William Hiesinger, MD

Cardiac surgeon, Cardiovascular surgeon, Cardiothoracic surgeon, General surgeon, Lung transplant surgeon


Associate Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery (Adult Cardiac Surgery)

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Biography


Dr. Hiesinger is a board-certified, fellowship-trained specialist in adult cardiac surgery. He is also an associate professor in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine.

Dr. Hiesinger’s clinical focus encompasses the full spectrum of cardiothoracic conditions and treatment approaches, such as heart transplantation, mitral and aortic valve repair, surgical treatment for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, coronary artery bypass, and complex thoracic aortic procedures. He serves as Surgical Director of the Stanford Mechanical Circulatory Support Program, where he leads and directs the surgical implantation of ventricular assist devices (VADs) in patients with end-stage heart failure.

The National Institutes of Health and the Thoracic Surgery Foundation have awarded funds to support Dr. Hiesinger’s research. In the Stanford Cardiothoracic Therapeutics and Surgery Laboratory, Dr. Hiesinger's research spans the disciplines of computer science and cardiovascular biology, and he endeavors to build novel foundational deep learning systems designed to better represent and process high-dimensional inputs and apply these systems towards clinical problems. Additionally, his lab investigates bioengineered devices, tissue engineering, and angiogenic cytokine therapy for the treatment of heart failure.

He has published extensively and his work has appeared in Nature Communications, Nature Machine Intelligence, the Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation, Circulation Heart Failure, the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Journal of Vascular Surgery, and elsewhere.

He teaches courses on cardiothoracic surgery skills. He also advises surgeons of the future.

Dr. Hiesinger has won awards for his research and scholarship, including the Surgical Resident of the Year Award, Jonathan E. Rhoads Research Award, Clyde F. Baker Research Prize, and I.S. Ravdin Prize, all from his alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania. He was a finalist for the Vivien Thomas Young Investigator Award from the American Heart Association.

Dr. Hiesinger is a member of the American Association For Thoracic Surgery and serves on the Cardiac Surgery Biology Club. He is also a member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and serves on the Workforce on Surgical Treatment of End-Stage Cardiopulmonary Disease national committee as well as the American Heart Association Council for Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery.

Professional Summary


Education & Certifications
  • Board Certification: American Board of Thoracic Surgery, Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery (2017)
  • Fellowship: Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Dept of CTS (2016) PA
  • Residency: Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania General Surgery Residency (2014) PA
  • Medical Education: Perelman School of Medicine University of Pennsylvania (2007) PA
  • Board Certification: American Board of Surgery, General Surgery (2015)
  • M.D., University of Pennsylvania (2007)

Honors & Awards
  • Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Honor Medical Society, University of Pennsylvania (2007)
  • Clyde F. Baker Research Prize, Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania (2007)
  • First Place, Medical Student Research Day Basic Science Research, University of Pennsylvania (2007)
  • I. S. Ravdin Prize, Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania (2007)
  • Jonathan E. Rhoads Research Award, Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania (2011)
  • Keith Reemtsma Surgical Resident of the Year Award, Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania (2014)
  • Vivien Thomas Young Investigator Award Finalist, American Heart Association (2010)

Memberships
  • Member, Society of Thoracic Surgeons Workforce on Surgical Treatment of End-Stage Cardiopulmonary Disease, National Committee (2017 - Present)
  • Reviewer, Circulation (2017 - Present)
  • Member, American Heart Association, Council for Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgery (2017 - Present)
  • Member, Society of Thoracic Surgeons (2017 - Present)

Publications

Clinical Trials

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Practice Locations


Heart Transplant Program Stanford, CA
Stanford, CA

300 Pasteur Drive , 2nd Floor, Room A21

Stanford , CA 94305

(650) 723-5468

Make An Appointment More Clinic Information » Getting Here »

Center for Inherited Cardiovascular Disease at Stanford Stanford, CA
Stanford, CA

300 Pasteur Drive, Heart Clinic 1, Clinic A21

Stanford , CA 94305

(650) 736-7878

Make An Appointment More Clinic Information » Getting Here »

Aortic Disease Center Stanford, CA
Stanford, CA

300 Pasteur Drive, 3rd Floor, Clinic A31

Stanford , CA 94305

(650) 725-8246

Make An Appointment More Clinic Information » Getting Here »

Valvular Heart Disease Clinic Stanford, CA
Stanford, CA

300 Pasteur Drive, 3rd Floor, Clinic A31

Stanford , CA 94305

(650) 723-6459

Make An Appointment More Clinic Information » Getting Here »

Lung Transplant Program in Palo Alto Stanford, CA
Stanford, CA

300 Pasteur Drive

Stanford , CA 94305

(650) 723-3633

Make An Appointment More Clinic Information » Getting Here »

Patient Ratings

(14 Ratings)

Overall Rating
4.9/5

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5.0/5
Friendliness
Friendliness/courtesy of the care provider
4.9/5
Explanations
Explanations the care provider gave you about your problem or condition
5.0/5
Listens
Concern the care provider showed for your questions or worries
4.9/5
Care provider's efforts to include you in decisions about your care
Care provider's efforts to include you in decisions about your treatment
5.0/5
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How Our Ratings Work

The Patients Ratings and comments are gathered from our Patient Satisfaction Survey and displayed in their entirety.

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Patient Reviews

(29 reviews)

The visit was informative and Dr. Hiesinger was confidence-inspiring in discussing the upcoming medical procedures needed.
Very attentive staff
Dr. Hiesinger was very pleasant, easy to converse with, and informed about my case. He was very reassuring and positive. I chose to switch my cardiac care to Stanford instead of seek care in my local area because I was impressed by Dr. Hiesinger’s video appointment, interactions, his knowledge, and training. I felt good about him as a medical provider.
I felt very comfortable asking Dr. Hiesinger questions about my upcoming surgery. He answered everything in a way that I was able to understand and provided information that eased my anxiety.
The doctor was not too pushy did not try to force any thing on me and he was thorough I look forward to seeing him again
Knowledgeable and helpful.
I think Dr. Hiesinger provided a clear and sufficiently detailed explanation of my upcoming surgery. All of my questions were addressed.
I thought he was very informative and explained the procedure that will take place at Stanford hospital. Thank.you.
Knows the material Helpfull
Very personable. I felt confident-even looking forward to my surgery-because he was reassuring. I like that another staff member participated too since they will probably be my contact person. Doctor Hiesinger has a really comforting and still factual approach. I’m confidential with him holding my life in his hands.
very comfortable conversation
Very personable; explained the procedure clearly; did not pressure for immediate decision
The best hospital i've ever been to. Very consistent good service compared to the other hospitals i've visited
I felt confident in Dr. Hiesinger doing my surgery. He seems very capable and knowledgable.
Dr. Hiesinger and his team are superstars, experts who are so gentle and caring.
We appreciate Dr Hiesinger he listens well and truly cares. I feel very safe in his care.
Very nice and personable it was easy to speak to him about a surgery that I am frightened to do. He answered all of my questions and that was good so that I could understand better what this surgery is all about. He was clear and concise and I felt at the end that I am in the best of hands and that he will save my heart and my life.
I really liked his approach and really liked he was VERY thorough with my diagnosis and future treatment. This was my first video visit so I was very happy.
He seemed very knowledgeable and caring. He answered all our questions and put us at ease. He also was willing to accommodate my special needs which was much appreciated.
Thank you very much for taking the time with us today. I appreciate the thought and effort put into my situation.
I thought appt was great. Thankful for time spent to help me & my daughter better understanding of a medical condition I never realized I had. Appreciate your consideration & understanding for our concerns with having to travel long distances to do required testing. We're relieved you realize the practicality of having required testing done in our local area, submitting information to Stanford, then scheduling follow up for additional evaluation & further discussion for any future procedures. You don't know how much I truly appreciate that, but it carries a lot with me. Never spent much time in my whole life being sick or unwell & have little patience with it even during the times I was sick. Since I now have this problem showing itself, it's going to be important to do what needs to be done so I can stay as strong & healthy as long as possible. If I understand better, I can be better.
Really excellent provided me with information re: surgical procedure; took much time to explain/answer all of my questions and concerns. Highly trained re: my type of heart problems.
Dr. had IMMEDIATE response.
All doctors are on their game. Always working together to solve the problems as needed. Keeping patient first always.
Excellent.
I have been impressed with the degree of concern expressed by everyone I've talked to.
I would recommend this hospital because of the excellent care & outstanding nurses & doctor.
Very good experience.
Very satisfied.

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