cause. A family waiting to welcome their child into the world had no choice but to watch this new life be extinguished in a matter of days. But this was before Dr. Vaughn Starnes.

The Norwood procedure, the method used to repair this rare condition, is one of the many expert techniques pioneered in Southern California by Dr. Starnes. The cardiothoracic surgeon has performed many firsts in the field of transplantation as well, including transplanting a heart and lung into a four-month-old baby—the youngest organ recipient ever. In 1993, he became the first surgeon to perform a living-related lobar lung transplant for a patient with cystic fibrosis, taking lung tissue from each parent and transplanting it into their child. Since 1993, Starnes has performed more living-related lung transplants in children than any other surgeon.

Considered one of the most accomplished surgeons in his field, Starnes has brought life, hope and a legacy of service to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, where he is director of the Heart Institute and head of the division of cardiothoracic surgery; to Keck School of Medicine at USC, where he is Hastings Distinguished Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery and chair of the department of surgery; and to the city of Pasadena, where he has made his home for more than a decade.

After completing his residency studying under Dr. Norman Shumway (whom Starnes considers his mentor) of Stanford University, Starnes reviewed his options and couldn’t think of a better fit than Childrens Hospital. “I wanted to lead my own program and I wanted to pursue adult surgery and pediatric surgery,” he recalls. “I also wanted to be in a place where teaching is top priority. So with its nationally recognized program and close proximity to the Keck School of Medicine at USC, Childrens Hospital was a very logical decision.” Since then, Starnes has spent most of his time in the operating room or researching heart transplantation, congenital heart surgery and adult-acquired heart disease. He also teaches three to four young surgeons at one time throughout the year, who shadow Starnes and work with him in the most complicated heart procedures—his specialties.
Considered one of the most decorated surgeons in his field, Starnes has brought life, hope and a legacy of service to Children’s Hospital LA, where he is director of the Heart Institute and head of the division of cardiothoracic surgery; to Keck School of Medicine at USC, where he is a Hastings Distinguished Professor and chair of cardiothoracic surgery; and to the city of Pasadena, where he has made his home for more than a decade.