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Dr. Ray Kris Chihara, MD, PhD

Accepting New Patients

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Specializes in: Thoracic Surgery

Indiana University School of Medicine (2007)

Professional interests include: lung transplant

6550 FANNIN STREET SUITE 1501
Houston, TX 77030

(713) 441-5141

Dr. Ray Kris Chihara, MD, PhD is a thoracic surgeon in Houston, TX specializing in thoracic surgery. He graduated from Indiana University School of Medicine in 2007 and has 17 years of experience. Dr. Ray Kris Chihara, MD, PhD is affiliated with Houston Methodist and TMH PHYSICIAN ASSOCIATES PLLC.

Office Locations

Address:

6550 FANNIN STREET SUITE 1501
Houston, TX 77030

Some issues Dr. Ray Kris Chihara, MD, PhD can help you with:

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

“Dr. Erik Suarez, left, and assistant thoracic surgeon Ray Chihara, right, prepare to attach the right donor lung to Jesus' airway and pulmonary arteries.”—"A young dad clings to his only hope after a destructive COVID infection. It comes with a heavy price.", Houston Chronicle, February 2022

hospital care	97
inpatient care	97

**Gender**
Male	27
Female	18

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	31
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	20
From 75 to 84	0
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	67
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	64
Depression	27
Chronic Kidney Disease	60
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	33
Heart Failure	53
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	42
Diabetes	42
Dementia	0
Cancer	24

bronchoscopy	18
dissection	11
doctor visit	26
excision	11
hospital care	311
inpatient care	311
lymph node procedures	11
minimally invasive procedures	27
open surgery	12
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	22
thoracostomy	12

**Gender**
Male	77
Female	59

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	96
Black	18
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	62
From 75 to 84	33
85 and over	12
Less than 65	29

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	65
Stroke	12
Ischemic Heart Disease	68
Depression	37
Chronic Kidney Disease	66
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	16
Atrial Fibrilation	24
Heart Failure	47
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	53
Diabetes	43
Dementia	18
Cancer	24

bronchoscopy	35
doctor visit	68
hospital care	363
inpatient care	363
minimally invasive procedures	43
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	8

**Gender**
Male	82
Female	73

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	102
Black	28
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	66
From 75 to 84	42
85 and over	13
Less than 65	34

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	70
Stroke	14
Ischemic Heart Disease	71
Depression	37
Chronic Kidney Disease	72
Asthma	14
Osteoperosis	15
Atrial Fibrilation	37
Heart Failure	57
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	53
Diabetes	41
Dementia	21
Cancer	23

bronchoscopy	43
doctor visit	284
gastrointestinal procedures	56
hospital care	701
inpatient care	701
minimally invasive procedures	79
open surgery	11
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	9
thoracostomy	11
X-rays	18

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2018 - 2021

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Ray Kris Chihara, MD, PhD for Medicare patients.

The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. Ray Kris Chihara, MD, PhD treated as a thoracic surgeon in Houston, TX were hospital care, inpatient care, gastrointestinal procedures and minimally invasive procedures.

bronchoscopy	32
dissection	11
doctor visit	127
excision	11
gastrointestinal procedures	56
hospital care	368
inpatient care	368
lymph node procedures	11
minimally invasive procedures	51
open surgery	11
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	14
thoracostomy	11
X-rays	18

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2018 - 2021

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Ray Kris Chihara, MD, PhD.

**Gender**
Male	18
Female	15

**Ethnicity**
Black / African American	4
Asian / Pacific Islander	0
Non-Hispanic White	22
Native American / Alaskan Native	0
Hispanic	0
Other	0

**Age**
75 to 84	7
85 and over	2
Less than 65	6
65 to 74	14

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Ray Kris Chihara, MD, PhD From 2018 - 2021

The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. Ray Kris Chihara, MD, PhD treated were hypertension, chronic kidney disease, high cholesterol and ischemic heart disease.

Hypertension	22
High Cholesterol	20
Stroke	2
Ischemic Heart Disease	20
Depression	10
Chronic Kidney Disease	19
Asthma	1
Osteoporosis	3
Heart Failure	15
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	14
Diabetes	12
Atrial Fibrillation	9
Cancer	7
Dementia	3

Education & Training

Dr. Ray Kris Chihara, MD, PhD graduated from Indiana University School of Medicine in 2007. He has a state license in Georgia.

Medical School: Indiana University School of Medicine (2007)

Licensed In: Georgia

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. Ray Kris Chihara, MD, PhD is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

Houston Methodist

TMH PHYSICIAN ASSOCIATES PLLC

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General Payments

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

**Payments by Company**
Intuitive Surgical, Inc.	$16,830 Da Vinci Surgical System $10,830	ION $3,000	DAVINCI XI $3,000
Veran Medical Technologies, Inc.	$1,917 Spin $1,885	SPiN Thoracic Navigation System, 120V, 60Hz $33
Covidien Sales LLC	$1,283 Spacemaker $350	$933
Ethicon US, LLC	$560 LINX Reflux Management System $420	ECHELON FLEX CST System $122	VISTASEAL $19
AtriCure, Inc.	$516 AtriCure cryoICE cryoSPHERE Cryoablation System $250	ATRICURE CRYOICE CRYOABLATION SYSTEM (CRYO2) $158	SYNERGY ABLATION SYSTEM $81	ATRICURE CRYOSURGICAL SYSTEM $28
Other	$2,171 Relay Grafts $452	THORATEC HEARTMATE 3 LVAS IMPLANT KIT $314	On-X $204	ENDOFLIP $179	QuikClot $166	Other $855

**Types of Payments**
Education	$13,500
Food and Beverage	$6,989
Travel and Lodging	$2,765
Gift	$24

Biography

Dr. Ray Chihara's area of specialization is thoracic surgery. Clinical interests for Dr. Chihara include lung transplant. Dr. Chihara is professionally affiliated with Houston Methodist. He welcomes new patients at his office inHouston, TX as reported by Doctor.com. He is a graduate of Indiana University School of Medicine.