In the wake of the death of Dr. David Sugarbaker, Baylor College of Medicine has announced that mesothelioma specialist Dr. Taylor Ripley will be joining the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery in their Division of General Thoracic Surgery as an associate professor of surgery. Dr. Ripley has extensive expertise in thoracic surgical oncology and robotic thoracic surgery, which he will bring to patients at Baylor Clinic and at the Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center.
Dr. Ripley will also be director of the Mesothelioma Treatment Center within the Lung Institute. The center was run by Sugarbaker, who recruited him personally. “I see an exciting opportunity to contribute to the multidisciplinary approach to patients with mesothelioma as well as all thoracic cancers at Baylor and Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center, and I look forward to working with teams from across the Lung Institute, Dan L Duncan Cancer Comprehensive Center and Department of Surgery to offer more services to our patients,” said Ripley.
Dr. Ripley is one of the top medical professionals in the field of mesothelioma, and has built an impressive reputation for his thoracic surgery technique. He comes to Baylor from the National Cancer Institute, where he was an associate professor of surgery as part of the Thoracic and Oncologic Surgery Branch. His training in mesothelioma came during a fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, prior to which he completed a general surgery residency at the University of Colorado. His MD degree was earned at Vanderbilt University.
Speaking of what Ripley will bring to Baylor, professor and chair and DeBakey Bard Chair of Surgery in the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery Dr. Todd Rosengart said, “Dr. Ripley is a nationally recognized board-certified thoracic surgeon and expert in thoracic surgical oncology. He will be a valuable addition to our team. His focus on mesothelioma and thoracic oncology extends back over ten years, and combined with his specialty in robotic surgery, Dr. Ripley will be able to focus on multidisciplinary management of patients with lung, esophageal, thymic, and other thoracic malignancies.”
Ripley has indicated a desire to expand Baylor’s robotics program, as well as the mesothelioma program’s ability to move work done in the laboratory into more practical application.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with mesothelioma and you need information about available treatment, medical centers, or any other resources, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net at 1-800-692-8608.
