Dr. Jacques Kpodonu

Dr. Jacques Kpodonu earned his degree in medicine as well as his general surgery internship at the University of Ghana.  He then completed surgical residencies at Johns Hopkins Hospital and Loma Linda University Medical Center. Dr. Kpodonu went on to the University of Illinois Hospital and Clinics in Chicago to complete his Residency and Chief Residency in Cardiothoracic Surgery. His interest in endovascular therapies, lead him to Arizona Heart Institute where he completed a Fellowship in Vascular and Endovascular Surgery in 2007. In 2008, he finished his Advanced Cardiovascular Surgery Fellowship at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Illinois in percutaneous aortic/mitral valves, and mitral valve repair.

Dr. Kpodonu joined Raney Zusman Medical Group in 2008. He is board certified in general and thoracic surgery. Trained as a cardiovascular surgeon and endovascular interventionalist, he brings a new realm of medical technology to patients, allowing the treatment of vascular diseases with non-surgical solutions. He is an early adopter of endovascular and hybrid approaches for the treatment of aortic disease (abdominal aortic aneurysms and thoracic aortic aneurysms), hybrid and transcatheter therapies for structural heart disease (both aortic and mitral), cerebrovascular disease management, 3-D CT imaging, non-invasive cardiac and vascular imaging, intra-cardiac echocardiography, intra-vascular ultrasound and novel approaches of image guided cardiac surgery.

Dr. Kpodonu currently resides in Newport Beach with his wife, Tiffany, and their two children, Natalie and Henri.

Specialty Training

Percutaneous aortic/mitral valves, mitral valve repair (07/2007-06/2008).
Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL.

Fellowship Vascular and Endovascular Surgery (07/2006-06/2007)
Department of Cardiovascular and Endovascular Surgery Arizona Heart Institute, Phoenix, AZ.

Resident and Chief Resident in Cardiothoracic Surgery (07/2002-06/2004).
Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery. University of Illinois Hospital and Clinics, Chicago, Illinois

Senior Resident and Chief Resident - General Surgery (07/2000-06/2002)
Department of Surgery.  Loma Linda University Affiliated Hospitals.  Loma Linda, CA

Resident and Fellow–General Surgery (07/1997-06/2000)
Department of Surgery.  The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD.

Medical School

Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MB, ChB) 1994 (02/89-12/94).
University of Ghana Medical School. Accra, Ghana.

Board Certifications

The American Board of Surgery 2003
The American Board of Thoracic Surgery 2007
Certificate in hyperbaric medicine 2006
Board eligible American Board of Vascular Medicine 2008

Professional Organizations

International Society of Endovascular Specialist
Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Ghana Medical Association
Edward B Diethrich Vascular Surgical Society.
Ghana Surgical Research Society
Chicago Surgical Society
American Medical Association
American College of Surgeons (candidate member)
Cardiothoracic Surgery Network

Books and Book Chapters

1. Clinical Scenarios in Thoracic Surgery. Publisher: Lippincott Williams& Wilkins. 1st edition (2004) edited by R. Kalimi, L. Penfield Faber

Journal Articles

1. Caines AE, Massad MG, Kpodonu J, Rebeiz AG, Evans A, Geha AS, Outcomes of CABG vs. Percutaneous Coronary Intervention and Medical Therapy for Multi- Vessel Disease With and Without LV Dysfunction. Cardiology .2004; 101(1-3): 21-8.

2. Massad MG, Kpodonu J H.A. Jaffe. ICU Admission of the Lung Transplant Recipient Following Hospital Discharge. Chest.2004 Mar; 125(3): 813-5.

3. Kpodonu J, Massad MG, Anderson A, Das Gupta TK. Oesteoblastic Chondrosarcoma with Cardiac and Pulmonary Arterial Extension. Eu J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2004.Apr; 25(4): 650.

4.Geha AS, El Zein C, Massad MG, Bagai J, Khoury F, Evans A, Kpodonu J. Surgery for aortic arch thrombus. Thorac Cardiovasc Surg2004.June; (52) 3:187- 190.

5. Evans A, Massad MG, Silari P, Zhang W, Jarzembowski, Kpodonu J, Geha AS, Benedetti E: Procurement-related cellular apoptosis in autologous saphenous vein grafts is amplified by aerobic but not anaerobic short-term storage. J Applied Research 2004; 4(3): 453-463.

6. Massad MG, Navarro RA, Rubeiz H, Kpodonu J, Karol J, Blacha M, Evans A. Acute Postoperative Shingles after Thoracic Sympathectomy for Hyperhydrosis. Ann Thorac Surg 2004; 78(6):2159-61.

7. Jani JC, Massad MG, Kpodonu J, Alagiozian-Angelova V, Guzman G. High-Grade Pelvic Osteosarcoma with intravascular extension to the right heart: A case report and review of the literature. Arch

Pathol Lab Med 2005; 129(2):241-243.

8. Caines AE, Kpodonu J, Massad MG, Chaer R, Evans A, Lee JC, Wang Q, Geha AS. Cardiac Transplantation in Patients with Iron Overload Cardiomyopathy. Case studies and recommendations. J Heart Lung

Transplant. 2005 Apr;24(4):486-8.

9. DiDomenico RJ, Massad MG, Kpodonu J, Navarro RA, Geha AS. Use of recombinant activated factor VII for bleeding following operations requiring cardiopulmonary bypass. Chest. 2005 May; 127

(5):1828-35. Review

10. Kpodonu J, Tshibaka C, Massad MG. The importance of Clinical Registries for Pulmonary Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma. .Chest. 2005 May; 127(5):1870-1

11. Kpodonu J, Warso M A, Massad MG: An unusual adrenal mass invading the Inferior vena cava. Urology. 2005 Jun;65(6):1226.

12. Kpodonu J, Cook J, Massad MG, Snow NJ. Tuberculosis of the Thymus. Current Respiratory Medicine Reviews June 2005, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 123-126(4).

13. Massad MG, Kpodonu J, Lee JC, Espat J, Ghandi S, Evans AN, Benedetti E, Geha AS. Outcomes of coronary artery bypass operations with renal insufficiency with and without transplantation. Chest

2005 Aug; 128(2): 855-62.

14. Kpodonu J, Massad MG, Geha AS. Surgical Considerations in the Correction of Valve Dysfunction Following Heart Transplantation. Clin Transplant.2005 Oct; 19(5): 694-7.

15. Kpodonu J, Massad MG, Chaer R, Evans AN, Caines A, Fitzgerald M, Snow NJ, Geha AS. The US experience with lung transplantation for Lymphangioleiomyomatosis.J Heart Lung Transplant 2005 Sep; 24

(9): 1247-53.

16.Kpodonu J, Massad MG, Caines A, Geha AS.Outcomes of Heart Transplantation in patients with amyloid cardiomyopathy. J Heart Lung Transplantation. 2005 Nov; 24(11): 1763-5.

17. Chan LN, Massad MG, Mahmood K, Clark N, Steinhiser S, Kpodonu J, Tshibaka C, Jaffe H A.Hemorrhagic cystitis in a bilateral lung transplant recipient associated with polyoma BK virus. Clin

Transplantation Nov 2005 Vol1 (3):

18. Massad MG, Powell CR, Kpodonu J, Tshibaka M, Hanhan Z, Snow NJ, Geha AS. Outcome of lung transplantation in patients with scleroderma. World J Surg. 2005 Nov; 29(11): 1510-5.

19. Kpodonu J, Cusimano RJ, Johnston MR. An unusual cause of syncope. Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann .2005 Dec; 13(4): 400.

20. Pillai JB, Kpodonu J, Yu C, Borger M A. Heterotaxy syndrome with azygous continuation causing pseudo Budd–Chiari syndrome following cardio-pulmonary bypass. Ann Thorac Surg. 2006 May; 81(5):

1890-2.

21. Kpodonu J, Williams J, Ramaiah VG, Diethrich EB. Endovascular management of a thoracic aortic mycotic aneurysm: Mid-term follow –up. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2007 Jul; 32(1):178-9.

22. Kpodonu J, Ramaiah VG, Williams J, Shennib H, Diethrich EB.A novel way to confirm successful endovascular repair of a thoracic aortic aneurysm using a remote wireless pressure sensor. Ann

Thorac Surg. Jul; 84(1):272-4.

23. Kpodonu J, Diethrich EB. Hybrid interventions for the treatment of the complex aortic arch. Perspect Vasc Surg Endovasc Ther 2007 19: 174-184.

24. Kpodonu J, Cusimano RJ, Robinette MA.Renal cell carcinoma with right atrial extension. Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann. 2007 Aug; 15(4):364.

25. Kpodonu J, Ramaiah VG, Williams J, Shennib H, Diethrich EB.A novel way to confirm successful endovascular repair of a thoracic aortic aneurysm using a remote wireless pressure sensor. Ann

Thorac Surg. 2007 Jul; 84(1):272-4.

26.Kpodonu J, Peterson MD, Lucas L, Rodriguez-Lopez JA, Diethrich EB.An extraanatomic close chest to approach an aortic arch aneurysm in an 88 year old woman. Ann Thorac Surg 2007 Sep; 84(3):1045-

7.

27. Kpodonu J. Letter to the editor. Reply to Urgulucan et al. Endovascular management of a thoracic aortic mycotic aneurysm: Mid-term follow –up. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2007 Dec; 32(6):946-7

28. Kpodonu J, Ramaiah VG, Wheatley GHIII, Rodriguez-Lopez JA, Diethrich EB. Endovascular management of a thoracic aortic disruption following failure of deployment of a parachute. Interact

Cardiovasc Thorac Surg. 2007 Dec; 6(6):823-4.

29.Kpodonu J, Ramaiah VG,Wheatley GHIII,Rodriguez-Lopez JA,Strumpf RK Diethrich EB Total endovascular management of an ascending aortic pseudo aneurysm with a septal occluder device. Midterm

follow-up. Ann Thorac Surg. 2008 Jan; 85(1):349-51.

30. Kpodonu J, Rodriguez-Lopez JA, Ramaiah VG, Diethrich EB .Use of the right brachio-femoral wire approach to manage a thoracic aortic aneurysm in an extremely angulated and tortuous aorta with an

endoluminal stent graft. Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg. 2008 Jan 18

31. Kpodonu J, Ramaiah VG, Wheatley GH, Shennib H, Diethrich EB.A novel technique of deploying a thoracic endograft in the hybrid treatment of a patient with a thoracoadominal aneurysm. Ann Thorac

Surg. 2008 Feb; 85(2):666-8.

32. Kpodonu J. Endovascular treatment of chronic type A dissection.Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg. 2008 Feb; 7(1):166.

33. Kpodonu J, Wheatley GH, Williams JP, Rodriguez-Lopez JA, and Ramaiah VG, Diethrich EB.A novel approach for the endovascular repair of the small thoracic aorta: Customizing off the shelf

endoluminal grafts to treat a post coarctation pseudoaneurysm. Ann Thorac Surg. 2008 Mar;85(3):1115-7.

34. Kpodonu J, Ramaiah VG, Wheatley GHIII, Rodriguez-Lopez JA, Diethrich EB. Customized endoluminal graft to treat a suspected saccular thoraco abdominal mycotic aneurysm. Ann Thorac Surg. 2008

Apr;85(4):1463-5

35. Kpodonu J, Ramaiah VG, Diethrich EB .Successful management of a combined ruptured Stanford type B aortic dissection and malperfusion syndrome with an endoluminal graft. Interact Cardiovasc

Thorac Surg. 2008 Apr;7(2):339-41

36. Kpodonu J, Preventza O, Ramaiah VG, Williams JP, Wheatley GHIII, Rodriguez-Lopez JA, and Shennib H, Diethrich EB Retrograde dissection of the aorta following thoracic aortic endografting: Is

the risk real? Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2008 Jun;33(6):1014-8.

37. Kpodonu J, Preventza O,Ramaiah VG,Williams JP,Wheatley GHIII,Rodriguez- Lopez JA,Shennib H, Diethrich EB. Should Octogenarians Be Denied Access to Endovascular Repair of The Thoracic Aorta. Eur

J Cardiothorac Surg. 2008 Sep;34(3):630-4; discussion 634.

38. Kpodonu J, Ramaiah VG, Diethrich EB. Intravascular ultrasound imaging as applied to the aorta: a new tool for the cardiovascular surgeon. Ann Thorac Surg. 2008 Oct;86(4):1391-8.

39. Kpodonu J, Rodriguez-Lopez JA, Ramaiah VG, Diethrich EB. Endoluminal Graft therapy for the treatment of an aorto-bronchial fistula. Mid-Term Follow –Up. J Card Surg 2008 Oct;23(5): 530-532.

40. Kpodonu J, Wheatley GHIII, Diethrich EB. Endovascular Reconstruction of a New Aorto- Iliac Bifurcation to Manage a Ruptured Thoraco abdominal Pseudo Aneurysm in a Marfan Patient. J Card Surg.

2008(Accepted).

41. Kpodonu J, Rodriguez-Lopez JA, Ramaiah VG, Diethrich EB. “Cracking and Paving”: A novel technique to deliver a thoracic endograft despite ilio- femoral occlusive disease. J Card Surg 2008.

(accepted).

42. Peterson MD, WheatleyGH III, KpodonuJ, Williams JP, Ramaiah VG, Rodriguez-Lopez JA, Diethrich EB.Treatment of type II endoleak associated with left subclavian artery coverage during thoracic

aortic stent grafting. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2008(Accepted).

43. Shennib H,Rodriguez-Lopez JA,Ramaiah VG,Wheatley Gh,KpodonuJ,Diethrich EB.Endovascular complications of adult coarctations and its complications. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2008 (accepted)

44. Guerrero Baena F, Kpodonu J, Ramaiah VG. Endovascular management of an entrapped carotid filter device. J .Endovasc Therapy (submitted).

45. Preventza O, Wheatly GH III, Ramaiah VG, Chaugle H, Kpodonu J, Williams J, Hughes K, Rodriquez-Lopez JA, Olsen DM, Diethrich EB. Identifying paraplegia risk associated with thoracic

endografting. Innovations: Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann(submitted)