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Home > CA Providers > Thoracic (Chest) Surgeons

Dr. Joanna Chikwe, MD

Accepting New Patients

(221 Ratings)

Specializes in: Thoracic Surgery

Oxford University Medical School

Professional interests include: aneurysm, transplant procedures, lung transplant, and more.

127 S. San Vicente Boulevard Pavilion, Suite A3600
Los Angeles, CA 90048

(310) 423-3851

Dr. Joanna Chikwe, MD is a thoracic surgeon in Los Angeles, CA specializing in thoracic surgery. She graduated from Oxford University Medical School. Dr. Joanna Chikwe, MD is affiliated with Cedars-Sinai.

Office Locations

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Address:

127 S. San Vicente Boulevard Pavilion, Suite A3600
Los Angeles, CA 90048

Some issues Dr. Joanna Chikwe, MD can help you with:

Coronary Artery Disease

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common type of heart disease. It happens when the blood vessels carrying blood to the heart, called coronary arteries, narrow and harden. This occurs when cholesterol, a type of fat found in the blood, builds up to form plaque, which sticks to the inner walls of the arteries. As plaque accumulates, less blood can flow through the arteries, which may lead to the following:

Angina, which is chest pain that occurs when the heart does not receive enough blood flow.
Heart attack, which happens if the arteries leading to the heart are completely blocked.
Arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat, which can develop if the heart does not have enough blood supply.
Heart failure, which may occur if a heart attack damages the heart and it becomes too weak to pump enough blood to the rest of the body.

Certain factors may increase risk for the disease, like smoking, lack of exercise, being overweight, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes. CAD tends to develop over decades, so it can go undetected until it has become quite severe. A diagnosis may be established using such tests as:

Electrocardiogram (ECG), which records the heart's electrical activity over a period of time. ECGs can detect whether there is enough blood flow to the heart or if a heart attack has occurred.
Echocardiogram (echo), which creates images of the heart using sound waves. Echos can show whether the heart is able to pump blood normally.
Stress tests, where an ECG or echo is combined with exercise, like riding a stationary bike or walking on a treadmill. This test is done to find out if the heart can function properly while performing a strenuous activity.

Treatments for the disease include medications such as vasodilators, like nitroglycerin, which dilates (widens) the coronary arteries. CAD may also be treated by a procedure called angioplasty with stent placement, where a balloon is inflated inside a diseased artery to flatten the plaque deposits against the artery walls, creating more room for blood to flow.

In some severe cases of the disease, multiple arteries may be blocked, and an open heart surgery called coronary artery bypass surgery may be necessary. This operation transplants a vessel from another part of the body to form a graft that goes past the narrowed arteries, thus enabling blood to flow around those arteries.

Heart Problems

The heart is one of the most important organs in the body. This smooth muscle expands and contracts rhythmically an entire lifetime, pumping blood to the lungs and then to every other cell in the body. When heart problems occur, it becomes difficult for the body to get the nutrients and oxygen it needs via the blood. So while there are a variety of illnesses and disorders that affect the heart, most of them cause weakness, exhaustion and shortness of breath. The most common heart conditions include heart disease, angina, arrhythmia, and valve disorders.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women. This includes coronary artery disease, heart attacks, congestive heart failure, and congenital heart disease. Some conditions, such as genetics, cannot be controlled. But there are many other things one can do to lower their risk for heart disease. Controlling high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, reducing or stopping smoking, exercising more and losing weight if needed, and eating a diet low in sodium can all protect the heart.

Angina is a squeezing type of chest pain that happens when the muscles around the heart don't get enough oxygen. It can be regular or infrequent. Usually, angina is caused by coronary heart disease. However, not all chest pain is angina. Chest pain can also be caused by a lung infection or panic attack, for example, so it is important to have any sudden pain checked.

Arrhythmia is the word for when the heart beats too fast, too slow, or irregularly with skipped beats. It can feel frightening, and depending on the type it can be dangerous, but in most cases arrhythmia is not serious and can be treated. It is very common, especially in older adults.

Heart valve problems can happen in any one of the the heart's four valves that keep blood flowing where it needs to go. Babies can be born with problems in their heart valves, or valves can be damaged by infections. The valves can stiffen and become less mobile, or they can stop closing properly and 'leak' when the heart beats. Valve problems can usually be repaired surgically.

Lung Transplant

Patients who have very severe lung disease may need a lung transplant. The diseased lung is entirely removed and replaced with a healthy lung, usually donated by a person who died. Either one or both lungs can be transplanted.

Contrary to popular belief, lung transplant is rarely used to treat lung cancer. It is a more common treatment for patients with other advanced lung diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, sarcoidosis, pulmonary fibrosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Lung transplant is a serious operation and is generally used as a last resort for patients who have only a short time to live without surgery.

During a transplant, an incision is made on the side of the chest (for a single lung) or in the middle (for both lungs). Patients may be hooked up to a heart-lung bypass machine, which will do the work of moving blood and oxygen through the body during the procedure. After the diseased lung is cut away from the main airway and blood vessels, the donor lung is stitched into place. Surgery may take as long as twelve hours, and a hospital stay of two to three weeks after surgery is not uncommon. For the first hours or day after surgery, patients use a ventilator, or a machine to help them breathe. Tubes will be inserted into the chest to help drain excess air and fluid. During recovery, physical therapy and breathing exercises are used to help the new lung work as well as possible.

Lung capacity is carefully monitored for several months after surgery. Patients who have had a transplant will also have to take anti-rejection drugs for the rest of their lives. These drugs stop the body's immune system from attacking the new lung. The main risks after a transplant are infection and rejection (when the immune system attacks the 'foreign' lung). A healthy lifestyle, including maintaining a diet high in vegetables and lean protein, not smoking, and getting enough exercise, is important to keeping the lungs functioning as well as possible. With proper care, many patients can live ten or even twenty years after a lung transplant.

In The News

“Stony Brook in 2016 appointed Dr. Joanna Chikwe as chief of cardiac surgery, and Stony Brook featured Chikwe, who is black, and her colleagues in a full-page New York Times ad "as a way to make...”—"UNM presidential finalist shares ideas for leading university", Albuquerque Journal , October 2017

“The Chairman of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at Mount Sinai St. Luke's, Dr. Joanna Chikwe specializes in performing reconstructive valve surgery using minimally invasive techniques.”—"Dr. Joanna Chikwe of Mount Sinai says valve disease occurs when heart valves don't function well, because they're either too tight or leaky", New York Daily News, May 2015

bypass surgery	10
cardiac procedures	13
doctor visit	14
hospital care	17
inpatient care	17
open surgery	19
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	19

**Gender**
Male	42
Female	28

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	35
Black	0
Hispanic	15
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

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

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	71
Depression	21
Chronic Kidney Disease	44
Asthma	19
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	24
Heart Failure	53
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	24
Diabetes	53
Dementia	0
Cancer	0

doctor visit	43

**Gender**
Male	49
Female	35

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	59
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	43
From 75 to 84	24
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	67
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	74
Depression	0
Chronic Kidney Disease	29
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	29
Heart Failure	44
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	18
Diabetes	48
Dementia	0
Cancer	0

bypass surgery	22
cardiac procedures	61
open surgery	43
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	43

**Gender**
Male	76
Female	42

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	68
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	0

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	75
Depression	0
Chronic Kidney Disease	61
Asthma	29
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	27
Heart Failure	69
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	24
Diabetes	53
Dementia	0
Cancer	0

bypass surgery	21
cardiac procedures	61
hospital care	10
inpatient care	10
open surgery	41
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	41

**Gender**
Male	39
Female	25

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	53
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

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

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	17
Ischemic Heart Disease	75
Depression	20
Chronic Kidney Disease	56
Asthma	34
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	36
Heart Failure	72
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	34
Diabetes	42
Dementia	19
Cancer	0

bypass surgery	40
cardiac procedures	95
doctor visit	8
hospital care	10
inpatient care	10
open surgery	79
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	79

**Gender**
Male	57
Female	32

**Age**
From 65 to 74	45
From 75 to 84	32
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	12
Ischemic Heart Disease	75
Depression	35
Chronic Kidney Disease	57
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	40
Heart Failure	63
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	22
Diabetes	43
Dementia	12
Cancer	0

bypass surgery	56
cardiac procedures	149
open surgery	111
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	111

**Gender**
Male	65
Female	24

**Age**
From 65 to 74	48
From 75 to 84	0
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	15
Ischemic Heart Disease	75
Depression	33
Chronic Kidney Disease	66
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	37
Heart Failure	65
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	29
Diabetes	49
Dementia	21
Cancer	0

bypass surgery	21
cardiac procedures	35
open surgery	41
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	41

**Gender**
Male	27
Female	18

**Age**
From 65 to 74	24
From 75 to 84	0
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	75
Depression	0
Chronic Kidney Disease	56
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	44
Heart Failure	75
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	0
Diabetes	38
Dementia	0
Cancer	0

cardiac procedures	47

**Gender**
Male	45
Female	17

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

**Age**
From 65 to 74	36
From 75 to 84	0
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	23
Ischemic Heart Disease	75
Depression	29
Chronic Kidney Disease	60
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	47
Heart Failure	75
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	0
Diabetes	24
Dementia	0
Cancer	0

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2013 - 2021

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Joanna Chikwe, MD for Medicare patients.

The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. Joanna Chikwe, MD treated as a thoracic surgeon in Los Angeles, CA were cardiac procedures, thoracic (chest) surgery procedures, open surgery and bypass surgery.

ablation	10
bypass surgery	28
cardiac procedures	79
doctor visit	22
hospital care	12
inpatient care	12
open surgery	59
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	59

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2013 - 2021

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Joanna Chikwe, MD.

**Gender**
Female	22
Male	40

**Ethnicity**
Black / African American	0
Asian / Pacific Islander	0
Non-Hispanic White	26
Native American / Alaskan Native	0
Hispanic	1
Other	0

**Age**
85 and over	0
75 to 84	11
Less than 65	0
65 to 74	27

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Joanna Chikwe, MD From 2013 - 2021

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

Hypertension	60
High Cholesterol	59
Stroke	6
Ischemic Heart Disease	59
Depression	13
Chronic Kidney Disease	42
Asthma	8
Osteoporosis	0
Heart Failure	51
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	15
Diabetes	35
Atrial Fibrillation	28
Cancer	0
Dementia	5

Education & Training

Dr. Joanna Chikwe, MD graduated from Oxford University Medical School. She completed residency at Cardiothoracic Surgery, Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospitals, London. She has a state license in New York.

Medical School: Oxford University Medical School

Residency: Cardiothoracic Surgery, Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospitals, London

Licensed In: New York

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. Joanna Chikwe, MD is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

Cedars-Sinai

Insurance Information

Please note: Insurance information may change at any time, and the provider may accept your insurance plan even if it is not listed below. Please contact the provider's office to confirm that your insurance is accepted.

Dr. Joanna Chikwe, MD appears to accept the following insurance providers: CIGNA PPO, CIGNA HMO, MultiPlan PPO, MultiPlan, United Healthcare PPO, Coventry PPO, United Healthcare HMO, Aetna, Railroad Medicare, United Healthcare, Anthem Blue Cross HMO, Humana, Anthem Blue Cross PPO, Cigna, Medi-Cal, Anthem, Health Net PPO, Health Net HMO, HealthSmart PPO, HealthSmart, Optima Health, First Health, Beech Street, Aetna PPO, Aetna HMO, Aids Healthcare Foundation HMO, Gold Coast PPO, Aids Healthcare Foundation PPO, Blue Shield California HMO, Health Net MAH, Aids Healthcare Foundation MAH, CareMore HMO, Blue Shield California PPO, Medicare MCR, Blue Shield California MAH and CareMore MAH.

Insurance Accepted by Provider includes:

According to our sources, Dr. Joanna Chikwe, MD accepts the following insurance providers:

CIGNA PPO

CIGNA HMO

MultiPlan PPO

MultiPlan

United Healthcare PPO

Coventry PPO

United Healthcare HMO

Aetna

Railroad Medicare

United Healthcare

Anthem Blue Cross HMO

Humana

Anthem Blue Cross PPO

Cigna

Medi-Cal

Anthem

Health Net PPO

Health Net HMO

HealthSmart PPO

HealthSmart

Optima Health

First Health

Beech Street

Aetna PPO

Aetna HMO

Aids Healthcare Foundation HMO

Gold Coast PPO

Aids Healthcare Foundation PPO

Blue Shield California HMO

Health Net MAH

Aids Healthcare Foundation MAH

CareMore HMO

Blue Shield California PPO

Medicare MCR

Blue Shield California MAH

CareMore MAH

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Ratings & Reviews

Dr. Joanna Chikwe, MD has an exceptional overall rating with an average of 5.0 out of 5 stars based on 221 ratings. We collect ratings and reviews of Dr. Joanna Chikwe, MD from all over the web to help you find the right in Los Angeles, CA.

Overall Rating

(221 Ratings)

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Reviews From Around The Web

Overall Rating: 5.0 2024-01-09