James J Gangemi, MD
Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery
Additional Locations
Bio & Overview
James Gangemi, MD, is the surgical director of pediatric congenital heart surgery at UVA Health Children's, and medical director of the pediatric ECMO (extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation) program, which provides life support for children whose heart and lungs aren’t functioning normally.
Dr. Gangemi was born in Rochester, New York, and attended Johns Hopkins University, where he majored in biology and was an Academic All-American in basketball. He earned his medical degree from the University of Rochester and trained in surgery and thoracic and cardiovascular surgery at UVA. He completed his fellowship training in pediatric cardiac surgery at the University of Rochester and then joined the faculty there in the Department of Pediatrics.
In 2009, Dr. Gangemi moved back to central Virginia. For five years he served as an assistant professor of surgery and pediatrics and as surgical director of pediatric cardiac surgery at both UVA and Virginia Commonwealth University. In 2015, he was promoted to associate professor of surgery and pediatrics at UVA Health Children's.
Academic Information
- Department
- Surgery
- Academic Role
- Professor
- Division
- Cardiac Surgery
- Research Interests
- Single ventricle palliation using ventricular assist devices, Neuroprotection during circulatory arrest with regional cerebral perfusion
- Gender
- Male
- Languages
- English
- Age Groups Seen
- Infants (0-2)
Children (2-12)
Adolescents (12-21)
- Primary Education
- University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
- Residency
- University of Virginia Medical Center
- Fellowships
- University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
- Certification
- American Board of Thoracic Surgery (Congenital Cardiac Surgery), American Board of Thoracic Surgery (Thoracic Surgery)
Highlights
Meet Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgeon James Gangemi, MD
My name is Jay Gangemi. I am the chief of congenital heart surgery here at UVA Health. I operate on patients of all ages who were born with congenital heart defects. Some of them range from very straightforward simple holes in their heart, multiple redo surgeries, to very complex neonatal heart surgery; neonatal being within the first 30 days of life that requires very complex reconstructions. The thrilling part of the job that I have is that there's unbelievable variability. There's a lot of parents-to-be that I meet whose babies are going to be born with a complex congenital heart defect, and the ability to sit down with them and to talk with them, what to expect, answer all their questions, have them tour the facility, have them visit the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit is very, very meaningful for them. I think that patients should come to UVA Health for congenital heart care because of the team that we have from the bedside nurses to the physicians in the ICU to the pediatric cardiologists to the anesthesiologists. Every aspect of our team, the patients are going to be treated as if their child was our own. So it's a full service operation and we attract patients from all over the state and actually surrounding states. And I feel very confident that the care that we deliver is as good as anywhere in the country. I honestly believe that and our outcomes speak to that.
Awards
- 2019-2020 Best Doctors in America® List
- 2015 Bedside Manner Award, Our Health Magazine; Second place