Department of Surgery
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Specialties

John Stulak, MD

Professor

  • Chair, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery


Education

  • MD, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
  • General Surgery Residency, Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education, Rochester, MN
  • Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Residency, Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education, Rochester, MN
  • Cardiac Transplantation and Mechanical Circulatory Support Fellowship, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

Clinical Specialties

Dr. Stulak’s clinical focus includes: management of coronary artery disease, especially coronary artery bypass grafting with multiple arterial revascularization and redo coronary artery bypass surgery, management of patients with valvular heart disease, expertise with specific training in surgical treatment of advanced heart failure including high-risk conventional corrective heart surgery, mechanical circulatory assistance, and heart transplant, special interest in surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation and evolving techniques of alternate energy sources, as well as lesion sets, and management of patients with chronic relapsing or constrictive pericarditis, including preoperative hemodynamic optimization prior to surgical resection.

Dr. Stulak provides a wide range of services including Heart Bypass (Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery – CABG), Aortic Root Surgery, Heart Transplant, Lung Transplant, Maze Procedure (Surgical), Mitral Valve Repair, Ventricular Assist Devices.

Recent Publications

  • Anticoagulation vs No Anticoagulation for Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation After Isolated Coronary Artery Bypass Graft: A Meta-Analysis.
    Shariff M, Kumar A, Bagameri G, Kowlgi NG, Deshmukh A, Stulak J
    Am J Cardiol 2025 Aug 15; 249: 16-17
    [PubMed ID: 40180142]

  • Assessment of Left-Sided Hemodynamics With Exercise in Patients With Continuous Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device Support.
    Inglis SS, Schettle SD, Villavicencio MA, Spencer PJ, Stulak JM, Tang PC, Kushwaha SS, Behfar A, Rosenbaum AN
    Artif Organs 2025 Mar 13;
    [PubMed ID: 40078038]

  • Impact of pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular function on outcomes of isolated tricuspid valve surgery.
    Altarabsheh SE, Crestanello JA, Saran N, Daly RC, Dearani JA, Greason KL, Stulak JM, Todd A, Rowse PG, Arghami A, Bagameri G, Villavicencio MA, Schaff HV, Anand V
    JTCVS Open 2025 Apr; 24: 115-126
    [PubMed ID: 40309696]

  • A Randomized, Controlled Trial of In-Hospital Use of Virtual Reality to Reduce Preoperative Anxiety Prior to Cardiac Surgery.
    Subramaniam T, Dearani JA, Stulak JM, Lahr B, Lee A, Miller JD
    Mayo Clin Proc 2025 Feb; 100(2): 220-234
    [PubMed ID: 39755969]

  • A comparative meta-analysis of addition of ganglionic plexus ablation versus no ganglionic plexus ablation to pulmonary vein isolation for atrial fibrillation.
    Kumar A, Shariff M, Pachon JC, Acosta JCZ, DeSimone CV, Stulak J, Madhavan M, Deshmukh AJ, Kowlgi GN
    J Interv Card Electrophysiol 2025 Mar; 68(2): 347-350
    [PubMed ID: 39589653]

All Publications on PubMed