
Carl Backer MD
Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, Pediatric Thoracic Surgery, Cardiovascular Surgery
Professor of Surgery, Chief of Cardiovascular Thoracic Surgery
800 Rose Street, C-259Lexington, KY 40536
Overview of Dr. Backer
Dr. Carl Backer is a thoracic surgeon in Lexington, KY and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital, Kentucky Childrens Hospital, and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. He received his medical degree from Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and has been in practice 46 years. Dr. Backer accepts several types of health insurance, listed below. He is one of 34 doctors at University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital and one of 16 doctors at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center who specialize in Thoracic Surgery. He has more than 100 publications and over 500 citings.
Education & Training
McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern UniversityResidency, Thoracic Surgery - Integrated, 1985 - 1987
McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern UniversityResidency, Surgery, 1980 - 1985
Mayo Clinic College of MedicineClass of 1980
Certifications & Licensure
OH State Medical License 2020 - 2028
IN State Medical License 2021 - 2027
KY State Medical License 2020 - 2027
MN State Medical License 2024 - 2027
IL State Medical License 1982 - 2026
FL State Medical License 2015 - 2022
American Board of Thoracic Surgery Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery
American Board of Thoracic Surgery Congenital Cardiac Surgery
Awards, Honors, & Recognition
- President Mayo Alumni Association
- Super Doctor SuperDoctors.com
- America's Top Doctors Castle Connolly, 2012-2020
Publications & Presentations
PubMed
- In Memoriam: Richard Van Praagh (1930-2025).Marshall L Jacobs, Carl L Backer
World Journal for Pediatric & Congenital Heart Surgery. 2026-03-01 - In Memoriam: Rachid F. Idriss (1959-2025).Constantine Mavroudis, Carl L Backer
World Journal for Pediatric & Congenital Heart Surgery. 2026-01-01 - Understanding our thoracic surgery workforce: Who, what, and where we practice.Jacob Daniel, Malcolm DeCamp, Jennifer Romano, Betty Tong, Michael Moulton
JTCVS Open. 2025-12-01
Journal Articles
- Pathologic Characteristics of 119 Archived Specimens Showing the Phenotypic Features of Hypoplastic Left Heart SyndromeMark Bleiweis, Carl L Backer, Seminars in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
- Coronary Arterial Abnormalities in Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome: Pathologic Characteristics of Archived SpecimensMark Bleiweis, Carl L Backer, Seminars in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
Authored Content
- Pathologic Characteristics of 119 Archived Specimens Showing the Phenotypic Features of Hypoplastic Left Heart SyndromeFebruary 2020
- Pathologic Characteristics of 119 Archived Specimens Showing the Phenotypic Features of Hypoplastic Left Heart SyndromeFebruary 2020
- Coronary Arterial Abnormalities in Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome: Pathologic Characteristics of Archived SpecimensFebruary 2020
Press Mentions
U.S. News & World Report Ranks Kentucky Children’s Hospital in Pediatric Cardiology, OrthopedicsOctober 7th, 2025
Meet Dr. Devlin, the Cardiac Center’s Newest Attending SurgeonJuly 8th, 2025
Double the Courage: Twins Born with Heart Defects Define ResiliencyFebruary 11th, 2025
Professional Memberships
- Member
- Member
Insurance Accepted
- Aetna Choice POS II
Aetna HMO
BCBS Blue Card PPO
BCBS Illinois BlueChoice Select
BCBS Illinois PPO
CIGNA HMO
CIGNA Open Access
CIGNA PPO
Cofinity PPO
Coventry Health Care PPO PlatinumFirst Health PPO
Great West PPO
HealthLink PPO
Humana ChoiceCare Network PPO
Multiplan PHCS PPO
Multiplan PPO
Sagamore Health Plus
United Healthcare - Direct Choice Plus POS
United Healthcare - Direct Options PPO - Please verify your coverage with the provider's office directly when scheduling an appointment
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