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Focus on Jennifer Lawton, MD, FACS

Jennifer Lawton, MD, FACS is an associate professor in cardiothoracic surgery. She specializes in the full range of heart surgery including revascularization (bypass) on or off pump (beating heart), valve surgery (repair or replacement), minimally invasive aortic valve replacement, and removal and implantation of pacemakers and defibrillators.

Dr. Lawton sees patients at the Center for Advanced Medicine, Heart and Vascular Center, 4921 Parkview Place, 8th floor, suite A.

FOR AN APPOINTMENT, PLEASE CALL 314 747-9461.

How did you choose cardiothoracic surgery as your specialty?

When I started medical school, I wanted to be a pediatrician. Then I discovered how much I loved gross anatomy and doing things with my hands. I loved dissection and the anatomy of the chest, the heart and the lungs. It was the cardiothoracic surgical rotation that excited me the most.

What brought you to Washington University?

I did most of my training on the east coast and spent two years of research as a general surgery resident in Virginia for Dr. Ralph Damiano (who is now my boss at Washington University). He became my mentor. By the time I was finished with my fellowship, Dr. Damiano had left Virginia and came to Washington University. It was then that he offered me a job here in the cardiac surgery division.

Which aspect of your practice do you find most interesting?

The potential to make a patient better with a technically challenging operation is exciting to me. It’s very rewarding to be able to dramatically improve someone’s health status over a short period of time and watch them make a full recovery.

Are there new developments in your field that you are excited about?

We are always trying to make surgery of the heart less invasive with smaller incisions. Patients appreciate that. Heart surgery is often compared to minimally invasive stenting and angioplasty. One way of making heart surgery less invasive with fewer side-effects, is to perform it without using the heart-lung machine. It’s called “beating heart surgery” and it is a very demanding procedure because the heart is moving the entire time.

What is the most difficult heart surgery to perform?

There’s one emergency operation that we do -- often in the middle of the night, called an aortic dissection. It is a sudden tear in the wall of the aorta – the main artery leaving the heart. That’s what John Ritter, the actor, died from. It’s difficult because the patients are very sick and to get them through that operation is possible, but not easy.

Where are you from?

I grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania. I went to college and medical school in Pennsylvania and did my general surgery training in Richmond, Virginia. When my family moved here, we didn’t know anyone besides my mentor (and boss). We don’t have any relatives here and it was quite the culture shock. I was told that St. Louis is a great place to live -- as long as you don’t look at the map and notice that you’re in the middle of the country. If you think about it, we don’t have mountains or ocean -- just the stars at night.

Is there a particular award or achievement that is most gratifying?

I received the “Caring Spirit Award” -- it’s given to Barnes-Jewish Hospital employees in recognition of outstanding service. I was nominated by the nurses, so that was very gratifying. In addition, it also means a great deal when a colleague or another employee recommends me to a family member for surgery.

Tell me about the picture you have of Lance Armstrong – did he really sign it?

You’d be amazed at the people that come in here and think that he actually signed that – my secretary did that. I’m just a big fan.

I love the picture because he is standing with his arms crossed, with a “bring it on” attitude. He’s the symbol of “never give up, never quit, fight to the end”. He overcame so many obstacles with testicular cancer. That’s very inspiring.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

That’s a very hard one. I would have to say it’s important to beware of mediocrity. Don’t ever do less than your best -- because once you’ve not done your best, it can become a vicious cycle.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I have two small children. We like to go fishing, ride bikes and downhill ski. They just skied for the first time last year in Lake Tahoe. There was nothing more exciting than seeing them go down the hill. That made the whole trip.
Dr. Lawton and her catch of the day!


That’s a picture of you with a very large fish, did you catch it?

Yes, I did. Some people think that’s a doctored photo, but it’s not. The fish is a tarpon – I outweighed it only by about ten pounds. I used a little spinning rod that is used to catch smaller fish. Tarpon are caught in fairly shallow salt water and when they are hooked, their entire body jumps out of the water – which is really the fun part. I fought it for an hour and 45 minutes to bring it in. The whole time I was thinking ‘I’ve been through labor, I can do this, don’t give up’. It was the fish of a lifetime. Because it was catch and release, after we took the photo, we put it back in the water and let it swim away. It was such an amazing day. I could talk about it forever.



If you weren’t a doctor, what would you like to be doing?
 
I really have never given that much thought because I feel so lucky to do what I do for a living. I do know that when I retire from being a doctor, I will be gardening, fishing, and skiing, and spending time with my family.
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Copyright 2009 Washington University School of Medicine
Copyright 2009 Washington University School of Medicine