M.D.

Dr. Fritz Baumgartner is a highly skilled thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon. He is Board Certified by both the American Board of surgery and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery. He earned his medical degree from University of California, Los Angeles in 1984. He served his internship and residency in surgery at the Harbor - UCLA Medical Center. His two-year fellowship in cardio vascular and thoracic surgery was completed at Vancouver, BC, Canada. Dr. Baumgartner also completed additional training in aortic surgery in Germany with Professor Han Borst in 1994 and Dr. Diedrich Birnhaum in 1995. The following two years he was appointed as head of the division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Harbor - UCLA Medical Center where he still serves as Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery with active teaching duties to the students of the UCLA School of Medicine. He has performed thousands of cardiothoracic surgical procedures, including hundreds of endoscopic thoracic procedures, which have included hundreds of thoracoscopic sympathectomies. Dr. Baumgartner performed his first video thoracoscopy in 1992 and his first thoracoscopic sympathectomy for posttraumatic vasomotor dystrophy in 1996. He is a dedicated surgeon practicing cardiovascular, thoracic and peripheral vascular surgery.  He has published the book "Cardiothoracic Surgery" editions 1 and 2, including chapters on thoracoscopic surgery. Dr. Baumgartner is a long-standing member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and publishes extensively in the international journal Annals of Thoracic Surgery, as well as many other national and international journals. Dr. Baumgartner is a leader in the field of thoracoscopy and from 1995-1997 was drictor of the national Veterans Administration Thoracic Endoscopy Course to instruct VA surgeons on the techniques of endoscopic thoracic surgery. He has given many hands-on practical training courses, including live operations ofr trainees at the West Los Angeles Veterans Administration and in Long Beach, California. He has presented at many regional, national, and international thoracic surgical meetings with several internation invitations to present his work in Germany and Belgium. Most importantly, Dr. Baumgartner is cognizant of the dignity of human life in all its stages, from conception to natural death, and provides all his patients with the respect inherent in such a premise. Dr. Baumgartner offers the thoracoscopic sympathectomy procedure for those patients who suffer from refractory, intractable hyperhidrosis affecting their work and lifestyle.

• 2000-present Vascular Surgery Associates, Long Beach, California
• 1997-1999 Pacific Cardiothoracic Surgery Group with Dr. Taro Yokoyma
• 1997-present Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery, UCLA School of Medicine, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center
• 1995-1997 Director, National VA Thoracoscopic Surgery Training Course
• 1995-1996 Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery Veterans Administration Hospital, West Los Angeles
• 1995-1997 Head, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery Harbor-UCLA Medical Center
• 1992-1997 Assistant Professor of Surgery, UCLA School of Medicine, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center

Published articles, presentations, research and contributions, SEE C. V.