Dr. Alexander Schutz

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Get to know Cardiothoracic Surgeon Dr. Alexander Schutz, who serves patients in Houston, Texas.

A top professional in the field of cardiothoracic surgery, Dr. Schutz is a man of many titles.

He is an Assistant Professor of Surgery within the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine, the Associate Program Director of the Thoracic Surgery Integrated Residency Program at Baylor College of Medicine, Site Director of the MEDVAMC – Surgical Critical Care Fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine, the Assistant Surgical Director of Mechanical and Circulatory Support at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, and Co-Director of Cardiothoracic Surgery Critical Care at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center.

Dr. Schutz’s scope of practice is broad, including all aspects of general cardiac surgery, thoracic surgery, and surgical critical care. As a boarded surgical intensivist, his areas of focus include enhanced recovery after cardiac surgery, advanced ventilator management, and advanced lung rescue strategies, including extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. He offers a full spectrum of care for structural heart disease, including minimally invasive cardiac surgery, trans-catheter procedures including TAVR and MitraClip, and robotic procedures. He also participates in the surgical management of congestive heart failure utilizing mechanical circulatory support and left ventricular assist device implantation.

Academically speaking, Dr. Schutz earned his medical degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 2011 and completed his residency in general surgery at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. During his residency, he spent time at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. During his cardiothoracic residency training at Baylor College of Medicine, he served as administrative chief resident, published several papers in the field of cardiothoracic surgery, and presented at national meetings of renowned professional organizations such as the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and the American Association for Thoracic Surgery. His faculty at Oklahoma and at Baylor both consider him one of the best residents to have trained at these institutions in a generation.

The doctor is triple board-certified by the American Board of Surgery (in general surgery and surgical critical care) and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery (in thoracic and cardiac surgery). 

Continuously advancing his efforts, Dr. Schutz is a member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the Society of Critical Care Medicine, the American College of Surgeons, the American Medical Association, and the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association.

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.

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