Path to excellence at Stanford:
Dr. Pat Kasinpila's journey to becoming a heart surgeon
by Roxanna Van Norman
September 8, 2023
Dr. Patpilai Kasinpila shares her journey from a young student with an early passion for surgery to a surgeon specializing in heart surgery at Stanford Medicine.
From a young age, Patpilai Kasinpila, MD, knew she wanted to be a surgeon. Throughout college as a biomedical engineering student, she sought opportunities to shadow various surgeons across different specialties.
During one of these experiences, her faculty mentor encouraged her to observe a surgical case involving a mitral valve replacement. Witnessing the open-heart surgery had a profound impact on her. "I remember seeing the heart valve being lowered into the chest cavity," Dr. Kasinpila said. "I thought the whole thing was so elegant and brilliant."
The experience left her in awe of the surgical team's skillful precision with advanced equipment like the cardiopulmonary bypass machine and other devices. From that point on, Dr. Kasinpila knew she wanted to work with her hands, be directly involved in her patients' health, and have an impact in real-time.
Moved by this experience and with the support of her faculty mentor and deep passion for the field of medicine, Dr. Kasinpila embarked on a journey for the next 12 years that has shaped her into the surgeon she is today.
The start of a journey
Effective Sept. 1, 2023, Dr. Kasinpila is the newest faculty member at Stanford, having joined as a clinical assistant professor in the Stanford Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery.
Dr. Kasinpila recently completed her residency in the prestigious Stanford Integrated Cardiothoracic Surgical Training Program. "It will be exciting on the other side of the operating table," she said.
Dr. Kasinpila is the first in her family to become a doctor. She was 12 years old when she moved to the United States from Thailand. During her upbringing, she watched her parents persevere through the challenges of being in a new country while raising a family, including her younger brother and herself.
She completed her undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering at the University of Florida (UF), and went on to receive her medical training at the UF College of Medicine.
Throughout her early years in medical school, Dr. Kasinpila worked closely with her mentors, who nurtured her passion for thoracic and cardiovascular surgery. After completing her medical training in 2015, she pursued the intensive, eight-year residency program in cardiothoracic surgery at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
Dr. Kasinpila with residency program director Dr. Michael Fischbein on her last case as a resident
A whirlwind of growth
Over the years, her growth was accelerated by Stanford's collaborative and supportive environment, with contributions from faculty mentors and colleagues who were all deeply invested in her training.
"It was a whirlwind of great experiences at Stanford," Dr. Kasinpila said of her time as a resident. "From the beginning, everyone - from anesthesia to the ICU team to the surgical attendings - was so helpful and loved teaching. Everyone had their hand in my education in shaping who I am today."
During her residency, she was given access to a diverse array of surgical cases, an extraordinary training component that Stanford offers its cardiothoracic surgery trainees. The exposure to a high volume of patients with complex and rare cases further honed her expertise in this specialized field.
Dr. Kasinpila noted that training at a world-class academic medical center like Stanford, combined with the collegial environment and the autonomy entrusted to each resident, allowed her to thrive and grow as a rising surgeon.
"I loved seeing how multiple attendings approach procedures slightly differently," she said. The collaborative workflow and the deep understanding among the surgical team members left a lasting impression on her.
As she continues to evolve as a surgeon, Dr. Kasinpila plans to integrate the various styles and experiences she has been exposed to during her training into her new role and work.
"They [surgeons] have different philosophies in how they operate, which has been a great learning experience because I think I will incorporate some of each into my own practice," said Dr. Kasinpila.
Surgical training
Dr. Kasinpila recalls the many unique cases she encountered with different surgeons. One recent and notable case was performing the first-ever beating-heart transplant using an organ from a cardiac death donor with the department chair and lead surgeon Joseph Woo, MD, and the operating team. This technique was the first time such a procedure had been achieved worldwide.
"Prior to the start of the case, we discussed the logistics of the procedure with our anesthesia, OR, and perfusion teams," said Dr. Kasinpila. No one in the room had seen anything like this before, she said, but they were ready, and the surgery was a success. Since then, the technique has been used in adult and pediatric patients several more times by cardiothoracic surgeons at Stanford Medicine.
Following the initial surgery, Dr. Kasinpila co-authored a study describing the procedure; it was published in the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Techniques in March 2023.
The opportunity to work alongside an esteemed surgeon like Dr. Woo exemplifies the spirit of innovation and collaboration within the department, according to Dr. Kasinpila.
"It truly demonstrates the innovative structure of our department, and part of it is having an exceptional surgeon and leader like Dr. Woo," she said.
Dr. Kasinpila with department chair Dr. Joseph Woo doing an en-bloc heart-lung transplant
Dr. Kasinpila’s mentor, Associate Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery William Hiesinger, MD, said that her experience in the surgical training program has developed her into a technical superstar among her peers and attendings.
"It was always a pleasure to have Pat assigned to one of my cases because I knew everything would be perfect," he said, noting that both her technical skills and her even-keeled temperament were an asset in the operating room.
Research endeavors
Beyond her clinical work, Dr. Kasinpila has also worked closely with Dr. Hiesinger in his laboratory on advancing research in machine learning and cardiovascular medicine.
One of the earlier lab projects Dr. Kasinpila worked on involved studying angiogenic peptides and building computational protein modeling to help further their investigation. She proposed that their project would be more efficient by using a computer-generated simulation – to have computational protein modeling figure out the best combinations for creating protein structures modeling.
Due to Dr. Kasinpila's meticulous oversight of the project, and with the support of Dr. Woo, Dr. Hiesinger's laboratory ultimately obtained a dedicated computation server, 'a supercomputer,' to help enhance their modeling capabilities. Today, the laboratory leverages cutting-edge advancements in language processing, computer vision, biomechanics, and transcriptomics in their research.
The advancements in this field have attracted prospective students and research professionals to seek opportunities to work in the laboratory, an outcome that Dr. Kasinpila is proud of.
"We have attracted students, residents, and postdocs interested in this field and have assembled a group of brilliant people who work now in Dr. Hiesinger's lab and do things that are beyond what I had dreamt of at the start of the lab," said Dr. Kasinpila.
Peer teaching and mentorship - Dr. Kasinpila shows a medical student an anatomical model of a mediastinoscopy. Photo credit: Winston Troupe
Looking ahead, joining the ranks
Drawing on her prior experience as a chief resident, Dr. Kasinpila has also spent time thinking about how she can make an impact in Stanford’s surgical residency program and advocate for residents as a faculty member.
"In addition to adding to the clinical firepower of the department, Pat will also contribute a lot to the education of residents," said Dr. Hiesinger, remarking on Dr. Kasinpila’s passion for resident education and training, particularly on identifying opportunities to enhance the pedagogy of surgical skills and teaching.
In a recent discussion with a faculty member, for example, Dr. Kasinpila explained the challenges of teaching spatial awareness of surgery to trainees. She wanted to improve teaching methods for surgical sewing patterns and needle angles during a procedure, guiding and perfecting surgical stitches, and developing ways to analyze a resident's progress in instrument handling.
These matters are important to her, as she is dedicated to developing ways to teach cardiac surgery effectively and to ensuring residents gain critical concepts in the operating room for the first time.
Dr. Kasinpila's experiences and mentorship at Stanford and her commitment to excellence have prepared her to become an exceptional cardiac surgeon for years to come.
"It's a great field to be in. It's constantly morphing," she said. "I look forward to what lies ahead, implementing what I learned into my own practice, and growing as a surgeon and a teacher."
Dr. Patpilai Kasinpila