Procedure Volume Patient Data Patient Conditions Reviews General Payments Back to Top

Home > GA Providers > Thoracic (Chest) Surgeons

Dr. Richard Lee, MD

(Dr. Richard Lee, MD)

(158 Ratings)

Specializes in: Thoracic Surgery

1120 15th Street
Augusta, GA 30912

(706) 721-8623

Dr. Richard Lee, MD is a thoracic surgeon in Augusta, GA specializing in thoracic surgery. Dr. Richard Lee, MD is affiliated with Wellstar.

Office Locations

Wellstar

1003 Chafee Avenue
Augusta, GA 30904

(706) 721-2426

open_in_new

1120 15th Street
Augusta, GA 30912

(706) 721-8623

open_in_new

In The News (see more mentions in the news)

“While panelists were generally hesitant to make predictions about politics, Richard Lee, MD, JD, MBA, of Augusta University Medical Center in Georgia, laid out how things could go two ways in the...”—"Limbo of Cardiac Device Recalls Has Physicians Ready for Change", MedPage Today, January 2025

“Also making the list was Dr. Richard Lee, a cardiovascular surgeon, section chief and professor at Augusta University, who earned $1.205 million.”—"Georgia's top-paid state employees include UGA football coach, ports and pension chiefs", The Atlanta Journal-Constitution , January 2024

“The other top earners include the Georgia Ports Authority's Griff Lynch ($1.715 million), who has led an impressive growth spurt at terminals in Savannah and Brunswick; Charles Cary ($1.159...”—"PG A.M.: Book details rapper T.I.'s offer to Fani Willis' election campaign", The Atlanta Journal-Constitution , January 2024

Noteworthy Medicare Patient Procedures Performed by Dr. Richard Lee, MD in 2023

Click on any procedure below to see further details on volume and pricing among Medicare patients.

Top 25%

By Affordability:

aortic valve replacement

fully percutaneous transfemoral TAVR

heart valve replacement

minimally invasive aortic valve replacement

minimally invasive heart valve treatment

minimally invasive valve replacement

non-surgical aortic valve replacement

non-surgical heart valve treatment

non-surgical valve replacement

percutaneous valve treatment

transcatheter aortic valve replacement

transcatheter valve treatment

transfemoral TAVR

In 2012, Dr. Richard Lee, MD had a list price for aortic valve replacement, fully percutaneous (incisionless) transfemoral TAVR, heart valve replacement, minimally invasive aortic valve replacement, minimally invasive heart valve treatment, minimally invasive valve replacement, non-surgical aortic valve replacement, non-surgical heart valve treatment, non-surgical valve replacement, percutaneous valve treatment, transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), transcatheter valve treatment, and transfemoral TAVR (through the groin) that was lower than the list prices billed to Medicare by 75% of providers in related specialties within Georgia. Actual amounts paid by patients can vary widely depending on a number of factors, including insurance coverage. A lower list price, however, might mean lower fees when paying without insurance.

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2012 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Richard Lee, MD treated as a thoracic surgeon in Augusta, GA during 2012 were cardiac procedures, thoracic (chest) surgery procedures, open surgery and bypass surgery.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Richard Lee, MD for Medicare patients.

bypass surgery	32
cardiac procedures	92
doctor visit	17
hospital care	24
inpatient care	24
open surgery	64
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	64

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2013 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Richard Lee, MD treated as a thoracic surgeon in Augusta, GA during 2013 were thoracic (chest) surgery procedures, open surgery, cardiac procedures and hospital care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Richard Lee, MD for Medicare patients.

bypass surgery	16
cardiac procedures	32
doctor visit	22
hospital care	21
inpatient care	21
open surgery	32
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	32

2013 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Richard Lee, MD.

**Gender**
Male	36
Female	33

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	46
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	27
From 75 to 84	0
85 and over	0
Less than 65	23

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Richard Lee, MD in 2013

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	70
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	75
Depression	38
Chronic Kidney Disease	64
Asthma	22
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	52
Heart Failure	74
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	42
Diabetes	57
Dementia	0
Cancer	0

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2014 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Richard Lee, MD treated as a thoracic surgeon in Augusta, GA during 2014 were cardiac procedures, thoracic (chest) surgery procedures, open surgery and ablation.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Richard Lee, MD for Medicare patients.

ablation	15
bypass surgery	14
cardiac procedures	67
doctor visit	32
open surgery	43
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	43

2014 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Richard Lee, MD.

**Gender**
Male	32
Female	40

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	49
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	32
From 75 to 84	0
85 and over	0
Less than 65	23

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Richard Lee, MD in 2014

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	19
Ischemic Heart Disease	75
Depression	46
Chronic Kidney Disease	63
Asthma	22
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	63
Heart Failure	74
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	31
Diabetes	56
Dementia	0
Cancer	15

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2015 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Richard Lee, MD treated as a thoracic surgeon in Augusta, GA during 2015 were cardiac procedures, thoracic (chest) surgery procedures, open surgery and bypass surgery.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Richard Lee, MD for Medicare patients.

bypass surgery	17
cardiac procedures	56
doctor visit	35
open surgery	34
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	34

2015 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Richard Lee, MD.

**Gender**
Male	72
Female	88

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	102
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	56
From 75 to 84	0
85 and over	0
Less than 65	62

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Richard Lee, MD in 2015

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	74
Stroke	24
Ischemic Heart Disease	75
Depression	33
Chronic Kidney Disease	65
Asthma	30
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	55
Heart Failure	74
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	41
Diabetes	55
Dementia	0
Cancer	14

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2016 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Richard Lee, MD treated as a thoracic surgeon in Augusta, GA during 2016 were cardiac procedures, thoracic (chest) surgery procedures, open surgery and bypass surgery.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Richard Lee, MD for Medicare patients.

bypass surgery	26
cardiac procedures	106
doctor visit	18
minimally invasive procedures	15
open surgery	52
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	52
vascular procedures	15

2016 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Richard Lee, MD.

**Gender**
Male	59
Female	36

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	73
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	31
From 75 to 84	0
85 and over	0
Less than 65	32

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Richard Lee, MD in 2016

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	73
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	75
Depression	38
Chronic Kidney Disease	75
Asthma	38
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	46
Heart Failure	68
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	35
Diabetes	48
Dementia	20
Cancer	0

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2017 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Richard Lee, MD treated as a thoracic surgeon in Augusta, GA during 2017 were cardiac procedures, thoracic (chest) surgery procedures, open surgery and bypass surgery.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Richard Lee, MD for Medicare patients.

bypass surgery	40
cardiac procedures	178
doctor visit	16
hospital care	15
inpatient care	15
minimally invasive procedures	16
open surgery	80
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	80
vascular procedures	16

2017 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Richard Lee, MD.

**Gender**
Male	85
Female	43

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	104
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	55
From 75 to 84	34
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Richard Lee, MD in 2017

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	13
Ischemic Heart Disease	75
Depression	45
Chronic Kidney Disease	70
Asthma	16
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	42
Heart Failure	75
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	45
Diabetes	52
Dementia	23
Cancer	17

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2018 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Richard Lee, MD treated as a thoracic surgeon in Augusta, GA during 2018 were thoracic (chest) surgery procedures, open surgery, cardiac procedures and bypass surgery.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Richard Lee, MD for Medicare patients.

bypass surgery	13
cardiac procedures	26
open surgery	26
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	26

2018 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Richard Lee, MD.

**Gender**
Male	23
Female	21

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	33
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	18
From 75 to 84	0
85 and over	0
Less than 65	14

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Richard Lee, MD in 2018

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	75
Depression	39
Chronic Kidney Disease	73
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	57
Heart Failure	75
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	36
Diabetes	59
Dementia	0
Cancer	0

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2019 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Richard Lee, MD treated as a thoracic surgeon in Augusta, GA during 2019 were cardiac procedures, thoracic (chest) surgery procedures, open surgery and minimally invasive procedures.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Richard Lee, MD for Medicare patients.

bypass surgery	19
cardiac procedures	86
doctor visit	39
minimally invasive procedures	24
open surgery	38
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	38
vascular procedures	24

2019 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Richard Lee, MD.

**Gender**
Male	50
Female	42

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	66
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	36
From 75 to 84	28
85 and over	12
Less than 65	16

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Richard Lee, MD in 2019

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	75
Depression	26
Chronic Kidney Disease	63
Asthma	12
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	41
Heart Failure	74
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	32
Diabetes	51
Dementia	15
Cancer	14

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2020 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Richard Lee, MD treated as a thoracic surgeon in Augusta, GA during 2020 were cardiac procedures, thoracic (chest) surgery procedures, open surgery and minimally invasive procedures.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Richard Lee, MD for Medicare patients.

bypass surgery	12
cardiac procedures	62
doctor visit	41
minimally invasive procedures	19
open surgery	24
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	24
vascular procedures	19

2020 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Richard Lee, MD.

**Gender**
Male	46
Female	38

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	52
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	31
From 75 to 84	26
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Richard Lee, MD in 2020

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	75
Depression	20
Chronic Kidney Disease	68
Asthma	13
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	37
Heart Failure	71
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	26
Diabetes	48
Dementia	17
Cancer	14

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2021 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Richard Lee, MD treated as a thoracic surgeon in Augusta, GA during 2021 were cardiac procedures, minimally invasive procedures, vascular procedures and thoracic (chest) surgery procedures.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Richard Lee, MD for Medicare patients.

bypass surgery	11
cardiac procedures	80
doctor visit	53
minimally invasive procedures	29
open surgery	22
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	22
vascular procedures	29

2021 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Richard Lee, MD.

**Gender**
Male	47
Female	41

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	60
Black	17
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	34
From 75 to 84	34
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Richard Lee, MD in 2021

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	75
Depression	32
Chronic Kidney Disease	72
Asthma	13
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	32
Heart Failure	65
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	28
Diabetes	56
Dementia	23
Cancer	22

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2022 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Richard Lee, MD treated as a thoracic surgeon in Augusta, GA during 2022 were cardiac procedures, thoracic (chest) surgery procedures, open surgery and minimally invasive procedures.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Richard Lee, MD for Medicare patients.

bypass surgery	18
cardiac procedures	90
doctor visit	36
minimally invasive procedures	27
open surgery	36
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	36
vascular procedures	27

2022 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Richard Lee, MD.

**Gender**
Male	49
Female	31

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	58
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	32
From 75 to 84	29
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Richard Lee, MD in 2022

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	21
Ischemic Heart Disease	75
Depression	26
Chronic Kidney Disease	46
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	54
Heart Failure	53
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	26
Diabetes	40
Dementia	0
Cancer	20

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2012 - 2022

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Richard Lee, MD for Medicare patients.

The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. Richard Lee, MD treated as a thoracic surgeon in Augusta, GA were cardiac procedures, thoracic (chest) surgery procedures, open surgery and minimally invasive procedures.

ablation	15
bypass surgery	19
cardiac procedures	79
doctor visit	30
hospital care	20
inpatient care	20
minimally invasive procedures	21
open surgery	41
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	41
vascular procedures	21

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2012 - 2022

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Richard Lee, MD.

**Gender**
Male	45
Female	37

**Ethnicity**
Black / African American	1
Asian / Pacific Islander	0
Non-Hispanic White	58
Hispanic	0
Native American / Alaskan Native	0
Other	0

**Age**
75 to 84	13
85 and over	1
Less than 65	15
65 to 74	32

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Richard Lee, MD From 2012 - 2022

The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. Richard Lee, MD treated were hypertension, ischemic heart disease, high cholesterol and heart failure.

Hypertension	68
High Cholesterol	67
Stroke	7
Ischemic Heart Disease	68
Depression	31
Chronic Kidney Disease	59
Asthma	15
Osteoporosis	0
Heart Failure	63
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	31
Diabetes	47
Atrial Fibrillation	43
Cancer	10
Dementia	8

Education & Training

He completed residency at Rush University Medical Center. He is certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery and has a state license in Missouri.

Residency: Rush University Medical Center

Board Certification: American Board of Thoracic Surgery

Licensed In: Missouri

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. Richard Lee, MD is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

Wellstar

Ratings & Reviews

Dr. Richard Lee, MD has a high overall rating with an average of 4.44 out of 5 stars based on 158 ratings. We collect ratings and reviews of Dr. Richard Lee, MD from all over the web to help you find the right in Augusta, GA.

4.44

Overall Rating

(158 Ratings)

Leave a Review

General Payments

These charts describe general payments received by Dr. Richard Lee, MD. Doctors may receive payments for a number of reasons, including meal compensation, travel compensation, and consulting.

**Payments by Company**
AtriCure, Inc.	$16,463 LARIAT SUTURE DELIVERY DEVICE $7,808	ATRICLIP LAA EXCLUSION SYSTEM $5,128	AtriCure cryoICE cryoSPHERE Cryoablation System $2,559	Cardiovascular $473	EPI-SENSE GUIDED COAGULATION SYSTEM WITH VISITRAX $263	Other $232
KCI USA, Inc	$6,542 VAC THERAPY UNITS $5,400	VAC THERAPY $485	Advanced Wound Dressings $161	$496
Abbott Laboratories	$3,044 Mitra Clip system $2,676	ICDs $179	Vascular $172	MitraClip $17
Medtronic Vascular, Inc.	$1,487 CoreValve Evolut $1,416	$71
CryoLife, Inc.	$1,401 TMR $1,401
Other	$2,935 Impella $1,193	CoreValve Evolut $250	COREVALVE EVOLUT R $159	VASOVIEW $150	Heart Valve Repair $141	Other $1,042

**Types of Payments**
Consulting Fee	$23,675
Food and Beverage	$4,701
Travel and Lodging	$3,427
Compensation for serving as faculty or as a speaker for a non-accredited and noncertified continuing education program	$71

Research Payments

Dr. Richard Lee, MD has received 1 research payments totaling $2,700.

Biography

Dr. Richard Lee is a physician who specializes in thoracic surgery. He is rated highly by his patients. He is professionally affiliated with Wellstar. Dr. Lee trained at Rush University Medical Center and a hospital affiliated with Medical College of Wisconsin for residency.