Dr. Teng C. Lee is a cardiothoracic surgeon, a specialist in surgeries of the heart, lungs and other structures in the chest. He is one of a small number of such specialists fully trained in both minimally invasive and traditional surgical techniques for treating complex thoracic aortic disease, a potentially life-threatening condition involving weakness, tears or other problems with the heart's main artery. Procedures he performs include heart transplantation, arrhythmia surgery, coronary artery bypass, endovascular surgery and minimally invasive valve surgery. He has expertise in aortic root surgery (repairing an enlarged section of the aorta to prevent dangerous consequences, such as a rupture), valve-sparing aortic root replacement and complex aortic valve repair.
In his research, Lee has investigated using minimally invasive techniques to treat aortic arch aneurysms (bulges in the wall where the aorta bends) and has collaborated with biomedical engineers to study how different stent graft devices in the aortic arch may impact blood flow. Over the last few years, he also took part in research on improving treatment and outcomes for acute type A aortic dissection, a serious condition in which the aorta's inner layer tears. Most recently, he has explored the potential for artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize cardiac surgery and patient care.
Originally from Singapore, Lee earned his medical degree from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He completed a residency in general surgery at Case Western Reserve University, where he was the Dudley P. Allen Scholar, and completed a residency in cardiothoracic surgery at Duke University. He completed a fellowship in endovascular and interventional radiology at Lund University in Sweden, followed by a fellowship in advanced aortic surgery, heart transplantation and mechanical circulatory support at Duke University.
Before joining UCSF, Lee was co-director of the University of Florida Health Aortic Disease Center. Previous to his time there, he founded the University of Maryland Center for Aortic Disease and started its highly successful program in transcatheter aortic valve replacement (a minimally invasive alternative to open-heart surgery).
Lee is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He belongs to the International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery, European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery and Sabiston Surgical Society.
