Biographical summary
Mauricio Villavicencio, M.D., MBA, is a Consultant Cardiovascular Surgeon and Surgical Director of Heart & Lung Transplantation and Mechanical Circulatory Support at the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery and the William J. von Liebig Center for Transplantation. He is an Associate Professor of Surgery at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science.
He was fully trained in Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery in Chile, and then completed an Advanced Cardiovascular Surgery Fellowship at the Mayo Clinic. Dr. Villavicencio undertook Heart & Lung transplantation fellowships at the Freeman Hospital in the UK and at Duke University Hospital.
He was the founder and chief of the Heart & Lung Transplantation Service at the Cardiothoracic National Institute in Chile, and then Surgical Director of Lung Transplantation at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. While there, he also served as Assistant Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Villavicencio has performed independently more than 560 heart or lung transplants, and over 2,500 general cardiac cases. His clinical focus areas are:
- Coronary artery bypass grafting, with emphasis in arterial revascularization and complex cases.
- Heart valve surgery and concomitant surgery for atrial fibrillation (Maze procedure).
- Acute and durable mechanical circulatory support, including ECMO and ventricular assist devices.
- End-stage heart and lung failure surgery, with a special interest in heart and lung transplantation.
- Surgery for heart tumors, aortic root, ascending aorta, and endocarditis.
His research interests include heart and lung transplantation outcomes, ex-vivo organ preservation, donation after circulatory death, and expanded criteria donors. Dr. Villavicencio's work has been cited over 1,000 times and participates in multicenter international clinical trials.
Conditions treated
Procedures performed
Interests
- Cardiac transplantation
- Lung transplantation
- Mechanical circulatory support (left ventricular assist device, total artificial heart, ECMO)
- Arrhythmia surgery (Maze procedure)
- Valvular heart disease
- Coronary artery disease
- Pericardial disease
- Ascending Aortic aneurysm
- Cardiac tumors
Mayo Clinic locations
Education
- 2015
Fellowship - Thoracic Transplantation and Assist DeviesDuke University
- 2013
MBA - Health AdministrationUniversidad Andres Bello
- 2007
Fellowship - Thoracic Transplantation Freeman Hospital
- 2006
Fellowship - Cardiopulmonary TransplantationMayo Clinic
- 2005
Advanced Fellowship - Cardiovascular SurgeryCardiovascular Surgery, Programs in Rochester, Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine
- 2005
ResidentCardiovascular Surgery, Programs in Rochester, Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine
- 2003
Residency - Cardiovascular SurgeryInstituto Nacional del Torax
- 2000
Residency - General SurgeryUniversidad de Chile
- 1997
MDPontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile
- 1996
Internship - SurgeryPontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile
- 1996
Internship - Internal MedecinePontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile
- 1995
Internship - Obstetrics/GynecologyPontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile
- 1995
Internship - PediatricsPontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile
Activities and honors
Certifications
- 2007
Cardiothoracic SurgeryCorporacion Nacional de Certificacion de Especialidades Medicas (CONACEM), Chile
- 2006
General SurgeryCorporacion Nacional de Certificacion de Especialidades Medicas (CONACEM), Chile
Awards and honors
- 2023
Teacher of the Year 2024, Department of Cardiovascular SurgeryMayo Clinic in Rochester
- 2022
Teacher of the Year 2023, Department of Cardiovascular SurgeryMayo Clinic in Rochester
- 2014
Best National Scientific PublicationFundacion Banmedica
- 1996
McClure Foundation Award- Best Clinical Reseach StudyLa Sociedad Chilena de Cardiologia y Cirugia Cardiovascular
Professional memberships
- 2022 - present
MemberMayo Clinic Rochester
- 2022 - present
MemberMayo Clinic Rochester
- 2022 - present
Co-ChairMayo Clinic Rochester
- 2021 - present
Annual meeting abstract reviewerThe Society of Thoracic Surgeons
- 2021 - present
Abstract ReviewerInternational Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation
- 2019 - present
MemberThe Society of Thoracic Surgeons
- 2019 - present
Workforce on Surgical Treatment of End-Stage Cardiopulmonary DiseaseThe Society of Thoracic Surgeons
- 2018 - 2020
MemberInternational Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT)
- 2018 - present
Thoracic Organ Perfusion RegistryTransmedics/FDA
- 2017 - present
MemberThe Society of Thoracic Surgeons
- 2015 - 2021
Heart and Lung Transplant CommitteeMassachusetts General Hospital
- 2015 - 2021
Ventricular Assist Devices CommitteeMassachusetts General Hospital
- 2015 - 2021
Lung Transplant ConsortiumNew England Donor Services
- 2015 - 2018
Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement CommitteeMassachusetts General Hospital
- 2012 - 2014
MemberSociedad Chilena de Trasplante
- 2012 - 2014
Member of the Scientific CommitteeSociedad Chilena de Trasplante
- 2010 - 2014
Director, Thoracic Transplantation DepartmentSociedad Chilena de Trasplante
- 2009 - 2014
Heart and Lung Transplant CommitteeInstituto Nacional del Torax
- 2009 - present
MemberInternational Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation
- 2009 - present
Interdisciplinary network. Advanced heart failure & transplantationInternational Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation
- 2009 - present
Interdisciplinary network. Advanced lung failure & transplantationInternational Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation
- 2009 - present
Interdisciplinary network. Mechanical Circulatory SupportInternational Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation
- 2009 - present
Interdisciplinary network. Pulmonary vascular diseaseInternational Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation
- 2008 - 2010
MemberSociedad Chilena de Cardiologia y Cirugia Cardiovascular
- 2008 - 2014
Heart and Lung Transplant CommitteeClinica Davila
- 2008 - 2014
Lung Transplant Policy CommitteeMinister of Health
- 2008 - 2011
PresidentChilean Cardiovascular Surgeons Association
- 2008 - 2010
Member of the Scientific CommitteeSociedad Chilena de Cardiología y Cirugía Cardiovascular
- 2008 - 2010
Grant ReviewerSociedad Chilena de Cardiología y Cirugía Cardiovascular
- 2008 - present
MemberSociedad Chilena de Trasplante
- 2007 - 2018
Member of the Cardiac Surgery DepartmentSociedad Chilena de Cardiología y Cirugía Cardiovascular
- 2007 - 2018
Member of the Heart Failure DepartmentSociedad Chilena de Cardiología y Cirugía Cardiovascular
- 2007 - 2014
Heart Transplant Policy CommitteeMinister of Health
- 2007 - 2014
MemberChilean Cardiovascular Surgeons Association
- 2007 - 2009
Education CommitteeInstituto Nacional del Torax
- 2007 - present
MemberSociedad Chilena de Cardiología y Cirugía Cardiovascular
Publications