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Qiudong (Kevin) Chen, MD

Kevin Chen
Medical School: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine Graduate School: Boston University School of Medicine Residency Program: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Undergraduate: Cedarville University

About Dr. Chen

Qiudong (Kevin) Chen is a clinical fellow in cardiac surgery. He completed his general surgery training at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, where he served as the administrative chief resident in his final year. During residency, he also completed a two-year NIH T32-sponsored research fellowship in cardiac surgery, focusing on comparative outcomes research using large clinical and administrative registries in the areas of heart and lung transplantation, mechanical circulatory support, and valvular heart disease. He hopes to pursue an academic career in cardiac surgery after training. 

Education

2018 - 2025
General Surgery Residency - Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California 

2014 - 2018
MD - Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio

2012 - 2014
MA - Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts

2008 - 2012
BA - Cedarville University, Cedarville, Ohio

Societies

  • American College of Surgeons, Member
  • American Medical Association, Member
  • Society of Thoracic Surgeons, Resident Member

Awards

2023
Cedars-Sinai Paul Rubenstein Award for Excellence in Resident Research Finalist

2023
Society of Thoracic Surgeons Richard E. Clark Memorial Paper (Adult Cardiac)

2022
American Association of Thoracic Surgery Presidential Abstract Recognition Award

2023
Cedars-Sinai Department of Surgery Craig Lipkin Award for Excellence in Research

2023
Cedars-Sinai Department of Cardiac Surgery Investigator of the Year Award

2020
Society of Thoracic Surgeons Looking to the Future Scholarship

Research

2021 - 2023
NIH T32 Post-doctoral Research Fellow
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Department of Cardiac Surgery
PI: Joanna Chikwe, MD; Michael E. Bowdish, MD MS 

2012 - 2016
Research Student 
Cleveland Clinic, Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
PI: Nader Moazami, MD 

2012
Research Assistant 
Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital, Department of Cardiovascular and Transplant Surgery
PI: I-wen Wang, MD, PhD

Publications

Peer-Reviewed Manuscripts

*Manuscripts in which I mentored another trainee with equal contributions

  1. Makkar RR, Chikwe J, Chakravarty T, Chen Q, O’Gara P, Gillinov M, Mack MJ, Vekstein A, Patel D, Stebbins AL, Gelijns AC, Makar M, Bhatt D, Kapadia S, Vemulapalli S, Leon MB. Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair for Degenerative Mitral Regurgitation. JAMA. 2023 May 23;329(20):1778-1788.
  2. *Zubair M, Chen Q, Rowe G, Gill G, Thomas J, Timbalia S, Sood V, Schumacher K, Chikwe J, Kim R. Evolving Trends and Widening Racial Disparities in Children Listed for Heart Transplantation in the United States. Circulation. 2022;146(3):262-264.
  3. Roach, A, Chikwe J, Catarino P, Rampolla R, Noble P, Megna D, Chen Q, Emerson D, Egorova N, Keshavjee S, Kirklin J. Lung Transplantation for Covid-19 Respiratory Failure in the United States. N Engl J Med. 2022;10.1056/NEJMc2117024.
  4. Chen Q, Roach A, Trento A, Rowe G, Gill G, Peiris A, Emerson D, Ramzy D, Egorova N, Bowdish ME, Chikwe J, Robotic Degenerative Mitral Repair: Factors Associated with Intraoperative Revision and Impact of Mild Residual Regurgitation, J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2022;S0022-5223(22)00823-6.
  5. Malas J, Humar R, Chen Q, Peiris A, Megna D, Bowdish ME, Chikwe J, Trento A, Emerson D, Mitral valve surgery after failed transcatheter edge-to-edge repair: Operative techniques and institutional experience. JTCVS Tech. 2023;23:47-48.
  6. Chikwe J, Roach A, Emerson D, Chen Q, Rowe G, Gill G, Peiris A, Ramzy D, Cheng W, Egorova N, Trento A. Left Atrial Appendage Closure During Mitral Repair in Patients without Atrial Fibrillation. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2023;S0022-5223(23)00262-3.
  7. Chen Q, Bowdish ME, Malas J, Roach A, Gill G, Rowe G, Thomas J, Emerson D, Trento A, Egorova N, Chikwe J. Isolated Tricuspid Operations: Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database Analysis. Ann Thorac Surg. 2023;115(5):1162-1170.
  8. Chen Q, Malas J, Tam DY, Megna D, Desai N, Estrera AL, Azizzadeh A, Shah AS, Chikwe J, Bowdish ME. Descending Thoracic and Thoracoabdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repairs: The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database Analysis. Ann Thorac Surg. 2024 Dec;118(6):1236-1244
  9. Chen Q, Emerson D, Megna D, Roach A, Chan J, Rowe G, Gill G, Esmailian F, Chikwe K, Egorova N, Kirklin J, Kobashigawa J, Catarino P. Heart Transplantation using Donation After Circulatory Death in the United States. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2022;S0022-5223(22)00533-5.
  10. Razavi AA, Kobashigawa J, Stotland A, Chen Q, Patel J, Emerson D, Mirocha J, Bowdish ME, Catarino P, Megna D, Gunn T, Rafiei M, Rai D, Song Y, Babalola O, Daniels A, Kittleson M, Kransdorf E, Nikolova A, Czer L, Chikwe J, Gottlieb RA, Esmailian F. Evaluating the mechanism of action behind controlled hypothermic preservation of donor hearts: A randomized pilot study. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2025 Mar 19:S1053-2498(25)01834-0
  11. *Thomas J, Chen Q, Roach A, Wolfe S, Osho A, Sundaram V, Wisel S, Megna D, Emerson D, Esmailian D, Chikwe J, Kim I, Catarino P. Donation after Circulatory Death Heart Procurement Strategy Impacts Utilization and Outcomes of Concurrently Procured Abdominal Organs. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2023 Feb 28:S1053-2498(23)01546-2.
  12. Wisel SA, Steggerda J, Thiessen C, Roll GR, Chen Q, Thomas J, Kaur B, Catarino P, Chikwe J, Sundaram V, Kim I. Preserved Two-Year Liver Transplant Outcomes Following Simultaneous Thoracoabdominal DCD Organ Procurement Despite Effects on Liver Utilization Rate. Transplant Direct. 2023;9(11):e1528.
  13. Chen Q, Malas J, Megna D, Gill G, Rowe G, Premananthan S, Krishnan A, Peiris A, Emerson D, Gupta A, Catarino P, Egorova N, Chikwe J, Bowdish ME. Bicuspid Aortic Stenosis: National Mid-term Outcomes of Transcatheter versus Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement Among Medicare Beneficiaries. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2023 Dec 6:S0022-5223(23)01131-5
  14. Alabbadi S, Malas J, Chen Q, Cheng W, Tam DY, Cohen RG, Bowdish ME, Egorova N, Chikwe J. Guidelines vs Practice: Surgical Versus Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in Adults ≤60 Years. Ann Thorac Surg. 2025 Apr;119(4):861-869
  15. Chikwe J, Chen Q, Bowdish ME, Roach A, Emerson D, Gelijns A, Egorova N. Surgery and Transcatheter Intervention for Degenerative Mitral Regurgitation in The United States. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2024 Jan 17:S0022-5223(24)00027-8
  16. Tam DY, Sallam A, Chen Q, Gill G, Kiankhooy A, Fremes SE, Gaudino M, Whitlock R, Bowdish ME, Chikwe J. Mortality and Stroke after Routine Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion in Patients Undergoing Isolated Mitral Repair without Atrial Fibrillation in the United States. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2025 Mar 14:S0022-5223(25)00204-1
  17. *Thomas J, Chen Q, Malas J, Barnes D, Roach A, Peiris A, Premananthan S, Krishnan A, Rowe G, Gill G, Zaffiri L, Chikwe J, Emerson D, Catarino P, Rampolla RE, Megna D. Impact of Minimally Invasive Lung Transplantation on Early Outcomes and Analgesia Use: A matched cohort study. J Heart Lung Transplant. Published online February 2, 2024
  18. Chen Q, Malas J, Krishnan A, Thomas J, Megna D, Egorova N, Chikwe J, Bowdish ME, Catarino P. Limited Cumulative Experience with Ex-vivo Lung Perfusion is Associated with Inferior Outcomes After Lung Transplantation. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2023 May 6:S0022-5223(23)00332-X.
  19. Chen Q, Malas J, Bowdish ME, Chikwe J, Krishna V, Zaffiri L, Rampolla RE, Catarino P, Megna D. Centralized Static Ex-Vivo Lung Perfusion in the United States. Ann Thorac Surg. 2024 Aug 26:S0003-4975(24)00689-1.Epub ahead of print.
  20. Chen Q, Malas J, Roach A, Kumaresan A, Thomas J, Bowdish ME, Chikwe J, Zaffiri L, Rampolla RE, Catarino P, Megna D. Simultaneous Lung-Kidney Transplantation in the United States. Ann Thorac Surg. 2023 Jun 23:S0003-4975(23)00614-8. 
  21. Chen Q, Malas J, Gianaris K, Esmailian G, Emerson D, Megna D, Catarino P, Czer L, Bowdish ME, Chikwe J, Patel J, Kobashigawa J, Esmailian F. Simultaneous Heart-Kidney Transplant in Patients with Borderline Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate without Dialysis Dependency. Clin Transplant. 2023 Apr 7:e14986.
  22. *Reul RM Jr, Chen Q, Chan JL. Application of donor-predicted heart mass in heart transplant recipients with left ventricular assist device. JHLT Open. 2024 Aug 22;6:100150
  23. *Malas J, Chen Q, Emerson D, Gill G, Rowe G, Egorova N, Trento A, Chikwe J, Bowdish ME. Socioeconomic Disparities in Mid-Term Outcomes After Repair for Degenerative Mitral Regurgitation. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2023 Jun 27:S0022-5223(23)00534-2.
  24. Chen Q, Malas J, Chan J, Esmailian G, Emerson D, Megna D, Catarino P, Bowdish M, Kittleson M, Patel J, Chikwe J, Kobashigawa J, Esmailian F. Evaluating Age-based Eligibility Thresholds for Heart Re-Transplantation – An Analysis of the United Network for Organ Sharing Database. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2023;42(5):593-602.
  25. Dale R, Leipzig M, Bahatyrevich N, Pines K, Chen Q, Teuteberg J, Joseph Woo Y, Currie M. Sex-mismatching in isolated heart transplantation confers no postoperative risk. JHLT Open. 2024 Sep 23;6:100158
  26. Chen Q, Malas J, Emerson D, Megna D, Catarino P, Esmailian F, Chikwe J, Czer L, Bowdish ME. Heart Transplantation in Patients from Socioeconomically Distressed Communities. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2023 Aug 15:S1053-2498(23)01964-2
  27. Malas J, Chen Q, Megna D, Emerson D, Catarino P, Chikwe J, Bowdish ME. Lung Transplantation Outcomes in Patients from Socioeconomically Distressed Communities. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2023 Jul 20:S1053-2498(23)01938-1.
  28. Sallam A, Chen Q, Brownlee A, Yu WS, Knabe K, Soukiasian S, Weiser L, Chikwe J, Soukiasian H. National race and socioeconomic disparities in access to minimally invasive lung resection for early-stage lung cancer: Impact on mortality. JTCVS Open. 2024 Nov 19;23:358-368.
  29. *Malas J, Chen Q, Emerson D, Megna D, Catarino P, Czer L, Patel J, Kittleson M, Kobashigawa J, Chikwe J, Bowdish ME, Esmailian F. Heart Retransplant Recipients with Chronic Kidney Disease Benefit from Simultaneous Heart-Kidney Transplantation. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2023 Apr 23:S1053-2498(23)01832-6.
  30. *Malas J, Chen Q, Thomas J, Emerson D, Megna D, Esmailian F, Bowdish M, Chikwe J, Catarino P. The Impact of Thoracoabdominal Normothermic Regional Perfusion on Early Outcomes in Donation After Circulatory Death Lung Transplantation. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2023 Apr 23:S1053-2498(23)01831-4.
  31. Gill G, Rowe G, Zubair MM, Chen Q, Thomas J, Chiu P, Osho A, Sood V, Schumacher KR, Emerson D, Bowdish ME, Chikwe J, Fynn-Thompson F. Impact of donor-recipient age-difference in adolescent heart transplantation. Clin Transplant. 2023;e15146.
  32. Rowe G, Gill G, Zubair M, Chen Q, Thomas J, Timbalia S, Osho A, Emerson D, Kim R, Bowdish ME, Chikwe J, Turek J. Repeat Pediatric Heart Transplantation: A United Network for Organ Sharing Database Analysis. Clin Transplant. 2023 Aug 14:e15073.
  33. Rowe G, Gill G, Chen Q, Malas J, Thomas J, Peiris A, Cole R, Chikwe J, Megna D, Emerson D. Bridging with Surgically Placed Microaxial Left Ventricular Assist Devices: A High-Volume Center Experience. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2023 Mar 28:ezad116.
  34. Malas J, Chen Q, Shen T, Emerson D, Gun T, Megna D, Catarino P, Nurok M, Bowdish ME, Chikwe J, Cheng S, Ebinger J, Kumaresan A. Outcomes of Extremely Prolonged (> 50 Days) Venovenous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Support. Crit Care Med. 2023 Mar 16.
  35. Brownlee AR, Waston JJ, Akhmerov A, Nammalwar S, Chen Q, Soukiasian SG, Soukiasian HJ. Robotic Navigational Bronchoscopy in a Thoracic Surgery Practice: Leveraging Technology in the Management of Pulmonary Nodules. JTCVS Open. 2023;16:1-6.
  36. Weiser L, Perez C, Watson JJJ, Chen Q, Nammalwar S, Razavi A, Fuller C, Soukiasian SG, Brownlee AR, Soukiasian HJ. National trends in operative approach to esophagectomy: utilization rates, outcomes, and overall survival. Surg Endosc. 2025 Apr;39(4):2267-2274.
  37. Treffalls JA, Bilgili A, Brennan Z, Sharaf OM, Griffeth EM, Chen Q, Pennington K, Spencer PJ, Villavicencio MA, Daly RC, Saddoughi SA. Procurement Trends, Indications, and Outcomes of Heart-Lung Transplantation in the Contemporary Era. Clin Transplant. 2024 Sep;38(9):e15447.
  38. Chen Q, Emerson D, Chikwe J, Esmailian F. Management of Rheumatic Mitral Stenosis with Annular Calcification during HeartMate 3 Device Implantation. Tex Heart Inst J. 2023;50(1):e217736.
  39. *Malas J, Chen Q, Akhmerov A, Tremblay LP, Egorova N, Moriguchi J, Kobashigawa J, Czer L, Chikwe J, Esmailian F. Experience With SynCardia Total Artificial Heart as a Bridge to Transplantation in 100 Patients. Ann Thorac Surg. 2023 Mar;115(3):725-732. 
  40. Chen Q, Chan J, Akbarshakh A, Roach A, Emerson D, Megna D, Catarino P, Moriguchi J, Chang D, Kittleson M, Geft D, Kobashigawa J, Chikwe J, Esmailian F. Heart Transplantation after Total Artificial Heart Bridging – Outcomes Over 15 Years. Clin Transplant. 2022;e14781.
  41. Chen Q, Singer-Englar T, Kobashigawa J, Roach A, Emerson D, Megna D, Ramzy D, Catarino P, Patel J, Kittleson M, Czer L, Chikwe J, Esmailian F. Long-Term Outcomes after Heart Transplantation Using Ex-Vivo Allograft Perfusion and Standard Risk Donors: A Single Center Experience. Clin Transplant. 2022;e14591.
  42. Chen Q, Kobashigawa J, Emerson D, Singer-Englar T, Megna D, Ramzy D, Catarino P, Trento A, Chikwe J, Kittleson M, Esmailian F. Heart Transplantation with Older Donors: Should There Be an Age Cutoff? Transplant Proc. 2022;S0041-1345(22)00493-6.
  43. *Esmailian G, Chen Q, Ramzy D, Kobashigawa J, Chikwe J, Esmailian F. Successful Reuse of a Donor Heart: A Case Report. Tex Heart Inst J. 2023 May 1;50(3):e217726.
  44. Chen Q, Moriguchi J, Levine R, Chan J, Dimbil S, Patel J, Kittleson M, Megna D, Emerson D, Ramzy D, Trento A, Chikwe J, Kobashigawa J, Esmailian F. Outcomes of Heart Transplantation in Cardiac Amyloidosis Patients: A Single Center Experience. Transplant Proc. 2021;53(1):329-334.
  45. Merlo A, Chen K, Deo S, Markowitz A. Does routine preoperative computed tomography imaging provide clinical utility in patients undergoing primary cardiac surgery? Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg. 2017;25(4):659-662.
  46. Elgudin Y. Lamba H.K., Deo S.V., Chen K., Patel N.H., Cmolik B.L. Single-Center Experience with the Bentall Procedure with Biologic Valve Conduit. J Am Coll Surg. 2016, Oct; 223(4): e4 - e5.
  47. Harveen L.K, Chen K, Elgudin Y. Unusual Case of Intestinal Ischemia after Ventricular Assist Device Implantation: a Case Report. Complex Issues of Cardiovascular Diseases. 2017, Jan; (2): 131-133.

Editorials/Commentaries

  1. Chen Q, Catarino P. Donation after Circulatory Death Heart Transplantation – Where Do We Go from Here? Ann Thorac Surg. 2024 Aug;118(2):494-495.
  2. Chen Q, Bowdish ME. STS National Databases – Irreplaceable Tool for High-Impact Research. Ann Thorac Surg. 2023 Jun 30:S0003-4975(23)00669-0.
  3. Chen Q, Catarino P. Venoarterial or Venovenous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Severe Primary Graft Dysfunction after Lung Transplant? Ann Thorac Surg. 2023 May;115(5):1280-1281.
  4. Chen Q, Bowdish ME. Clopidogrel Resistance: Barrier to Effective Antiplatelet Therapy after Off-pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting. Ann Thorac Surg. 2023 May;115(5):1134-1135.
  5. Bowdish ME, Chen Q. The Importance of Randomized Clinical Trials for Contemporary Surgically Implanted Biological Heart Valves. Ann Thorac Surg. 2023 Apr;115(4):805-806.
  6. Chen Q, Bowdish ME. The Cost of Internal Validity. Ann Thorac Surg. 2023 Jan;115(1):86-87.
  7. Chen Q, Bowdish ME. Previous Cardiac Surgery in Acute Type A Aortic Dissection Repair - Not a Contraindication, But Proceed with Caution. Ann Thorac Surg. 2023 Mar;115(3):598-599.

Surgical Videos

  1. Humar R, Chen Q, Malas J, Trento A, Chikwe J, Emerson D. Robotic Assisted Mitral Valve Repair After Failed Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair. CTSNet, Inc. Media. April 2023. doi:10.25373/ctsnet.22587295.v1
  2. Malas J, Chen Q, Emerson D, Chikwe J, Catarino P, Megna D. Sutured Patch Repair of Ischemic Left Ventricular Free Wall Rupture. CTSNet, Inc. Media. April 2023. doi:10.25373/ctsnet.22684423.v1
  3. Chen Q, Malas J, Chikwe J, Kim R, Emerson D. Ross Procedure after Explantation of Failed Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement. CTSNet, Inc. Media. May 2023. doi:10.25373/ctsnet.22762079.v1

Book Chapters

  1. Logsdon D, Starnes V, Malas J, Chen Q, Cohen R, Bowdish ME. Minimally Invasive Aortic Valve Surgery. The STS Cardiothoracic Surgery E-Book. 2023 Update
 
 
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