Dr. Kenneth Liao - Robotic Heart Surgery

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Dr. Kenneth Liao - Robotic Heart Surgery

Dr. Kenneth Liao is a world-renowned robotic cardiac surgeon specializing in minimally invasive heart surgery at Baylor St.

Luke’s Medical Center in Houston, TX.

05/12/2026

Behind every successful patient outcome is a nursing team providing constant support, expertise, and compassion.
On International Nurses Day, I want to thank our nurses for the role they play in guiding patients and families through every step of care. This year’s theme, “Our Nurses. Our Future. Empowered Nurses Save Lives,” reflects the importance of creating environments where nurses are supported, valued, and empowered to continue delivering exceptional care.
Exceptional surgical care depends on exceptional teams, and nurses are an essential part of that foundation. Your impact is seen in every recovery and every life touched along the way.

05/08/2026

During Nurses Week, I want to thank Mary, RN, for the incredible care and support she provides to our patients and team. Nursing requires technical skill, emotional strength, and an unwavering commitment to others. You bring all of those qualities every day, and our patients are better because of it. Thank you for the impact you make on every patient and every member of our team.

04/24/2026

Predicting Sepsis in LVAD Patients Before Clinical Onset

Sepsis remains one of the most serious complications following LVAD implantation, with a significant impact on morbidity and mortality. Identifying patients at risk before clinical deterioration is critical to improving outcomes.

In this study, we evaluated VE-Cadherin and ADAM10 as biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction to determine their ability to predict sepsis in LVAD patients.

Key Takeaways:
- Patients who developed sepsis had elevated VE-Cadherin and ADAM10 levels at baseline and early postoperatively
- VE-Cadherin demonstrated strong predictive performance, with the highest accuracy at 1 week after implantation
- Combining ADAM10 with VE-Cadherin further improved predictive accuracy
Biomarker elevation preceded clinical sepsis, supporting a window for early intervention

These findings highlight the role of endothelial dysfunction in sepsis development and support the use of biomarker-driven strategies to identify high-risk patients and guide postoperative management.

Read the full study:
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/2/563

04/23/2026

Expanding the Use of Older Donor Hearts in Transplantation

As the demand for donor hearts continues to exceed supply, the use of donors aged 45 and above has become an important strategy to expand access to transplantation. The key question is not whether to use these organs, but how to select the right donor and recipient combinations.

In this study, we analyzed national UNOS data to identify risk factors and developed a novel mortality risk score to guide decision making when considering older donor hearts.

Key Takeaways:
- Carefully selected hearts from donors ≥45 years can achieve strong short and long term survival
- Outcomes are influenced by both donor factors such as ischemic time, CMV status, and smoking history, and recipient factors including age, comorbidities, and pretransplant condition
- Recipient characteristics often carry a greater impact on post-transplant survival
- A simplified risk score allows for practical risk stratification into low, moderate, and high risk groups
This work supports a more nuanced, data-driven approach to donor selection and highlights the importance of matching the right organ to the right patient.

Read the full study:
https://www.jhltopen.org/article/S2950-1334(26)00018-2/fulltext

04/22/2026

Two years ago today, I marked a major milestone: my 600th robotic heart surgery at Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center! The future is bright, with 1000 robotic heart procedures now within reach! I'm humbled by the incredible work my team and I are doing, propelling us to become the fastest growing robotic heart surgery program in Texas!

04/21/2026

Balancing Bleeding and Thrombosis in CF-LVAD Patients

Managing patients supported with continuous-flow LVADs requires a careful balance between anticoagulation and bleeding risk. Gastrointestinal bleeding is one of the most common complications, but its impact extends beyond the acute event.

In this study, we examined whether GI bleeding is associated with an increased risk of thromboembolic events in CF-LVAD patients.

Key Takeaways:
-GI bleeding was associated with a significant increase in thromboembolic risk
More than one quarter of patients with GI bleeding developed events such as stroke, TIA, or pump thrombosis
- The risk persisted over time, highlighting a long-term vulnerability following bleeding episodes
- Additional factors, including age, race, and device type, further influenced risk

These findings highlight the complexity of anticoagulation management in LVAD patients. Adjustments made to control bleeding may introduce a prothrombotic state, requiring careful monitoring and individualized strategies.

Read the full study:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/aor.70101

04/20/2026

In cardiac care, that standard isn’t aspirational. It’s expected. Every decision, every movement, every outcome carries weight. The responsibility is not just to meet that expectation but to uphold it consistently.

04/17/2026

When skills and hearts align, the possibilities are endless! Brenda, your commitment to nurturing a culture of trust, open communication, and reliability unleashes a collective brilliance, elevating every team member and every patient's experience.

04/16/2026

Part 2 | Robotic Heart Transplant
Presented at the 23rd Congress of the Michael E. DeBakey Surgical Society
March 2026 | Houston, TX

04/15/2026

In the pursuit of surgical excellence, every team member plays a vital role. Sandi, your exceptional foresight in the operating room is the spark that sets the tone for seamless collaboration, paving the way for life-changing outcomes. Your unique blend of intuition, precision, and agility is the heartbeat of our team's success.

Address

1101 Bates Avenue
Houston, TX
77030

Telephone

+17137981300

Website

https://www.bcm.edu/people-search/kenneth-liao-25405

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