Dr. Edwin C. McGee Jr., MD

Expert Publications

• Chronic descending aortic dissections.
• Nontransplant surgical alternatives for heart failure.
• Delayed presentation of gastric perforation after transesophageal echocardiography for cardiac surgery.
• Reduction of surgical mortality and morbidity in diabetic patients undergoing cardiac surgery with a combined intravenous and subcutaneous insulin glucose management strategy.
• Successful conversion of TandemHeart left ventricular assist device to right ventricular assist device after implantation of a HeartMate XVE.
• Should moderate or greater mitral regurgitation be repaired in all patients with LVEF <30%? Surgery, mitral regurgitation, and heart failure: the valves are all repairable but the patients are not.
• Perioperative statin therapy reduces mortality in normolipidemic patients undergoing cardiac surgery.
• Sternal salvage with rigid plating system after failure of talon device.
• Tricuspid valve repair with left ventricular assist device implantation: is it warranted?
• Transcatheter aortic valve implantation decreases the rate of unoperated aortic stenosis.
• Improvements in health-related quality of life before and after isolated cardiac operations.
• Transesophageal echocardiography in the management of right ventricular bullet embolization from the left brachiocephalic vein.
• Clinical experience and patient outcomes associated with the TandemHeart percutaneous transseptal assist device among a heterogeneous patient population.
• Biventricular continuous flow VADs demonstrate diurnal flow variation and lead to end-organ recovery.
• Successful implantation of HeartWare HVAD left ventricular assist device with concomitant ascending and sinus of valsalva aneurysms repair.

Media Releases

Get to know Cardiothoracic Surgeon Dr. Edwin C. McGee, Jr., who serves patients in Maywood, Illinois.

Internationally known cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr. McGee Jr., specializes in heart transplants and implantable heart pumps. He is a Professor within the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine & the Medical Director of the Heart Transplant & Ventricular Assist Device Program at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois. 

As a part of Loyola Medicine, Loyola University Medical Center is a quaternary care facility with 547 licensed beds, a Level I Trauma Center, a nationally recognized Burn Center, a renowned Transplant Center, and a special 20-bed unit for patients undergoing stem cell transplant. The center provides top hospital care in all medical specialties, including orthopaedics, nephrology, cardiology, cancer, ophthalmology, and surgery.

In his professional experience, Dr. McGee has performed well over 250 heart transplants and implanted about 400 LVADs. He was the first surgeon in North America to implant two HeartWare® assist devices in one patient – one device in each ventricle (pumping chamber).

As for his educational background, he earned his medical degree from the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee. He then went on to complete his residencies in general surgery and thoracic surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, followed by his fellowship in heart transplant surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

A Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, the doctor is board-certified in thoracic surgery and cardiothoracic vascular surgery by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery, which is an American surgical organization devoted to surgery of the chest. 

Moreover, he is board-certified in surgery by the American Board of Surgery, which is an independent, non-profit organization located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, founded for the purpose of certifying surgeons who have met a defined standard of education, training, and knowledge.

Cardiothoracic surgery is the field of medicine involved in the surgical treatment of organs inside the thorax. Cardiothoracic surgeons are medical doctors who specialize in surgical procedures inside the thorax, which may involve the heart, lungs, esophagus, and other organs in the chest. Alongside performing surgery, they also diagnose and treat diseases of these organs. 

Among his numerous accolades, Dr. McGee is the recipient of Compassionate Doctor Recognition (2013, 2014), On-Time Doctor Award (2014), and Patients’ Choice Award (2013, 2014). Outside of medicine, his interests include spending time with his family and dogs, fly fishing, running, and participating in outdoor activities. 

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