Thomas Edward MacGillivray, MD

Provider is directly employed by MedStar Health

Thomas MacGillivray, MD, is Physician Executive Director of Cardiac Surgery at MedStar Health and Chairman of Cardiac Surgery at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. Prior to joining MedStar Health, Dr. MacGillivray served as the Jimmy F. Howell, MD, Endowed Chair in Cardiovascular Surgery, Chief of the Division of Cardiac Surgery and Thoracic Transplant Surgery, and Associate Medical Director of the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit at Houston Methodist Hospital.

As a board-certified surgeon and thoracic surgeon with more than 30 years of experience in the field, Dr. MacGillivray is highly-skilled in both traditional open and minimally-invasive methods. While he performs conventional coronary artery bypass operations, valve repairs, and valve replacements, Dr. MacGillivray’s expertise stretches into more specialized procedures, including thoracic aortic repair and replacement, maze procedures, septal myectomies, and cardiac tumor procedures. He also has extensive experience in treating adult congenital heart disease.

Dr. MacGillivray is passionate about performing surgery — his dedication to clinical outcomes and seeing his patients through the entire care journey is evident in his love of caring for patients in the ICU and in the nursing units.

Dr. MacGillivray’s clinical interests include diseases of the aorta, including the aortic root, aortic arch, and thoracoabdominal aorta. He is a nationally recognized leader in the surgical treatment of patients with adult congenital heart disease, heart failure, and pulmonary embolism.

In addition to direct patient care, he also has a specific interest in quality improvement processes in cardiac disease, which involves database and outcome research. Dr. MacGillivray has published numerous peer-reviewed articles on aortic diseases, adult congenital heart disease, mechanical circulatory support, and cardiac tumors.

Dr. MacGillivray earned his medical degree at Tufts University School of Medicine before  completing a general surgery internship and residency at Massachusetts General Hospital. He completed a two-year research fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco before returning to Massachusetts General Hospital for a specialty fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery, where he served as Chief Resident. Dr. MacGillivray did additional training in congenital heart surgery as the Chief Resident at Boston Children’s Hospital.

Before joining MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute, Dr. MacGillivray spent 19 years as a practicing cardiothoracic surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital and Associate Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School, followed by five and a half years at Houston Methodist Hospital as the Jimmy F. Howell, M.D. Endowed Chair in Cardiovascular Surgery.

Dedicated to the advancement of the field of cardiothoracic surgery, Dr. MacGillivray is the First Vice President of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. He is former President of the Northeast Cardiothoracic Surgery Society, is currently a member of the Thoracic Surgery Foundation Board of Directors, and holds a seat on the Editorial Board of the Annals of Thoracic Surgery. He has been involved in writing a number of clinical practice guidelines. He was the Writing Committee Chairman for the STS/AATS Clinical Practice Guidelines on Type B Aortic Dissection, and served on the writing group for the American Heart Association guidelines for the surgical treatment for pulmonary embolism. Some of his many acknowledgments have included multiple Partners in Excellence Team Awards by Massachusetts General Hospital and recognitions by Marquis Who’s Who In America and Best Doctors.

Dr. MacGillivray is excited to offer his expertise in various cardiac surgical subspecialties (complex aortic surgery) to the adept team at MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute and is honored to get to work in this nationally recognized heart program.

Philosophy of care

“I consider it a privilege to take care of my patients–a privilege that, to me, implies a sacred trust. I care for every patient as if they were a member of my own family, and I try to do for them what I would want someone to do for my wife, my daughter, my brother, or my sister. There is no problem too big and no problem too small for my attention and my care.

“The practice of medicine now is a team sport. The beauty of MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute is that there is an incredible team of talented physicians and caregivers working together providing exceptional care. As with any team, one of the most important responsibilities is communication. When I work with referring physicians, my communication with them is vital for the patient’s success, since patients will return to their referring physicians after their heart surgery.

“While you can't always cure every disease or make every diagnosis, you can always be kind to every patient. Oftentimes, that is the medicine that helps the most; listening to them, understanding them, and being willing to help them. Throughout all my years of practice, I have found this to be absolutely true.”