Dr. Anson Cheung [pictured – on Left]
Clinical Professor of Surgery, Division of Cardiac Surgery
Director of Cardiac Transplantation, BC
Dr. Jian (James) Ye [pictured – on Right]
Clinical Professor of Surgery, Division of Cardiac Surgery
Director, UBC Cardiac Surgery Research
Over the past decade, Dr. Anson Cheung and Dr. Jian Ye have changed the way heart valve replacement are being performed not only here in BC, but all over the world. They have done so by using percutaneous transcatheter valves for aortic stenosis and are now pioneering the use of similar technology for mitral regurgitation. What this means is that valve replacement no longer has to be done by open heart surgery and the benefits of this include quicker recovery times, less blood loss, and fewer complications.
Both physicians work as part of the Centre for Health Valve Innovation team at St. Paul’s Hospital. This Centre provides access to multiple transcatheter heart valve therapies and devices, participates in clinical trials, and works in close collaboration with international colleagues and industry partners to advance treatment options for the management of valvular heart disease.
Dr. Cheung is a Clinical Professor in the Division of Cardiac Surgery as well as the Director of Cardiac Transplantation for BC. He was the first in his family to attend university and his decision to pursue a career in medicine was confirmed after a positive hospital volunteer experience. Practicing since 2000, he is currently on staff at St. Paul’s Hospital and Vancouver General Hospital. He is a graduate of the University of Manitoba with postgraduate work at Stanford University, University of Western Ontario and the University of Pittsburgh.
Dr. Ye is also a Clinical Professor in the Division of Cardiac Surgery as well as the Director of UBC Cardiac Surgery Research. He received his MD from Wenzhou Medical College and his MSc from Fujian Medical College. His postgraduate training started in China at Wenzhou Medical College and continued after he moved to North America, including the Cardiac Surgery residency program at the University of Manitoba. Since 2004 he has been on staff at St. Paul’s Hospital and Vancouver General Hospital. He is sub-specialized in complex heart valve repair and transcatheter valve therapy for the management of valvular heart disease.
When not at the hospital, these two cardiac surgeons are often travelling the globe sharing their techniques through workshops and clinical training. Their efforts have resulted in transapical transcatheter aortic valve replacement now being performed in hundreds of heart centres worldwide and an ever increasing adoption of their techniques as the standard of care. It’s no surprise that they both have received numerous invitations to give lectures at conferences both nationally and internationally. Between the two of them, they give about 80-100 presentations in any given year.
When they manage to find the time for activities outside of their clinical and academic work, they each pursue their own interests. Dr. Ye enjoys fishing and table tennis. Dr. Cheung jumps at any opportunity to be outside – he’s completed two Grand Fondo cycling races (a ride from Vancouver to Whistler) and recently hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Pichu.
posted : 2016-January-21, revised January-25