Teng C. Lee, M.D., F.A.C.S., is a Professor of Surgery at UCSF, where he co-directs the Center for Aortic Disease. He was recruited to UCSF in 2017 to establish this center. Prior to his appointment, Dr. Lee served as the Co-Director of the Aorta Center at the University of Florida. He also founded the Center for Aortic Disease at the University of Maryland, where he pioneered the highly successful Transcatheter Aortic Valve (TAVR) program.

Dr. Lee’s clinical practice encompasses both cardiac and vascular surgery, including coronary artery bypass surgery, minimally invasive valve surgery, valve-sparing surgery, valve repair surgery, transcatheter aortic valve replacements, arrhythmia surgery, endovascular surgery, and complex open aortic surgery.

Originally from Singapore, Dr. Lee received his medical degree from Washington University School of Medicine in Saint Louis. During his medical studies, he worked in the research laboratory of G. Alexander Patterson and Joel Cooper, who performed the world’s first successful lung transplant. Dr. Lee completed his general surgery residency at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, where he was awarded the Dudley P. Allen Scholarship for his research on ischemia-reperfusion injury in the transplant laboratory. He subsequently pursued his cardiothoracic surgery fellowship at Duke University.

Dr. Lee also completed a fellowship in Endovascular/Interventional Radiology at Skåne University Hospital (Lund University) in Malmö, Sweden, where he trained under the esteemed Krassi Ivancev, M.D., Ph.D. Subsequently, he pursued another fellowship in advanced aortic surgery, heart transplantation, and mechanical circulatory support at Duke University. Dr. Lee holds the distinction of being one of only a select few “hybrid” cardiac surgeons, fully cross-trained in both interventional and open surgical techniques, for the management of complex thoracic aortic disease.

Dr. Lee’s research endeavors revolve around novel stent-graft technologies specifically designed for the aortic arch. He has served as the Site Principal Investigator in numerous clinical trials involving the treatment of aortic arch aneurysms through endovascular approaches. His expertise encompasses the utilization of branched stent-grafts in the aortic arch, employing the Gore Thoracic Branch Endoprosthesis, the Medtronic MonaLSA endoprosthesis, and the Cook 2-branch arch device.

Recently, Dr. Lee has forged collaborations with bio-medical engineers to explore the hemodynamic implications of various stent-graft devices within the aortic arch.

Over the past few years, Dr. Lee and his research collaborators have delved into the outcomes and management of acute type A aortic dissection, with a particular focus on identifying potential strategies for enhancing their outcomes. Most recently, Dr. Lee has ventured into the realm of artificial intelligence, exploring its potential to optimize cardiac surgery and patient care within the Center for Aortic Disease.

Dr. Lee holds membership in the American College of Surgeons and is also a member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery, the European Association for Cardiothoracic Surgery, and the Sabiston Surgical Society at Duke University.