Karen M. Kim, MD, MS

Clinical Biography

Karen M. Kim, MD, MS, is a board-certified adult cardiac surgeon in the Institute for Cardiovascular Health, a clinical partnership between Ascension Seton and UT Health Austin. She specializes in adult cardiac surgery, including the treatment of coronary artery disease, valvular heart disease, endocarditis, and arrhythmias; as well as open and endovascular treatment of thoracic aortic disease such as aortic valve repair, surgical treatment of proximal aortic, aortic arch, and descending thoracic aortic aneurysms, repair of aortic dissection, and thoracic endovascular aortic repair; and the multidisciplinary evaluation and transcatheter treatment of structural heart disease. Dr. Kim is an associate professor in the Dell Medical School Department of Surgery and Perioperative Care at The University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School.

Dr. Kim earned her bachelor’s degree in biochemical sciences from Harvard University and her medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine. She also earned her master’s degree in clinical research design and statistical analysis at the University of Michigan to aid in her research on clinical outcomes and quality improvement in the surgical treatment of aortic disease. She completed a residency in general surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital and a fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery at the University of Pennsylvania, which included advanced fellowship training in open and endovascular aortic repair and transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Dr. Kim is a member of the writing committee for the 2022 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) Guideline for the Diagnosis and Management of Aortic Disease and the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery/The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (EACTS/STS) Guideline for Diagnosing and Treating Acute and Chronic Syndromes of the Aortic Organ. She is actively involved in the workforces and taskforces of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), the largest international professional society for cardiothoracic surgeons and allied health professionals. She currently serves as the Chair of both the STS Workforce on the Annual Meeting and the Taskforce on Public Reporting. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of The Thoracic Surgery Foundation, the Board of Advisors of the STS Political Action Committee, and the philanthropic arm of STS.

Dr. Kim is an adult cardiac surgeon with UT Health Austin.