Ohman named director of the Division of Vascular Surgery
Surgeon and researcher specializes in aortic disease, will be first director of new division
J. Westley Ohman, MD, a clinical and research leader in complex aortic surgery, has been appointed director of the new Division of Vascular Surgery at WashU Medicine.
J. Westley Ohman, MD, an associate professor of surgery and a leader in complex aortic surgery at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has been named the new director of the Division of Vascular Surgery in the Department of Surgery. Ohman will be the first director of the division, which had previously been a section within the Division of General Surgery. He started in his new role on June 15.
“Dr. Ohman is a remarkable vascular surgeon whose commitment to our mission in academic surgery ensures that WashU Medicine will remain a world leader in vascular surgical care, innovation and training for years to come,” said John A. Olson Jr., MD, PhD, the William K. Bixby Professor of Surgery and head of the Department of Surgery. “His commitment to the highest standards of training, innovative research and effective patient care has helped WashU Medicine establish itself as one of the best centers for vascular care in the country.”
Ohman helped make the medical campus a destination for patients with complex aortic diseases. On the adult side, he is of co-director of the WashU Medicine Aortic Center, which is a multidisciplinary center that provides specialized evaluation and treatment for those with aortic disease. On the pediatric side, he co-founded and is the surgical director of the Aortic and Renovascular Center for Hypertension at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, a multidisciplinary clinic dedicated to the treatment of pediatric patients with aortic and renal disease.
Ohman leads an active research program, including clinical trials of new vascular procedures and devices. These include the first-in-human implantation of a novel stent graft to strengthen weakened blood vessels in 2023, as well as the development of a device to assist surgeons in the removal of failed stent grafts. He is equally committed to the educational mission of the department and has served as program director of the integrated vascular surgery residency training program since 2021. He was inducted into the Academy of Educators at WashU Medicine last year.
Ohman earned his undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Texas and his medical degree from the University of Texas McGovern Medical School in Houston. He came to WashU Medicine as a resident in 2012 and joined the faculty of the Department of Surgery in 2017.
The Division of Vascular Surgery began in 1983 as a section within the Department of Surgery and grew in the ensuing years into one of the preeminent centers of vascular expertise in the United States. In addition to exceptional patient care, the division’s clinicians provide training to general and vascular surgery residents and lead active research programs in basic science pertaining to vascular disease, clinical outcomes, translational medicine and novel device trials.
Ohman will be stepping into the role previously held by
Luis A. Sanchez, MD, the Gregorio A. Sicard Distinguished Professor of Vascular Surgery, who was appointed chief of the Section of Vascular Surgery in 2011 and who will remain in the division. Sanchez epitomizes many of the division’s strengths and further developed its reputation for excellence in clinical care, launched the integrated residency program in vascular surgery, and led clinical trials of novel procedures and devices in vascular surgery.
