Cardiothoracic Surgeon Domenico Pagano Dies

Friends and colleagues are mourning cardiothoracic surgeon Domenico Pagano, MD, the onetime secretary-general of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS), who died October 10 following a battle with cancer.

Pagano practiced at Queen Elizabeth-University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust in England and was a professor of medicine at the University of Birmingham. He served as EACTS secretary-general from 2017 to 2020.

Heralded as a “first-class surgeon,” Pagano was considered a “passionate advocate for the fair representation of the merits of cardiothoracic surgery” who ensured that the “surgical voice was heard loud and clear,” according to an EACTS statement.

Fellow cardiothoracic surgeon Faisal Bakaeen, MD (Cleveland Clinic, OH), said Pagano was widely respected and admired by his colleagues, calling him a true “surgical statesman.”

“He will be remembered as a kindhearted and humble individual who genuinely cared about others,” Bakaeen told TCTMD. “He was a man with impeccable integrity who always stood up for what is right and gave a voice to those who would otherwise be unheard and overlooked. His contributions to our field will endure through surgeons from all around the globe who he trained and mentored.”

Cardiac surgeon and EACTS council member Richard Prager, MD (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor), met Pagano when they were developing common definitions for cardiac surgery databases. Even then, his passion to use data to help patients was obvious, said Prager.

“From his colleagues and trainees, it is clear he was an excellent surgeon and humanist physician,” Prager told TCTMD. “He expected excellence from himself and his trainees and as one of his trainees noted, he was focused and expected scientific rigor in decision-making, combining it with the patient’s wishes and desires when complex decisions were to be made. As a cardiac surgeon, he was unique as a superb clinical trialist who was interested in data and ‘big data’ and reminded all of us of the importance of defined data points and the surgeons’ role and voice.”

He was a “true friend and colleague,” added Prager, calling Pagano a “thoughtful gentleman who cared about his family, his friends, his profession, and his patients.”

On social media, many have expressed their sadness at Pagano’s passing, including EACTS secretary-general-elect Patrick Myers, MD (Lausanne University Hospital, Switzerland). Pagano, said Myers, was a “phenomenal mentor” and someone who encouraged cardiac surgeons to use their collective voice to advocate for the best interests of patients.

Quality Data and Full Transparency

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), where Pagano was a former member of the board of directors,  called Pagano a dedicated surgeon committed to ensuring the best outcomes for his patients and adhering to evidence-based care, something he also demonstrated in his many leadership roles.

Pagano was a vocal critic of the EXCEL trial of PCI versus CABG surgery for left main coronary artery disease—a long-running controversy in this field—and, on Twitter, was a champion of scientific rigor in academic medicine, not only among his fellow researchers and physicians but also in media coverage (including TCTMD’s). Pagano, along with the EACTS Council, famously withdrew the society’s support for the left main chapter of the joint European Society of Cardiology/EACTS clinical guidelines for myocardial revascularization after allegations of trial misconduct.

After graduating from medical school at the University of Naples in 1987, Pagano completed fellowships from the Royal College of Surgeons and the European Board of Cardiothoracic Surgery. He is survived by his wife and two children.