Oderich joins UTHealth as Chief of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery

Gustavo Oderich, MD, FACS, a noted leader in the field of vascular and endovascular surgery, has been named chief of the vascular surgery division with the Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).  He will serve as professor of vascular and endovascular surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth and director of the Advanced Endovascular Aortic Program.

“Dr. Oderich is a world-renowned authority, and leading expert in the field of complex endovascular surgery. The field of cardiovascular surgery continues to evolve in a less invasive manner, and what we will do in the future will be much different than traditional open repair, and it will be Dr. Oderich who will lead our division and field of vascular surgery to this new frontier,” said Anthony Estrera, MD, the Hazim J. Safi Distinguished Chair of the Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery at McGovern Medical School.

Oderich’s research includes the development of innovative and minimally invasive endovascular techniques to treat complex aortic aneurysms using fenestrated and branched stent grafts. 

“Houston is the birthplace of cardiovascular surgery, with giants such as Drs. Michael DeBakey, Stanley E. Crawford, and our own Hazim J. Safi,” Oderich says. “I am here in Houston to continue that legacy and write the next chapter for cardiovascular surgery.”

Oderich is one of eight surgeons in the United States, and the only surgeon in Houston, with approval from the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) via a physician-sponsored study to treat complex aortic aneurysms using fenestrated and branched stent-grafts through minimally invasive endovascular techniques. Fenestrated and branched stent-grafts are designed to replace the diseased section of the aorta, the largest artery in the body, and connecting arteries, so that the liver, intestines, kidneys, and other vital organs receive the adequate supply of oxygenated blood necessary to function properly.  He was instrumental in the initial development of physician-modified endovascular grafts, which still are used by many surgeons who do not have access to company-manufactured fenestrated and branched stent-grafts.

At the Mayo Clinic, Oderich served as chair of the vascular and endovascular surgery division, where he performed over 5,000 open and endovascular aortic repairs, including more than 2,000 endovascular aortic repairs and 700 fenestrated-branched endovascular repairs..

Oderich comes to McGovern Medical School from The Mayo Clinic. Originally from Brazil, he received his medical degree, followed by surgical residency at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul in Porto Alegre, Brazil.  He completed a vascular surgery research fellowship at the University of Utah, then continued his clinical residency training in general surgery at The Mayo Clinic. Upon completing his residency program, he trained in a vascular surgery fellowship, also at The Mayo Clinic, followed by an extended fellowship in advanced endovascular repair at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

“We are very fortunate to have Dr. Oderich join our team.  I have no doubt that through his expertise, leadership, and enthusiasm, he will help elevate our already outstanding department to new heights.” Estrera said.