MICHAEL J. MACK, MD IS FIRST SURGEON PRESENTED WITH TCT CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

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Annual Prize Honors Pioneer in Interventional Cardiovascular Medicine

WASHINGTON, DC – SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2014 – Michael J. Mack, MD, an internationally renowned cardiothoracic surgeon, was presented the 2014 TCT Career Achievement Award in a ceremony held today during the 26th Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) conference, the annual scientific symposium of the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF).  The award is given each year to a pioneer in the field of interventional cardiovascular medicine.

Dr. Mack, the first surgeon to receive the award in TCT’s history, has made significant contributions to research involving minimally invasive surgery and percutaneous heart valve therapy. A practicing cardiothoracic surgeon since 1982, he has performed over 7,000 cardiac surgeries, of which over 3,000 involved heart valve procedures. Dr. Mack has spent much of his career working closely with interventional cardiologists to improve the treatment of patients with cardiovascular disease. He played critical roles in the SYNTAX Trial, which compared percutaneous coronary intervention with coronary artery bypass graft surgery in patients with three-vessel or left main disease, and the PARTNER Trial, which explored the safety and efficacy of transcatheter aortic valve replacement. He has also authored or co-authored over 400 publications in peer-reviewed medical publications.

TCT Directors, Martin B. Leon, MD and Gregg W. Stone, MD jointly presented the award, which recognizes pioneering work in interventional medicine and exceptional talent and dedication in research and clinical endeavors. Dr. Leon is the Founder of CRF and Professor of Medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and Director of the Center for Interventional Vascular Therapy at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Stone is Professor of Medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and Director of Cardiovascular Research and Education at the Center for Interventional Vascular Therapy at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center.  Both serve as Co-Directors of the Medical Research and Education Division at CRF, and direct the annual TCT scientific sessions.

“We are extremely proud to honor the esteemed surgeon and researcher, Dr. Michael Mack, with the TCT 2014 Career Achievement Award. He is the first surgeon to receive the award in the 26-year history of TCT,” said Dr. Leon. “Along with his outstanding contributions as a researcher and advocate for cardiovascular patients, one of his most impressive accomplishments has been bridging the divide between interventional cardiology and surgery.”

“Dr. Mack has made many seminal advances in cardiac surgery’s treatment of coronary artery disease and valvular heart disease. His leadership and collaboration has directly led to the development of novel and safer therapies for patients with coronary artery disease,” Dr. Stone added.

Dr. Mack is currently the Director of the Cardiovascular Service line at Baylor Scott & White Health System and Chairman of the Baylor Plano Research Center in Texas. Previously, he served as Medical Director Cardiovascular Disease and Transplantation at Medical City Dallas Hospital from 1990 until 2006. Dr. Mack was President of the Society for Thoracic Surgeons (STS) in 2011 and a Past President of the Thoracic Surgery Foundation for Research and Education (TSFRE), the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association (STSA), and the International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery (ISMICS). He is a member of the American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF) Board of Trustees and the ACC Interventional Scientific Council. He received his medical degree from St. Louis University in Missouri.

Previous winners of the TCT Career Achievement Award include: Geoffrey O. Hartzler, MD; David R. Holmes, MD; Patrick W. Serruys, MD, PhD; John B. Simpson, MD; Antonio Colombo, MD; Julio C. Palmaz, MD; Donald S. Baim, MD; William W. O’Neill, MD; J. Eduardo M.R. Sousa, MD, PhD; Eugene Braunwald, MD; James T. Willerson, MD; Paul Yock, MD; Barry T. Katzen, MD; Seung-Jung Park, MD; Spencer B. King III, MD; Alain G Cribier, MD;  Eric J. Topol, MD; Renu Virmani, MD; and Andreas Gruentzig, MD.