Kaneko to lead Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Clinical innovator has developed new devices and techniques for heart valve surgeries
Tsuyoshi Kaneko, MD, a clinical and research leader in minimally invasive valve surgeries and transcatheter procedures, has been appointed as the director of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery.
Tsuyoshi Kaneko, MD, the John M. Shoenberg Chair of Cardiovascular Disease in the Department of Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has been named the new director of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery. Kaneko is a dedicated and innovative surgeon who joined the Department of Surgery in 2022. His new appointment took effect on May 1, 2025.
“Dr. Kaneko is an internationally recognized cardiac surgeon who has demonstrated a commitment to broadening and deepening the expertise that the division provides for our patients and trainees,” said John A. Olson Jr., MD, PhD, the William K. Bixby Professor of Surgery and head of the Department of Surgery. “He is an extraordinary cardiac surgeon whose marked leadership, surgical skill, spirit of innovation and dedication to the education of the coming generations of surgeons will enhance our institution greatly.”
Kaneko, who is the chief of cardiac surgery at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, specializes in valvular surgeries, including transcatheter procedures and minimally invasive valve surgeries. He has an active research program focused on outcomes for aortic and valvular heart disease patients. Kaneko was a principal investigator in an important clinical trial for transcatheter aortic and mitral valve replacement devices. He has transformed cardiac surgery at WashU Medicine, having introduced robotic valve surgery and other techniques to the surgical offerings available.
“I am very excited to be taking on the role of director of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery,” said Kaneko. “We have a truly world-class team of surgeons and educators here, and I look forward to building on those strengths to maintain and extend our clinical and teaching excellence.”
Kaneko earned his medical degree and completed his initial training in general and cardiac surgery at Keio University School of Medicine in Tokyo. He pursued further general surgery training at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and completed a residency in cardiothoracic surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, where he was the surgical director of the structural heart program, director of aortic and endovascular surgery, and director of clinical outcomes research.
Kaneko will continue the tradition of surgical innovation established by his predecessor, Ralph Damiano Jr., MD, the Evarts A. Graham Professor of Surgery, who had led the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery since 2014. During his tenure, Damiano opened the division to robotic surgery and minimally invasive techniques. He also led the development of the Cox Maze IV procedure, which has become the gold standard to treat atrial fibrillation.
