Michael J. Mack

Interventional / Structural Cardiology

Heart Hospital Baylor Plano

About

Michael J. Mack works in Interventional / Structural Cardiology affiliated with Heart Hospital Baylor Plano.

Michael J. Mack, MD, is Medical Director of Cardiovascular Surgery for Baylor Scott & White Health and Chairman of the Baylor Plano Research Center at The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano. He has practiced cardiothoracic surgery in Dallas since 1982 and is board-certified in Internal Medicine, General Surgery, and Thoracic Surgery. He was a principal investigator in the PARTNER trials evaluating transcatheter aortic-valve replacement.

Research focus

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)Surgical Aortic Valve ReplacementMinimally invasive cardiac and valvular surgeryCoronary artery bypass grafting versus PCIHeart team approaches to structural heart disease

Impact

1,445 pubs · 144,661 cites · h-index 165

Training

MD
Saint Louis University School of Medicine
1973
Residency, Internal Medicine
University of Minnesota
1976
Residency, Surgery and Fellowship, Thoracic Surgery
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
1982

Affiliations

Work Experience

Medical Director of Cardiovascular Surgery and Chairman of the Baylor Plano Research Center

Baylor Scott & White Health / The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano · 1982 - Present

Chair

American Board of Thoracic Surgery · 2024 - Present

President

Society of Thoracic Surgeons · 2011 - 2011

Medical Director, Cardiovascular Disease and Transplantation

Medical City Dallas Hospital · 1982 - Present

Publications

JACCMilojevic et al.RCT

In complex coronary disease, bypass surgery cut heart attack deaths compared with stents, though overall deaths were similar

The SYNTAX trial tested bypass surgery against stenting in patients with complex coronary disease. At 5 years, overall deaths were not significantly different at 11.4% versus 13.9%, but cardiac death was 5.3% with surgery versus 9.0% with stents, driven by deaths from heart attacks at 0.4% versus 4.1%. The gap in heart attack deaths showed up largely in patients with diabetes, three vessel disease, or high complexity scores. Care after stenting should focus on preventing future heart attacks.

Srinivasa P. Potluri

Cardiac Valve Diseases and Treatments · Baylor Medical Center at Garland

The rapid growth of TAVR among patients in their 60s reflects how treatment options for aortic valve disease are evolving. For younger patients, the decision extends beyond the initial procedure.... future interventions, and a lifetime treatment strategy should be central to discussions between each patient and the multidisciplinary Heart Team that helps determine the most appropriate treatment.

Temporal Trends in Utilization and Early Outcomes of Transcatheter Versus Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement in Patients Younger Than 70 Years

Journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & InterventionsPotluri et al.Nov 2026

Michael E. Farkouh

Interventional / Structural Cardiology · Cedars-Sinai Smidt Heart Institute

Our study report supports the use of CABG surgery over PCT; however the results should not be overly simplified. The management of patients with diabetes and coronary disease should still be personalized to include an assessment of surgical risk and benefits as well as patient preferences.

Long-Term Survival Following Multivessel Revascularization in Patients With Diabetes

Journal of the American College of CardiologyFarkouh et al.Nov 2018

JACC: Cardiovascular InterventionsMadhavan et al.Original Research

Reply

Dale J. Murdoch

Interventional cardiologist, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver · St. Paul's Hospital, University of British Columbia

These results further support the indication for percutaneous MV repair in patients with primary MR who are at high risk for surgery, accepting that patients treated commercially are different to those enrolled in EVEREST II—they are older, are more frail, and have higher surgical risk estimates.

Initial Experience With Commercial Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair in the United States

Journal of the American College of CardiologySorajja et al.Mar 2016

JACCGlower et al.cohort

MitraClip reduces mitral regurgitation to <=2+ in ~84% of high-risk patients at 1 year.

Supports procedural consideration in high-risk patients; extends observational data but leaves comparative efficacy open.

JACCStone et al.Guideline

Clinical Trial Design Principles and Endpoint Definitions for Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair and Replacement: Part 1: Clinical Trial Design Principles

Adoption of standardized endpoints will improve consistency across transcatheter mitral valve trials; extends VARC methodology to mitral regurgitation.

JACC. Cardiovascular imagingSannino et al.RCT

TTVR achieves mild tricuspid regurgitation in ~95% of patients at 1 year versus medical therapy.

TTVR alleviates right heart congestion in severe TR; confirms RV reverse remodeling and hemodynamic gains in this RCT.

Joanna Chikwe

Cardiac Surgery · University of California, Riverside

It was, I think, a surprise to everybody how a failed MitraClip takes a surgical repair off the table and 95% of these patients end up with a mitral valve replacement.

Mitral Surgery After Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair

Journal of the American College of CardiologyChikwe et al.May 2021

American Heart JournalAilawadi et al.RCT

The CLASP II TR trial design was published, with primary clinical results still pending.

The CLASP II TR trial is designed to test catheter repair plus medication against medication alone in 450 patients with a severe leaky tricuspid valve. The trial has completed enrollment and primary results are expected in the future.

Annals of Thoracic Surgery Short ReportsMack et al.RCT

DrugSorb-ATR achieves ~34-point greater DOAC clearance vs. sham during urgent cardiac surgery.

May reduce bleeding risk in urgent on-pump surgery on recent DOACs; leaves open confirmation in larger trials.

JACCGénéreux et al.Cohort Study

Major late bleeding after TAVR strongly predicted deaths in the first year.

The PARTNER trial and its registries tracked 2,401 patients who had a TAVR and survived to 30 days. Major late bleeding occurred in 5.9% of patients, most commonly from the gut. These bleeds strongly predicted deaths between 30 days and one year. This highlights the urgent need to tailor blood thinners in this high risk group.

JACCHara et al.Cohort Study

Peri-procedural MI definitions drive widely varying rates after PCI and CABG, strongly influencing 10-year mortality.

Clinical cohort study reveals increased mortality after peri-procedural myocardial infarction in coronary revascularization patients, highlighting the need to minimize procedural injury.

Circulation Cardiovascular InterventionsZaid et al.cohort

Reintervention for failed balloon-expandable valves shows similar mortality to self-expanding valves.

Comparable reintervention mortality irrespective of initial valve type supports standardized approaches; leaves open mechanism-specific prospective trials.

Federico M. Asch

Cardiac Imaging · Boston University

2mo

While we learned that patients with higher pulmonary hypertension are at higher risk after they receive the MitraClip, they still do better than if they would not have had the intervention done. Doing an echocardiogram is critical in determining if a patient is a good candidate for MitraClip and in following these patients to evaluate results of the procedure in the long run.

Pulmonary Hypertension in Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair for Secondary Mitral Regurgitation

Journal of the American College of CardiologyBen‐Yehuda et al.Nov 2020

JACCHahn et al.Guideline

A consensus document outlines how to manage implanted device leads during transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement.

A Heart Valve Collaboratory consensus document addresses the roughly 35% of patients getting a transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement who have existing implanted device leads. The authors weigh the safety of entrapping the leads with the new valve against the risks of extracting them. The paper provides a management algorithm and recommends adding an electrophysiologist to the heart team.

JACCWilliams et al.RCT

For high risk women with severe aortic stenosis, TAVR lowered late deaths compared to surgery.

A retrospective subanalysis of the PARTNER trial compared TAVR against surgery in 699 high risk patients with severe aortic stenosis. Among the 300 women, procedural deaths trended lower with TAVR (6.8% versus 13.1%), and TAVR also lowered late deaths. For men, TAVR cut procedural deaths (6% versus 12.1%) but offered no overall survival benefit. The authors suggest TAVR may be preferred for high risk women.

JACCVemulapalli et al.cohort

TAVR is linked to ~13% fewer HF hospitalizations but increased all-cause admissions versus pre-TAVR.

TAVR may lower HF hospitalizations and costs in severe AS; leaves open net resource impact across broader real-world populations.

Molly Szerlip

Interventional Cardiology · Northwestern University

2mo

When we see dialysis patients, we really take into account why they are on dialysis. The person who has polycystic kidney disease and is on dialysis is very different than the person who has diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, and hypertension. So we really look at the cause of their dialysis and try to assess what the 1- or 2-year mortality is without aortic stenosis.

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in Patients With End-Stage Renal Disease

Journal of the American College of CardiologySzerlip et al.Jun 2019

JACCHolmes et al.review

Broad ecosystem reform is needed to expand early-stage medical device access in the US.

A holistic reform of the clinical studies ecosystem is recommended to successfully implement the FDA's Early Feasibility Study Program and improve access to novel medical devices in the United States.

All publications →