Dr. Ajit K. Tharakan

Current Positions

• Chief and Consultant Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgeon

  Oklahoma Heart Institute & Hillcrest Medical Center

• Surgical Director

  Mechanical Circulatory Support and Advanced Heart Failure, OHI

Education and Training

• Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA

  Chief Resident Cardiothoracic Surgery

  2006-2008

• Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA

  Chief Resident Cardiac Surgery

  2007- 2008

• School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO

  Chief Resident General Surgery, Hugh E. Stephenson Department of Surgery

  2003- 2006

• School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO

  Research Scholar, Hugh E. Stephenson Department of Surgery

  Research

  2001-2002

• Christian Medical College & Hospital, Vellore, Tamilnadu, India

  Chief Resident Cardiothoracic Surgery

  MCh- CVTS

  1999- 2001

• St. John’s Medical College Hospital, Bangalore, Karnataka, India

  Surgical Resident General Surgery

  MS (General Surgery)

  1995- 1998

• Sri Ramachandra Medical College & Research Institute, Sri Ramachandra Hospital, Madras, Tamilnadu, India

  Medical School and Resident Intern

  M.B.B.S

  1988- 1994

• Don Bosco Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Madras , Tamilnadu, India

  Higher Secondary School Certificate

  1986- 1988

• Clinical associate Professor of Medicine- University of Oklahoma College of Medicine

  2017- Present

• Associate Professor & Division Chief Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery Hugh E. Stephenson Department of Surgery,Columbia, MO

  2016- 2017

• Assistant Professor & Division Chief Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery Hugh E. Stephenson Department of Surgery, Columbia, MO

  2009- 2016

• American Board of Thoracic Surgery

• American Board of Surgery

• Oklahoma Medical Board

• Missouri Board of Registration for the Healing Arts

• ECFMG Certification

• Membership Exam, The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh

• M.Ch. (Master of Chirurgie), Tamilnadu M.G.R. University

• M.S. General Surgery, Bangalore University

• Diplomate of National Board of Examiners, New Delhi, India

• Tamilnadu Medical Council

• Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS degree)

• Coronary artery bypass surgery including high risk redo coronary bypass surgery and off pump bypass surgery

• Surgery for heart failure

  • Mechanical support for cardiogenic shock
  • ECMO -venoarterial and venovenous
  • Impella and Tandem heart devices
  • Implantation of Durable Mechanical support devices
  • LVAD- Heartmate 3 Implantation

• Heart valve surgery

  • Aortic valve surgery
  • Aortic valve repair
  • Mitral valve repair
  • Minimally invasive right thoracotomy mitral repair
  • Surgery for infective endocarditis
  • Transcatheter valve interventions

• Aortic surgery

  • Valve sparing aortic root surgery (David & Yacoub root surgery)
  • Composite aortic root replacements
  • Ascending and arch replacements
  • Total arch replacements
  • Frozen elephant trunk replacements of the arch and descending thoracic aorta
  • Aortic surgery for Marfan and other connective tissue disorders

• Surgery for Adult Congenital heart diseases

  • Redo Fontan revisions
  • Redo Valve and conduit revisions

• Surgery for lung cancer

  • Lobectomies
  • Segmentectomies
  • Wedge resections
  • Robot assisted lung surgery

• Surgery for esophageal diseases

  • Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy
  • Transhiatal esophagectomy
  • Robotic assisted Minimally invasive esophagectomy ( RAMIE)

• Surgery for tracheal diseases

  • Tracheal resection and reconstruction
  • Dilations

• Surgery for Cardiac arrhythmias

  • Maze procedure
  • Robotic assisted exclusion of left atrial appendage

• Surgery for pericardial diseases

• Surgery for Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

• Top AAPI Doctors

  2024, 2025

• Oklahoma Magazine

  2023, 2024, 2025

• Castle Connolly's Top Doctors

  2022

• Recognized as MU’s top faculty achiever

  2017

• Coulter Award for translational research – Near infra-red navigation system (NAVI) for image-guided surgery in coronary artery bypass grafting

  2016

• MSHP Student Presentation Best Poster Award 2014, Analysis of the Safety and Efficacy of Recombinant Factor Vll a Use in Acute Aortic Dissection Repair

  2014

• Nomination for Kenneth Schwartz Compassionate Caregiver Award

  2009

• Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society, University of Missouri

  2006

• FIRST Rank in ABSITE Examination, University of Missouri

  2004-2005

• Dr. Susheela Santhosam GOLD MEDAL for Excellence in the field of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery

  2001

• Delivering the Difference (memo of merit for exceptional service)

  2003-2006

• FIRST Rank and GOLD MEDAL in the state of Tamil Nadu, India Board Certification Examination in Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (M.Ch.)

  2001

• Best Paper Award Surgical Society of Bangalore

  1996

Organizations

• American College of Surgeons Fellow

  2015- Present

• Society of Thoracic Surgeons (active member)

  2015- Present

• Society of Thoracic Surgeons (candidate member)

  2008- 2014

• Cardiorenal Medicine (Journal Reviewer)

  2014- Present

• Annals of Thoracic Surgery (Journal Reviewer)

  2012- Present

• Alpha Omega Alpha, Honor Medical Society, University of Missouri

  2006

• Massachusetts Medical Society

  2006-2009

• National Academy of Medical Sciences, New Delhi- Member

  2004

• Diplomate of National Board of Examiners, New Delhi, India

  1999

Insurance

• Aetna
• Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield
• Blue Cross Blue Shield
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
• CMS
• Capital Blue Cross
• Cigna
• Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield
• Oscar
• Oxford Health Plans
• United Health Care