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James S. Gammie

James S. Gammie, MD

Cardiothoracic Surgery

Accepting New Patients

Highlights

Age Groups Seen

  • Young Adult 18-25
  • Adult 26-64
  • Older Adult 65+

Languages

  • English

Gender

Male

Johns Hopkins Affiliations:

  • Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Faculty

About James S. Gammie

Professional Titles

  • James T. Dresher, Sr. Professor in Cardiac Surgery
  • Surgical Lead and Co-Director, Johns Hopkins Heart and Vascular Institute
  • Cardiac Surgeon-in-Chief, Johns Hopkins Health System

Primary Academic Title

Professor of Cardiac Surgery

Johns Hopkins Physician

Logo for Johns Hopkins Physician

Background

James Gammie is the surgical lead and co-director for the Johns Hopkins Heart and Vascular Institute and cardiac surgeon-in-chief for the Johns Hopkins Health System.

With over 23 years of experience in cardiothoracic surgery, Dr. Gammie joined Johns Hopkins after serving as chief of the division of cardiac surgery at the University of Maryland Medical Center from 2012 to 2021. Dr. Gammie graduated from Brown University with a degree in biochemistry, and received his medical degree from the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Dr. Gammie trained in both general and cardiothoracic surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

His clinical and research efforts are focused on decreasing the mortality and morbidity of valve disease and improving the surgical treatment of mitral valve and other structural heart diseases. He performs over 225 mitral valve operations and interventions per year, and leads a cardiac surgery team that performs more than 1,200 cardiac operations annually. He is recognized by the Mitral Foundation and the American Heart Association as one of less than 25 reference surgeons in the U.S. for his experience in mitral valve repair and excellent patient outcomes.

Dr. Gammie has a strong interest in all aspects of heart valve disease, and has published more than 200 peer-reviewed contributions in leading specialty journals including The New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery and Circulation. He has served as a deputy editor for The Annals of Thoracic Surgery and as chair of the Access and Publications Committee of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database. He serves on the steering committee of the NHLBI-sponsored Cardiothoracic Surgery Trials Network, and led the protocol development committee of a worldwide randomized tricuspid valve surgery trial. He is a member of the Halsted Society and the 21st Century Cardiothoracic Surgical Society.

In 2011, Dr. Gammie was awarded the Johns Hopkins/University of Maryland Alliance for Science and Technology Development BioMaryland LIFE Prize, and he was named Entrepreneur of the Year at the University of Maryland Baltimore in 2014. He is the inventor of a novel transseptal catheter designed to simplify transcatheter cardiac procedures, and founded a commercial company to commercialize the device. With 20 issued or submitted patents, he continues to innovate in the mitral valve space, and recently published the world’s first clinical experience with a novel surgical repair for secondary mitral valve regurgitation, which was developed in his laboratory: mitral valve translocation. From 2016–2021, Dr. Gammie was consistently named a Top Doctor by Baltimore magazine, and in 2018 he received the Golden Apple Teacher of the Year award.

Find a Clinical Trial

View all trials by this principal investigator.

Recent News Articles and Media Coverage

Research Interests

Cardiovascular Device Development, Mitral Valve Repair, Outcomes Research in Structural Heart Disease, Transcatheter Interventions for Structural Heart disease

Honors

  • Baltimore Magazine "Top Doctor" Recognition, 11/1/19
  • Baltimore Magazine "Top Doctor" Recognition, 11/1/18
  • Golden Apple Teacher of the Year Award, 1/1/18
  • Baltimore Magazine "Top Doctor" Recognition, 11/1/17
  • Baltimore Magazine "Top Doctor" Recognition, 11/1/16
  • Baltimore Magazine "Top Doctor" Recognition, 11/1/14
  • Entrepreneur of the Year, University of Maryland, Baltimore, 1/1/14
  • Baltimore Magazine "Top Doctor" Recognition, 11/1/13
  • Baltimore Magazine "Top Doctor" Recognition, 11/1/12
  • BioMaryland LIFE Prize, 1/1/11
  • Nathan H. Carliner MD Scholar Award, Cardiovascular Disease,, 1/1/10
  • J. Maxwell Chamberlain Memorial Award, Adult Cardiac Surgery, 1/1/10
  • Hewlett Packard Stethoscope Award, 1/1/90

Memberships

  • American College of Surgeons,

    Member

  • Southern Thoracic Surgery Association,

    Member

  • Society of Thoracic Surgeons,

    Member

  • American College of Cardiology,

    Fellow

  • The Northeast Cardiothoracic Surgical Society,

    Member

  • International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery,

    Member

  • American Association of Thoracic Surgery
  • 21st Century Cardiothoracic Surgical Society,

    Member

  • The Bartley P. Griffith Surgical Society,

    Founder

  • The Halsted Society,

    Member

Locations

  1. Johns Hopkins Health Care & Surgery Center - Green Spring Station, Lutherville
    • 10755 Falls Road, Pavilion I STE 360, Lutherville, MD 21093
    • Get Directions

Expertise

Education

  • Fellowship: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Thoracic Surgery, 1999
  • Residency: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, General Surgery, 1995
  • Medical Education: University of Massachusetts Medical School, MD, 1990

Board Certifications

  • Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery: American Board of Thoracic Surgery, 2000

Insurance

Please contact the location directly to confirm your health plan is accepted.
Search plans
  • Aetna
  • CareFirst
  • Cigna
  • First Health
  • Geisinger Health Plan
  • HealthSmart/Accel
  • Johns Hopkins Health Plans
  • MultiPlan
  • Pennsylvania's Preferred Health Networks (PPHN)
  • Point Comfort Underwriters
  • Private Healthcare Systems (PHCS)
  • Veteran Affairs Community Care Network (Optum-VACCN)

Ratings & Reviews

4.9 out of 5

112 ratings, 58 reviews

The Patient Rating score is an average of all responses to physician related questions on the national CG-CAHPS Medical Practice patient experience survey through Press Ganey. Responses are measured on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the best score. Comments are also gathered from our CG-CAHPS Medical Practice Survey through Press Ganey and displayed in their entirety. Patients are de-identified for confidentiality and patient privacy.

Overall Rating by Patient
Provider Listened Carefully
Provider Explained Things Clearly
Provider Knew Medical History
Provider Showed Respect
Provider Spent Enough Time
Search reviews
    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 3/12/2026

    Dr Gammie was very knowledgeable, listened to my concerns, and explained the next steps for my treatment clearly.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 3/5/2026

    Awesome

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 3/5/2026

    Dr. Gammie was well prepared and a pleasure to meet and took the time to answer all my questions and questions from family with me.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 2/26/2026

    Very informative. Warm caring comments with follow up info offered

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 2/26/2026

    Calm, confident, expertise. World class

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 2/19/2026

    Dr Gammie is an outstanding physician. Highly professional. I was with my sister, an MD PhD and my son an MD in orthopedics. All of us were impressed with Dr Gammie. I feel blessed to have him as my surgeon.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 2/19/2026

    Answered all questions easily, gave good information as to what the next month will look like, very personable

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 2/12/2026

    Dr. Gammie was terrific.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 2/12/2026

    1st visit. Very matter of fact and low key which was helpful in talking about distressing issues.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 1/29/2026

    Excellent professional care, always the very best experience

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 1/29/2026

    When I left Dr. Gammie's office, I was less worried about my condition. He made me feel confident he could help me.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 1/29/2026

    All Good

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 1/15/2026

    Professional

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 1/15/2026

    Had clearly reviewed my imaging and provided detailed feedback and treatment advice

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 1/8/2026

    Explained the problem well.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 1/8/2026

    My cardiologist said if he needed heart surgery he would choose Dr. Gammie. I Agree my surgery went very well!

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 1/2/2026

    Wonderful doctors very caring and very skilled

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 12/11/2025

    Excellent care provided by Dr. Gammie and his team

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 12/11/2025

    An excellent team of providers led by Dr. Gammie that were through and responsive w/ any issues related recent surgery.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 12/4/2025

    Dr. Gammie was very personable. He was informed on my condition by my prior tests and the notes from the PA before enyering the room. He was thorough and gave clear direction for the best treatment for my condition. I appreciated his clear and direct recommendations and need for the surgery. He answered all of our questions and advised me to check into another physician for another condition.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 12/4/2025

    Dr. Gammie's professional and kind. He explained everything and put my mind at ease for my upcoming surgery. He had a good spirit about him.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 11/20/2025

    He was awesome as was the PA. Took time with me, answered all my questions. He was very reassuring.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 11/20/2025

    My first visit with the cardiac surgeon who will be providing my mitral valve prolapse surgery and he put me at ease with his clear command of this procedure

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 11/20/2025

    Good communication skills, thoughtful and caring.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 11/20/2025

    Dr. Gammie is the best in the world. I am eternally grateful for his skills

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 11/20/2025

    We waited over 3 hours without anyone informing us of a reason for the delay. We were told to be there at 3 pm. We arrived at 2:45 and didn't see the doctor but his PA which was fine but no one even told us that there was going to be a long delay or a reason why there was a delay.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 11/13/2025

    Excellent in explaining my condition and step by step of surgery process

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 11/13/2025

    Very knowledgeable, excellent job of explaining everything

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 10/30/2025

    Dr. James Gammie and his team are absolutely first class in all respects.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 10/2/2025

    Friendly and easy to understand. He put me at ease.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 9/18/2025

    Very humble and knowledgeable of my condition. Took his time and explain what's the best option to move forward.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 9/18/2025

    Dr. Gammie was friendly And warm, yet extremely professional. As a physician myself his demeanor, attitude and competence were superb in my view

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 9/11/2025

    Nice

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 9/4/2025

    Dr Gammie and Ms. Koenigsberg are the best catches they do,

    4 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 8/28/2025

    Very clear in his responses and observation. Made me very comfortable.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 8/28/2025

    Dr. Gammie was very knowledgeable and explained the surgery that he was going to perform on me. I felt very comfortable knowing he was the surgeon assigned to me.

    2 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 8/28/2025

    Was not prepared for the meeting, and had his decision made on what his thoughts were prior to meeting me

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 8/7/2025

    Very good behavior and feel soComfortable

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 8/7/2025

    Both the doctor, his associate [staff] and [staff] in his office were excellent sources of information and actually answered many of the questions I had before I could even ask. Everyone was very efficient and knew the information they were explaining. That in itself gave me a high level of confidence in coming to see this doctor. Then the doctor himself made me feel comfortable with his expertise. I don't feel as nervous and afraid as I was feeling before meeting this team! They all seem to work together and know how to present it.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 8/7/2025

    Excellence

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 8/7/2025

    Excellent

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 7/31/2025

    Both [staff], the Nurse Practitioner and Dr.Gammie were exceptional providers.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 7/17/2025

    I was very happy with my experience with Dr Gammie. He answered all my questions and made me feel like ease. I would certainly recommend him to anyone needing his services as a Heart surgeon specialist.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 7/3/2025

    Very pleasant and explained in terms I thoroughly understood

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 6/26/2025

    Knowledgeable, friendly- covered all the bases.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 6/19/2025

    Kind, caring, compassionate, and highly skilled

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 6/19/2025

    The doctor ordered pre op tests that are to be done a week before scheduled elective open heart surgery. He reviewed tests that were ordered in June by [staff]

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 6/5/2025

    Doctor was very informative and explained in detail any questions I had.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 5/29/2025

    Very kind, informative and listened to us very patiently.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 5/22/2025

    Dr. Gammie and his assistant [ ] were professional, knowledgeable and gave me a secure feeling about my upcoming surgery.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 5/15/2025

    Dr. Gammie gave me back decades by performing excellent mitral valve repair. Visited me twice during my hospital stay- that was a real mood booster. He is amazing.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 5/8/2025

    Friendly, clear, polite and informative

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 5/8/2025

    Excellent results from beginning to end

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 5/8/2025

    Dr. Gammie explained his approach to mitral valve repair in a clear and thorough manner. He listened to my comments and answered all my questions. I have great confidence in Dr. Gammie's expertise.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 4/24/2025

    I went in for a consult and left knowing this is the surgeon that I wanted.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 4/24/2025

    World class

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 4/17/2025

    Dr. Gammie reviewed all of the tests I had previously received at St Joseph's Hospital. He felt that with two leaking heart valves, surgery was too risky for me. He sent me to a cardiac Interventionist at Hopkins [staff] who I will meet with on May 21st.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 4/17/2025

    I was very impressed with both the Doctor and Nurse Practitioner - they were very thorough and answered all of my questions.