George Arnaoutakis, MD

Clinical Biography

George J. Arnaoutakis, MD, is a board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon and the Director of Thoracic Aortic Surgery, Cardiovascular Surgery Quality and Outcomes, and the Transcatheter Valve Program for the Institute for Cardiovascular Health, a clinical partnership between Ascension Seton and UT Health Austin. He specializes in adult cardiothoracic surgery. Additionally, Dr. Arnaoutakis is an associate professor and serves as the Chief of the Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery for the Dell Medical School Department of Surgery and Perioperative Care.

Dr. Arnaoutakis earned his bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and his medical degree from the University of Florida College of Medicine, where he was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society. He completed both a residency in general surgery and a postdoctoral research fellowship in cardiac surgery at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he served as administrative chief resident. He also completed both a fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery and a fellowship in advanced aortic procedures at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Arnaoutakis currently serves as the Physician Executive for Adult Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery for Ascension Texas. He also serves on several national committees and is the Vice Chair of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Workforce for Adult Cardiac and Vascular Surgery. His clinical interests include aortic arch disease, aortic dissection, aortic valve repair, bicuspid aortic valve syndrome, coronary artery bypass graft, thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm, valve-sparing root replacement, and valvular heart disease. His research interests include aortic aneurysm and dissection, bicuspid aortic valve repair, cardiac surgery-related acute kidney injury, cerebral protection in aortic arch reconstruction, and national databases in cardiothoracic surgery. He has held leadership positions in numerous device trials, advancing the care of patients with aortic disease, has presented both nationally and internationally, and has authored 170 peer-reviewed journal articles and more than a dozen book chapters. He is a member of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, the American College of Surgeons, the American Heart Association, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, and the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association.

Dr. Arnaoutakis is a cardiothoracic surgeon with UT Health Austin.