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.

Curriculum Vitae

• Society for Thoracic Surgeons
• American Medical Association
• California Medical Association
• Los Angeles Medical Association
• Consumers' Research Council of America selection in "Guide to America's Top Surgeon' 2002-2003 Edition
• Medical Reviewer for Medical Care Ombudsman Program

PERSONAL:

• Full Name: Fritz J. Baumgartner, M.D.
• Date of Birth: September 13, 1957
• Citizenship: USA

EDUCATION:

• 9/75 - 6/79: Bachelor of Science Biology (Minor-Chemistry)
  Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, California
• 9/80 - 6/84: M.D.
  University of California, Los Angeles, California

SURGICAL TRAINING:

• Internship (Surgery)
  6/84 - 6/85 Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California
• Residencies (Surgery)
  7/85-6/89 Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California
• Fellowship
  7/89 -12/91 Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery
  Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, B.C.

ACTIVITIES:

• 1975-1976 - UCLA Clinical Lab Assistant I, UCLA Oral Biology/Anatomy Research
• Summer 1977 - UCLA Labortary of Nuclear Medicine/Radiation Biology
• Summer 1978 - UCLA Heart Association Research Fellowship
• Summer 1979 - UCLA Cardiovascular Medicine Research
• Fall 1979 - Loyota Marymount Cell Physiology Lab Teaching Assistant
• Fall/Winter 1979-1980 - UCLA Division of Nuclear Medicine Research
• Summer 1981 - UCLA Nuclear Medicine Research
• Summer 1982 - UCLA Nuclear Medicine Research, Dog Research Course
• September 1994 - Sabbatical with Professor Hans G. Borst in Aortic Surgery Hannover, Germany
• June 1995 - Sabbatical with Dr. Dietrich Birnbaum - University Hospital, Regensburg, Germany
• 1997-98 - Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Guest Reviewer

HONORS:

• 1975-1979
   
  • UCLA Volunteer Awards and Scholarship
  • Loyola Marymount University Hornor Society
  • UCLA Nuclear Medicine & Heart Assn. Research Fellowships
  • Alpha Sigma Nu
  • Alpha Xi
  • San Pedro Health Scholarship
  • Carl Kadner Biology Award
  • Loyola Marymount University Persidential Service Citation
  • Loyola Marymount University Scholar of the Year
• 1984
   
  • AOA First Place Medical Student Research Award

LICENSURE:

• July 1995 - State of California (G-55475)
• April 1997 - State of Texas (K-2412)

BOARD CERTIFICATION:

• Sept. 1991 - Diplomate, The American Board of Surgery
• June 1992 - Diplomate, The American Board of Thoracic Surgery