Dr. Ashok Kumar Coimbatore Jeyakumar, professionally known as Dr. CJ, teaches and mentors FIU medical students, residents, and fellows in cardiothoracic and aortic surgery. He also leads clinical and outcomes research in cardiovascular surgery and engages learners in scholarly projects.
Coimbatore Jeyakumar is internationally renowned for his expertise in complex thoracic aortic surgeries, off-pump total arterial and multi-arterial coronary revascularization, and minimally invasive and robotic cardiac surgery. He serves as director of aortic disease at Baptist Health Heart & Vascular Care.
Before joining Baptist Health, he held senior leadership roles at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, where he directed adult cardiac surgery and served as surgical director of advanced coronary revascularization and thoracic aortic surgery.
Areas of Expertise
- Advanced Coronary Arterial revascularizations (Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass)
- Multi-Arterial and Total Arterial Coronary revascularizations (An-Aortic OPCAB technique)
- Robotic and Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgeries (Coronary, Structural Heart, and Valve procedures)
- Complex Thoracic Aortic Surgeries (Aortic root, Aortic Arch including Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement)
- Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement procedures (including Alternate Access Trans-carotid, Trans-Aortic)
- Complex Redo Cardiac surgeries
- Radical Pericardiectomies
- Complex Valve surgeries
- Surgeries for Atrial Fibrillation
- Extra-Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation procedures
Research Interests
- Comparison of del Nido and Buckberg cardioplegia in ischemic heart disease
- Ultrasound-guided bilateral transversus thoracic plane block with liposomal bupivacaine in patients undergoing sternotomy for cardiac surgery
- Aortic Diseases and their surgical treatment
Honors & Awards
- Rene G. Favaloro International Fellow Award at the Cleveland Clinic, June 2020
Committees & Professional Organizations
- Member, Clinical Competency Committee, ACGME - accredited Cardiothoracic
- Co-Chairman, Committee on Aortic Emergencies, University of Mississippi Medical Center
- Surgical Director, Advanced Coronary Revascularization, University of Mississippi Medical Center
- Surgical Director, Complex Thoracic Aortic surgeries, University of Mississippi Medical Center
- Member, ECMO and Cardiogenic Shock Working Group, University of Mississippi Medical Center
- Preceptor, Open Chest Quality Improvement Initiative and Simulation, Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit, University of Mississippi Medical Center
Education
- Advanced Fellowship, Robotic and Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery Fellowship, Cleveland Clinic Cleveland, OH 2020
- Advanced Fellowship, Advanced Adult Cardiac Surgery and TAVR Fellowship, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 2019
- Fellowship, Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, Kerala, India 2014
- Residency, General Surgery (Master of Surgery), Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India 2011
- MBBS, Coimbatore Medical College The Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India 2005
Board Certifications
- General Surgery
- Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery