Accepting new patients

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Julia Swanson, M.D. (she/her)

Accepting new patients

  • Cardiac Surgeon
  • Assistant Professor of OHSU Knight Cardiovascular Institute, School of Medicine

Locations and contact

I see patients at

About me

I am a cardiac surgeon who cares for adult patients with congenital and acquired heart disease, mitral valve disease and multivalve disease. 

Some of the treatments I provide include heart valve repairs and replacements, multivalve operations, complex re-operative valve surgery, surgery for diseased coronary arteries (bypass surgery), and correction and palliation of congenital heart disease.

I enjoy taking care of each patient individually and getting to know who they are first. We talk about how they are feeling, connect that to what is wrong with their heart, and then discuss how to address the problem. We discuss threats, expectations, and risks together and ultimately plan how to proceed.

I first discovered my love for the heart while conducting heart ultrasound research in college at OHSU. I then went on to medical school, where, working with several mentors in heart surgery, it became clear that this was what I wanted to do with my career. 

Outside of work, I enjoy being active. I am a mother to a young daughter and spend much time away from work with my family. I am an endurance athlete and have completed several Ironman and half-Ironman races, as well as ultramarathons and marathons.

Education and training

  • Degrees

    • B.A., 2002, Lewis & Clark College
    • M.D., 2005, Oregon Health & Science University

  • Residency

    • General Surgery Residence, OHSU Dept of Surgery, Portland, OR, 2013

  • Fellowship

    • Post-Doctoral Fellowship, Stanford Dept of Cardiovascular Surgery, Palo Alto, CA, 2010
    • Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellowship, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 2015
    • Congenital Cardiac Surgery Fellowship, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, 2016

  • Certifications

    • American Board of Surgery, 2014
    • American Board of Thoracic Surgery, 2016
    • American Board of Thoracic Surgery (Congental Cardiac), 2017

Memberships and associations:

  • Society for Thoracic Surgery
  • Southern Thoracic Surgery Association
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Insurance

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