About me
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 was the 59th 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.”
Clinical areas of focus
- Aneurysm Of Ascending Aorta
- Aortic Aneurysm
- Aortic Arch Aneurysm
- Aortic Valve Surgery
- Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery
- Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery
- Mitral Valve Replacement
- Reoperative Cardiac Surgery
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Aneurysm Of Ascending Aorta
- Aortic Aneurysm
- Aortic Arch Aneurysm
- Aortic Stenosis
- Aortic Ulcer
- Aortic Valve Sclerosis
- Chest Wall Disorder
- Collapsed Lung
- Contusion Of Chest Wall
- Double Aortic Arch
- Idiopathic Hypertrophic Subaortic Stenosis
- Infiltrative Disorders Of The Heart
- Ischemic Cardiomyopathy
- Loeys Dietz Syndrome
- Lung Contusion
- Malignant Effusion
- Marfan Syndrome
- Maternal Valvular Disease
- Mediastinitis
- Mitral Regurgitation
- Mitral Valve Prolapse
- Mitral Valve Stenosis
- Myocardial Bridge
- Pectus Carinatum
- Pectus Excavatum
- Pericardial Effusion
- Pleural Effusion
- Pneumothorax
- Rheumatic Mitral Stenosis
- Rib Fracture
- Rupture Of Papillary Muscle
- Sternal Fracture
- Thoracoabdominal Aneurysm
- Tracheoesophageal Fistula
- Tricuspid Stenosis
- Tricuspid Valve Disease
- Valvular Endocarditis
Procedures I perform
- Abdominal Aneurysm Repair
- Aortic Root Replacement
- Aortic Valve Replacement
- Aortic Valve Surgery
- Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) Repair
- Balloon Catheter
- Bloodless Cardiac Surgery
- Convergent Procedure
- Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery
- Correction Of Pectus Deformity
- Cryoablation
- Embolectomy
- Endoscopic Surgery
- Epicardial Lead Placement
- Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation
- Heart Transplant
- Intra Aortic Balloon Pump
- Left Atrial Appendage Closure
- Median Sternotomy
- Mediastinoscopy
- Minimally Invasive Aortic Valve Replacement
- Minimally Invasive Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) Closure
- Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery
- Minimally Invasive Coronary Bypass Surgery
- Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Repair
- Mitral Valve Repair
- Mitral Valve Replacement
- Off Pump Coronary Artery Bypass
- Paravalvular Leak Repair
- Patent Foramen Ovale Closure
- Pericardiocentesis
- Pericardiotomy
- Pleurodesis
- Pleurx Catheter Insertion
- Prosthetic Heart Valves
- Pulmonary Thromboendarterectomy
- Pulmonic Valve Replacement
- Reoperative Cardiac Surgery
- Repair Of Diaphragm
- Replacement Of Heart Valve
- Robotic Thoracic Surgery
- Septal Myectomy
- Surgical Ablation Of Atrial Fibrillation
- Thoracic Aneurysm Repair
- Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair
- Thrombectomy
- Total Endoscopic Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting
- Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)
- Tricuspid Valve Repair
- Tube Pericardiostomy
- Valvuloplasty
Practice locations
Distance from Change LocationEnter your Location
110 Irving Street Northwest MHVI-1st Floor North Addition Washington, DC, 20010
202-877-7464Fax 202-877-3503
Insurance
MedStar Health accepts most major health insurance plans. If you are uncertain as to whether your individual health insurance plan is accepted at MedStar Health, please call your insurance company.
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List of insurance plans we accept
- CareFirst NASCO
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- United MD IPA (HMO)
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- Aetna HMO
- Kaiser Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Innovation Health: POS Plus
- United Choice
- Tricare East Prime
- Carefirst BlueChoice HMO
- HumanaChoice PPO
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- United MD IPA Preferred (POS)
- Innovation Health: Open Network Only Plus
- Cigna Choice Fund PPO
- Carefirst Healthy Blue (HMO/POS)
- Cigna HMO Open Access
- Kaiser Flexible Choice
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan (USFHP)
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- Cigna Network Open Access
- United Core Essential (HMO)
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- United Golden Rule
- United Erickson Advantage Plans
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- United Optimum Choice
- Aetna Open HMO/Open HMO Option/Open EPO Plus
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- United Nursing Home Plan (C-SNP
- Carefirst BlueChoice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- Virginia Premier
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- United Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- Traditional Medicare Fee for Service
- Innovation Health: HMO & EPO Plus
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- Innovation Health: Indemnity
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network (VA CCN)
- Medicaid - District of Columbia
- CareFirst Administrators
- United Group Medicare Advantage Plans
- D-SNP)
- Medicaid - Virginia
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- Cigna Preferred Medicare
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- I-SNP
- Cigna POS Open Access & Open Access Plus
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- Maryland Point of Service Plan (MPOS)
- United GEHA (for all other states) Compass Rose
- United Select Plus (POS)
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO) |
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- United Mamsi Life & Health
- Kaiser Medicare Plus
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA
- HumanaChoice Honor’s plan PPO
- Innovation Health: POS
- Kaiser Permanente Signature-Added Choice
- Kaiser Select
- United Choice Plus
- United Student Resources
- Innovation Health: Network Only Plus
- Kaiser HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- Cigna PPO and PPO Plus
- Medicaid - Maryland
- Private Health Care Systems (PHCS) (PPO)
- Cigna Indemnity
- Tricare East Select
- United Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- Carefirst EPO
- Police and Fire Clinic
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- Carefirst Blue Preferred PPO
- Aetna Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Kaiser Signature
- WellPoint Maryland
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- United Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) & OCI Direct (HMO)
- Innovation Health: Open POS Plus
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs (HSCSN)
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Kaiser Select-Added Choice
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- Cigna POS/Network POS
- CareFirst Blue Card Program (Out-of-area BCBS plans)
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- Cigna EPO
- Cigna HMO & Network (HMO)
- Carefirst BlueChoice Open Access
- Tricare Reserve Select
- United Options (PPO) (includes Empire PPO)
- Innovation Health: PPO
- Aetna HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Federal Employee Program (Std/Basic PPO/Blue Focus)
- Carefirst BlueChoice Opt Out Open Access
- United Navigate
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Tricare for Life East
- Innovation Health: Open POS II
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- CareFirst BC/BS Advantage Core/Enhanced
- United AARP Medicare Complete
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- Aetna Choice POS & Choice POS II
- United Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- First Health PPO
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Surgery, Surgery
Board Certification: American Board of Thoracic Surgery, Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery
Residency Program: Massachusetts General Hospital (1997)
Residency Program: Massachusetts General Hospital (1995)
Medical School: Tufts University School of Medicine (1988)