Friday, February 17, 2023
Most people know to seek immediate medical care when feeling pain or pressure in their chest, says cardiothoracic surgeon, Dawn Hui, MD. But our heart gives us early warning signs before a major heart attack that are often ignored including heartburn and swelling.
Here’s how to recognize the more subtle symptoms of heart disease — and what to do about them.
Make an appointment with a primary care provider to help lower your risk factors.
Dr. Hui is an adult cardiac surgeon. She enjoys aortic surgery including aortic root and aortic arch surgery, multiple arterial coronary bypass grafting, and structural heart interventions including transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Her passion is to continually improve patient’s lives and outcomes through collaborative approaches to patient care, and through community education on the prevention and treatment of heart disease. As such, she is a key member of the UT Health Heart Team, as well as a board member and President-Elect of the San Antonio Chapter of the American Heart Association.
A board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr. Hui obtained her medical degree and general surgery residency at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, followed by cardiothoracic surgical training at The University of Southern California. She is an Associate Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery at UT Health San Antonio. She also serves as Associate Program Director of the Thoracic Surgery Residency program and is the faculty advisor for the CT Surgery Interest group at the UT Health Long School of Medicine. Her research interests include clinical outcomes and translational research. She is an active mentor in both clinical and academic research for many students and residents.
Nationally, Dr. Hui is on the Editorial Boards of the Annals of Thoracic Surgery and The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, and serves on the STS PAC Board of Directors to promote advocacy for cardiothoracic surgery. A native of Texas, she is a graduate of The Juilliard School and was a violinist in the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra before changing careers. Since 2012 she has been blessed to be married to Justin Wirpel, a principal partner at Isogent, an information technology services company.