Brian Thomas Bethea, MD

Provider is directly employed by MedStar Health

Brian Bethea, MD, is the Chief of Cardiac Surgery at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital and the regional chief of outreach for the Baltimore region. He is board certified in thoracic surgery.

Dr. Bethea’s clinical interests involve minimally invasive approaches to valvular and structural heart disease. This includes procedures such as TAVR, transcatheter mitral valve repair and replacement, transcatheter tricuspid valve repair and replacement, and multi-arterial coronary revascularization.

Dr. Bethea is a member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons.

After earning his medical degree from the University of Oklahoma, Dr. Bethea completed his residency in general surgery, followed by a fellowship in cardiac surgery, at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Dr. Bethea has participated in nearly all major U.S. clinical trials for TAVR and has been involved in early feasibility trials for transcatheter mitral valve repair and replacement. Due to his reputation, excellent outcomes, and high surgical volumes, he was selected to participate in past trials for the mitral and tricuspid valves, including Tendyne™, MitraClip™, ENCIRCLE, and TRILUMINATE. He is the only surgeon in Maryland to offer patient the latter two options.

He is a physician educator and proctor, traveling throughout the world to teach valve repair and replacement techniques to other surgeons. He serves as selection chair for the Tendyne trial, overseeing all patient selection for the entire trial.

Dr. Bethea has presented his work internationally and is widely published in all the major cardiothoracic medical journals. He was among the first authors to be published on the topic of transcatheter mitral valve replacement–a rapidly evolving and expanding field.

Philosophy of Care

“I aim to provide personalized, tailored care to each of my patients. Whether it’s a minimally invasive procedure, an open procedure, or a hybrid approach, I find the method that will best fit the person, rather than the other way around. Since I have been involved in the development of so many new technologies, I can provide patients with all their options, so we can make an informed decision together. I wholeheartedly believe in a team approach to providing care, and view patients, their families, and their referring physicians as integral members of the care team.”