Dr. Stephen Laga is a renowned cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon who has performed more than 6,000 open-heart surgeries over a career that has spanned four decades. His experience in high-risk, often complicated surgeries has saved thousands of lives.
He mends hearts with a combination of skill, expertise and human connection. Known for his positive, reassuring bedside manner, Dr. Laga puts an emphasis on patient-centered care, clear communication, and individualized treatment plans that follow evidence-based medicine.
After earning his medical degree from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he did his internship at St. Louis University Group Hospitals, and completed his general surgery residency at Rush Presbyterian St. Luke’s Medical Center in Chicago and a thoracic surgery residency at Baylor College of Medicine. He further specialized with a fellowship in cardiovascular surgery at Baylor.
Dr. Laga was inspired by Dr. Micheal DeBakey after seeing him on a TV show with Dr. Denton Cooley. DeBakey, whose invention of a roller pump that made open-heart surgery possible, later became Dr. Laga’s teacher and mentor. “Dr. DeBakey took me through my first open-heart surgery. He was the gresates mentor, and I learned a tremendous amount from him.”
Throughout his career, Dr. Stephen Laga has held key roles at several prestigious institutions, including Froedtert South Medical Group, where he currently practices, as well as numerous hospitals across Illinois, Louisiana, and Texas. His military service as a Major in the U.S. Air Force Medical Corps further highlights his commitment to both patient care and leadership. Dr. Laga is board-certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery.
He handles the high-pressure environment he faces with every surgery by focusing on staying calm, listening actively, and being ready to adapt to the situation. This focus on clarity and adaptability defines his work, whether he’s leading a surgical team or explaining a diagnosis to a patient. His ability to stay composed in high-stakes settings has been honed through decades of experience, from his early training to his current role.
There have been many times – in fact, he says, it happens on a daily basis that he is reminded why he chose his profession, especially when he is able to provide a desperately ill patient with a good outcome. “I realize had I not intervened, the patient would have perished.”
The Goal: Excellent Outcomes and Quality Care for All
For Dr. Stephen Laga, success is patient satisfaction with excellent outcomes. He meets each patient’s unique needs while collaborating with them and their families to help them understand the patient’s medical condition and available treatment options while treating them with dignity and respect. “ You listen, you explain, and you show empathy,” he says, relying on active listening, paying attention to nonverbal cues like body language to understand a patient’s fears. This makes patients feel seen and heard, and it also helps him connect with patients, especially when delivering difficult news, building rapport, and building trust. Dr. Laga disregards a patient’s background and circumstances. “I treat every person as a human being and treat them with dignity and respect. Many times people did not choose their circumstances in life,” he says.
Dr. Laga believes that all Americans should have access to very high quality healthcare. He explains, “ In order to have real high quality healthcare we have to attract high quality healthcare personnel. The money that is used by physicians to protect them from legal situations could be used to provide more Americans with healthcare. The malpractice insurance costs are outrageous. I would also want to find out about why we have so many chronic illnesses. A very hard look at what we ingest, physical surroundings to see if they are related to chronic disease and what we can do to prevent them.”
What Sailing and Medicine Have in Common
To clear his mind and alleviate stress, Stephen Laga, MD finds peace and calm on the water. He likens his passion for sailing to medicine. “In sailing, you are 100% responsible for your boat and the people on it. You approach medicine where your actions take 100% responsibility. You cannot blame other people. Every once in a while the weather gives you problems, but in sailing you have to be familiar with many things that affect the outcome of the voyage. Life is a voyage. You must know the weather, the mechanics and the rules. Just like medicine. You must know how to navigate. Medicine, like sailing, is art, science and craft. You must be aware of the dangers and pitfalls in both sailing and medicine.”
On Advances and New Technology in Medicine
When considering new technologies and procedures in his field, Dr. Laga is circumspect, noting that one must be very careful about embracing new technologies rapidly, especially when they are expensive and the outcome has not been validated. He is excited, however, about a recent technique that he has embraced.
He acknowledges that a variety of problems have plagued cardiac surgery for a long time.
“People who have aortic stenosis have a problem with the size of their valves. There has been a new development to enlarge the aortic root, it’s called the Yang Technique. I have adopted it and it is exceedinging very important. It was developed in the last two to three years.”
A Legacy With Heart
If he was asked to give advice to young surgeons, it would be this, “Surgery is exceedingly difficult. It takes drive, tenacity, and a vision to succeed. You have to have a thirst for knowledge and a desire for continuous learning throughout your lifetime. Along with that you have to have a lot of compassion and know your limitations. Realize that this is not an easy career. This is not a 9 to 5 job and this will require an extraordinary effort. Have a thirst for lifelong learning. Be able to withstand withering criticism. In the face of dire circumstances, you must prevail.
As he reflects on mending hearts and inspiring young minds, Stephen Laga, MD ponders his legacy beyond the operating room, “My hope is that people will look at me and say I did the best I could do for them.”
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