Father and Son Innovators Advancing Cardiac Surgery Worldwide

Many successful fathers would like to see their child follow in their footsteps. Not Joseph T. McGinn Jr., M.D., the chief of cardiac surgery at Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute. A world-renowned pioneer, Dr. McGinn fully expects to see his son blaze new trails in the operating room — and surpass his footsteps.

In some families, the dynamics between father and son can be tricky, especially if they work in the same field. The McGinns not only work in the same field, they both work for Baptist Health. Nothing tricky there. Both have the deepest respect and appreciation for each other’s ability and expertise. They even sometimes share the same operating room.

“It’s been a blessing of mine to be able to stand on the shoulders of a great innovator and try to carry and pass the baton forward,” Joseph T. McGinn III, M.D., a cardiac surgeon based at Baptist Health’s Bethesda Hospital in Boynton Beach, says of his father.

Together, father and son are working to expand access to minimally invasive coronary bypass surgery, using a procedure that has come to be known internationally as The McGinn Technique. The approach allows for most cardiac bypass procedures to be performed without splitting a person’s chest, spreading the ribs or stopping the heart.

Patients from across the world have sought out Dr. McGinn for the surgery, including hospital CEOs and physicians whose expertise allows them to critically weigh other options. Among the attractions: less pain, less blood loss and a recovery that takes days instead of months.

Understanding Coronary Bypass Surgery

Nearly 400,000 coronary bypass surgeries are performed each year, making it the most commonly performed major surgical procedure in the United States, according to the National Institutes of Health. The procedure is used to treat the narrowing of the arteries that supply oxygen and nutrients to the heart.

The traditional approach was developed in the 1970s and requires a huge incision through the chest to access the heart. Patients usually endure considerable postoperative pain and a recovery that takes three months or more.

After witnessing how difficult this can be on elderly patients in particular, Dr. McGinn devised a new minimally invasive “beating heart” approach in 2005 that accesses the arteries through small incisions between the ribs. He has performed it more than 3,000 times and has taught the technique to physicians around the world.

Both father and son envision a future in which the approach becomes the standard of care. But for now, because most surgeons are not trained in this technique and it requires more time, it is routinely performed in only a handful of U.S. hospitals. Dr. McGinn considers that a detriment to patients, who may not realize they have the option of a less traumatic procedure.

“The concept behind this surgery is we don’t break any bone and we don’t cut any muscles, so the structural integrity of the chest remains intact,” he says. “Why have your chest cracked open and your heart stopped when you don’t have to? You can bypass the pain, you can bypass the disability, you can bypass the big zipper incision to separate the sternum.”

A Son’s Journey

The younger Dr. McGinn, who goes by J.T., says his father never pressured him to pursue cardiac surgery, or even medicine, although he was exposed to things that ignited his interest as a kid. In high school, he began recording his father’s surgeries to help inform other doctors on the breakthrough technique.

“He was very good with the computer and the digital recording of cases — editing, overlaying audio and all that fancy stuff,” the father recalls. “So we worked together to create really detailed videos to teach other surgeons how to do the procedure.”

The more young J.T. saw, the more fascinated he became.

“I feel like I organically came to medicine because of my interest in biology and science classes. I just always thought that human physiology was very interesting,” he explains. In medical school, he had planned to pursue thoracic surgery when, as an intern, he got to work with his father. No longer just an observer in the operating room, he knew what he wanted to do. “Operating on the heart is a whole different beast when you do it yourself. It’s addicting. I got obsessed with cardiac surgery.”

Being able to observe his father over the years has been inspiring. “I got to watch him not only save patients’ lives, but also innovate in the field,” he says. “It definitely taught me, in general, about how you innovate in the medical realm.”

Today, the McGinns are actively working to develop new surgical instruments with engineers, as well as continually refining surgical techniques.

“One thing about J.T. is that he is always pushing to improve the procedures. He’s got an enormous amount of energy,” his father says. “We have developed several key maneuvers to shorten the time it takes to do the surgery. We’re constantly working on different aspects to make it better.”

A New Generation

Dr. McGinn knew his son had to find his own path, although he is grateful it led to them working together. His son’s analytical nature, willingness to take on challenges and deep desire to make improvements will serve patients well. “I’m confident he’s going to continue to push that envelope as far as innovation is concerned, because that’s what drives us. That’s what makes us tick.”

As much as he appreciates his father’s affirmations, the younger Dr. McGinn says he’s also a reflection of the next generation of highly trained specialists who will lead medicine into the future.

“There’s a whole new wave of young cardiac surgeons, including myself, who are not only interested in bread-and-butter cardiac surgery, but in cutting-edge innovation in cardiac surgery,” he says. “There’s a need for pushing cardiac surgery forward.”

The younger Dr. McGinn would not describe medicine as the family business — none of his four younger siblings became doctors — but it is a nice tradition: his grandfather also was a physician, as was his mother, who died of cancer when he was a child. If his own children show any interest in the field, he says he would encourage them to explore if it’s what they want — without pushing. “You have to have your own internal motor for medicine. It tests you to the max, particular surgery.”

Although well-established in his own right, he says he still gains insights from his father all the time. The most important lessons he has learned from his dad are not technical; they are about compassionate care, and they guide him every day.

“I think the one thing that helps me through any case is just stripping away the unnecessary, the irrelevant, and focusing on what really matters, which is the patient care. The patient comes first,” he says. “Everything else falls into place when you’re constantly thinking about the patient’s experience and outcomes. I never lose sight of that. ‘Don’t get distracted by shiny things that will not help with patient care.’ ‘As long as you’re working hard and focusing on the patient, things will work out.’”

Although it might not be for everyone, the McGinns are very comfortable working side by side. “It has brought us back to where we were when I was younger. We used to build tree houses together and did all these technical things around the house, working with our hands, coming up with new ideas to fix things,” the younger Dr. McGinn says. “Now we’re watching video of ourselves operating and asking, ‘What can we do better?’”

Joseph T. McGinn Jr., M.D., the chief of cardiac surgery at Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute

Joseph T. McGinn III, M.D., a cardiac surgeon based at Baptist Health’s Bethesda Hospital