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Darrell Cass, MD, Pediatric (General) Surgery, Cleveland, OH, Cleveland Clinic

DarrellL.CassMDFACS, FAAP

Pediatric (General) Surgery • Cleveland, OH

Chief, Section of Fetal Surgery; Co-Director, Fetal Care Center, Cleveland Clinic; Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgeon; Fetal Surgeon; Co-Founder Texas Children's Fetal Center (2001); Former Faculty Baylor College of Medicine (2001-2017)

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Summary

  • Dr. Cass serves as Chief, Section of Fetal Surgery and Co-Director, Fetal Care Center at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, OH. Formerly, he was Co-Founder of the Texas Children's Fetal Center in 2001; one of only a few centers in the world to perform successful open fetal surgery for life-threatening fetal malformations (CCAM and sacrococcygeal teratoma). Dr. Cass leads the fetal surgical team at Cleveland Clinic Fetal Care Center which has since gone on to perform similar life-saving fetal surgical procedures for complex conditions (intrapericaridal teratoma and CCAM).

    Dr. Cass is a pediatric general and thoracic surgeon with particular expertise in fetal treatments and the surgical care and management of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), lung malformations (CCAM, CPAM, sequestration), omphalocele, ECMO, esophageal atresia, chest wall deformities (i.e. pectus excavatum), minimally invasive surgery, newborn surgical conditions, thoracoscopic lobectomy, and ovarian disorders. Dr. Cass is a former NIH-funded research investigator for study of scarless fetal tissue repair and fetal vascular wall healing.

    • Fetal Surgery Team Resects Huge Congenital Lung Malformation

    A 24-week-old fetus with a massive, imminently lethal right lung mass recently underwent successful open fetal resection at Cleveland Clinic and was subsequentl

    EXIT-to-Resection of Large Lung Mass Results in Positive Outcome

    A multidisciplinary team led by Cleveland Clinic pediatric and fetal surgeon Darrell Cass, MD, performs an EXIT-to-resection procedure, exteriorizing a large, r

    Myelomeningocele Repairs Launch the Era of Fetal Surgery at Cleveland Clinic

    A multidisciplinary team led by Darrell Cass, MD, has repaired myelomeningocele defects in two patients prior to birth, marking the successful beginning of Clev

    EXIT-to-Airway Fetal Surgery Results in Safe Delivery

    In a complex fetal surgery procedure performed in December at Cleveland Clinic, a multidisciplinary team led by pediatric and fetal surgeon Darrell Cass, MD, es

    Cleveland Clinic Fetal Surgeons Resect Rare Intrapericardial Teratoma

    A multidisciplinary Cleveland Clinic team led by Darrell Cass, MD, has successfully performed a challenging fetal surgery to remove an intrapericardial teratoma

    Baby is thriving after surgery to remove tumor while in the womb

    At 25 weeks pregnant, Sam Drinnon learned that her unborn baby had a tumor compressing the heart - and doctors would need to perform fetal surgery to save him.

    The Unborn Patient: Prenatal Diagnosis and Management of the Fetus with Gastrosc

    International symposium discussing prenatal diagnosis, risk-stratification, fetal treatment and perinatal management of gastroschisis and omphalocele.

    Innovations in Fetal Surgery Part II: Treating Lung Malformations

    Learn about new, innovative methods to treat lung malformations and other fetal issues, as well as what's on the horizon in the growing practice of fetal surger

    Fetal Lung Malformations - Ivanhoe Broadcast News, Inc.

    CLEVELAND, Ohio (Ivanhoe Newswire) - Not only can fetal lung malformations cause breathing and feeding problems, they can even lead to infant heart failure. Sur

    Myelomeningocele Repairs Launch the Era of Fetal Surgery at Cleveland Clinic

    A multidisciplinary team led by Darrell Cass, MD, has repaired myelomeningocele defects in two patients prior to birth, marking the successful beginning of C...

    MD Insights: Dr. Darrell Cass

    Listen to Dr. Darrell Cass as he talks about why he chose pediatric surgery, what fetal surgery encompasses, such as imaging, surgery, and other the specialt...

    HealthWatch: Saving baby Evelyn

    HealthWatch: Saving baby Evelyn

    Cleveland Clinic doctor who helped separate conjoined twins performs follow-up s

    CLEVELAND, Ohio (WJW) -- Adeline and Knatalye Mata of Lubbock, Texas, came into the world in 2014 as conjoined twins, connected from the chest to the pelvis and

    Cleveland Clinic repairs birth defect, baby makes full recovery

    CLEVELAND - When an unborn child is diagnosed with a birth defect parents want the best doctors in the world -- and the Cleveland Clinic has one of the best. A

    Darrell Cass, MD | Cleveland Clinic

    Find professional and biographical information about Cleveland Clinic physician Darrell Cass, MD

    Building a Comprehensive Fetal Treatment Program (Cass) 4/5/17

    Schisgall Lecture Building a Comprehensive Fetal Treatment Program Presented by Darrell L. Cass, MD, FACS, FAAP Associate Professor, Departments of Surgery, Ped

    Open Fetal Surgery for life-threatening lesions

    Lecture Series

    Fetal Surgery for CCAM

    Meet the baby who was born twice

    "They saw something on the scan, and the doctor came in and told us that there was something seriously wrong with our baby and that she had a sacrococcygeal ter

    Mediasite Catalog

    Open-fetal operation saves infant's life

    It was an eleventh hour attempt to save the tiniest of lives. In some of the most dramatic video we've ever broadcast, see the hand of a five month old fetus --

    Conjoined twins separated at Texas Children's Hospital

    Houston doctors have successfully separated two 10-month-old girls fused from the chest to the lower trunk, one of the more complex configurations of conjoined

    Darrell L. Cass, M.D.

    Associate Professor of Surgery Division of Pediatric Surgery Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX, US Co-Director, Texas Children's Fetal Center Pediatric Gen

Clinical Expertise

  • Pediatric general surgery, Fetal surgery, Neonatal surgery, Thoracic surgery, Pectus excavatum, Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures, Hiatal hernia, Diaphragmatic surgery, Diaphragmatic eventration, Congenital Cystic Adenomatoid Malformation of Lung, Esophageal surgery, Omphalocele, Gastroschisis, Esophageal atresia, Duodenal atresia, Imperforate anus, Hirschsprung's disease, Diaphragmatic hernia, Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, Sacrococcygeal teratoma, Pediatric neck masses, Lymphatic malformations, Vascular malformations, General / Gastrointestinal surgery, Congenital pulmonary airway malformation, Neonatal lung development abnormalities, Minmally invasive thoracic surgery, Pulmonary surgery, Thoracoscopic sympathectomy, Thoracoscopic resection of mediastinal masses, Thoracoscopic lung resection, Abdominal wall defects, Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery

Education & Training

  • Baylor College of Medicine
    Baylor College of MedicineFellowship, Pediatric Surgery, 1999 - 2001
  • University of California (San Francisco)
    University of California (San Francisco)Chief Residency, Surgery, 1998 - 1999
  • University of California (San Francisco)
    University of California (San Francisco)Residency, Surgery, 1997 - 1998
  • Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
    Children's Hospital of PhiladelphiaPost-Doctoral Fellowship, Fetal Surgery/ Fetal Surgery Research, 1995 - 1997
  • University of California San Francisco School of Medicine
    University of California San Francisco School of MedicinePost-Doctoral Fellowship, Fetal Surgery/ Fetal Surgery Research, 1994 - 1995
  • University of California (San Francisco)
    University of California (San Francisco)Residency, Surgery, 1992 - 1994
  • University of California (San Francisco)
    University of California (San Francisco)Internship, Surgery, 1991 - 1992
  • David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
    David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLAClass of 1991
  • Stanford University
    Stanford UniversityBA, Human Biology, 1982 - 1986

Certifications & Licensure

  • FL State Medical License
    FL State Medical License 2023 - 2026
  • OK State Medical License
    OK State Medical License 2014 - 2025
  • OH State Medical License
    OH State Medical License 2017 - 2025
  • TX State Medical License
    TX State Medical License 2001 - 2025
  • CA State Medical License
    CA State Medical License 2017 - 2024
  • IN State Medical License
    IN State Medical License 2017 - 2021
  • WA State Medical License
    WA State Medical License 2010 - 2019
  • American Board of Surgery Surgery
  • American Board of Surgery Pediatric Surgery
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Awards, Honors, & Recognition

  • America's Top Doctors Castle Connolly, 2013-2022
  • Top Doctors:SE Texas Castle Connolly, 2013
  • Top Doctor US News and World Report, 2012
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Publications & Presentations

PubMed

Journal Articles

  • Mainstem Bronchial Atresia: A Lethal Anomaly Amenable to Fetal Surgical Treatment  
    Zamora IJ, Olutoye OO, Cassady CI, Lee TC, Ruano R, Cass DL, J Pediatr Surg, 5/1/2014
  • Prenatal MRI Fetal Lung Volumes and Liver Herniation Predict Pulmonary Morbidity in Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH)  
    Zamora IJ, Olutoye OO, Cass DL, Fallon SC, Lazar DA, Cassady CI, Larimer EL, Welty SE, Minard CG, Belfort MA, Lee TC, J Pediatr Surg, 5/1/2014
  • Fetal MRI Improves Diagnostic Accuracy in Patients Referred to a Fetal Center for Suspected Esophageal Atresia  
    Ethun CG, Fallon SC, Cassady CI, Mehollin-Ray A, Olutoye OO, Zamora IJ, Lee TC, Welty SE, Cass DL, J Pediatr Surg, 5/1/2014
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Books/Book Chapters

  • Handbook of Dialysis Therapy 
    Chapter: Chapter 87: Vascular Access in Children 
    Page 1247 - 1261Cass DL, Nuchtern JEditors: Nissenson AR, Fine RN.Elsevier, Burlington, MAEdition 4th,2007
  • Prenatal Diagnosis 
    Chapter: Fetal Surgery-Open-Congenital Cystic Adenomatoid Malformation 
    Page 627 - 632Cass DL, Adzick NSEditors: Evans MI, Johnson MP, Yaron Y, Drugan A.McGraw Hill, New York2006
  • Greenfield's Surgery: Scientific Principles and Practice 
    Chapter: Fetal Intervention 
    Page 1830 - 1838Cass DLEditors: Mulholland MW, Lillemoe KD, Doherty GM, Maeir RV, Upchurch GR.Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, PhiladelphiaEdition 4th,2005
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Abstracts/Posters

  • Comparing characteristics and outcomes in infants with prental and postnatal diagnosis of esophageal atresia
    Ethun CG, Fallon SC, Olutoye OO, Brandt ML, Lee TC, Welty SE, Ruano R, Cass DL, Academic Surgical Congress, San Diego, CA, 2/3/2014
  • Not All Pulmonary Hypoplasia Is the Same: A Comparison of Pulmonary Outcomes in Neonates with Congenital Lung Malformations and Diaphragmatic Hernia
    Askinkuotu AC, Sheikh F, Zamora IJ, Cass DL, Lee TC, Cassady CI, Mehollin-Ray A, Williams J, Welty SE, Olutoye OO, Academic Surgical Congress, San Diego, CA, 2/3/2014
  • Near-infrared Spectroscopy: A Potential Tool to Monitor for Neurologic Complications in Neonatal ECMO Patients
    Sheikh F, Zamora IJ, Ethun CG, Kim M, Cass DL, Lee TC, Welty SE, Olutoye OO, Academic Surgical Congress, San Diego, CA, 2/3/2014
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Lectures

  • Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment Update 
    Keystone, CO - 2/23/2014
  • Prenatal Diagnosis and Perinatal Management of Fetal Lung Masses 
    Monterrey, Mexico - 9/12/2013
  • Abdominal Wall Defects 
    Monterrey, Mexico - 9/12/2013
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Other

  • The Tiniest Patients: Helping Babies before Birth with Prenatal Surgery 
    Fit Pregnancy
    10/1/2013
  • Medical Breakthroughs 
    The Doctors
    9/4/2012
  • Extreme Births 
    The Learning Channel
    1/23/2011
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Authored Content

  • Evaluating Quality of Life of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Survivors Using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory SurveyMarch 2018
  • Evaluating Quality of Life of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Survivors Using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory SurveyMarch 2018

Press Mentions

  • Second Successful Fetal Open Heart Surgery in the World Saves Beaver Baby’s Life
    Second Successful Fetal Open Heart Surgery in the World Saves Beaver Baby’s LifeFebruary 8th, 2022
  • Cleveland Clinic Successfully Performs Risky Fetal Surgery for Second Time History
    Cleveland Clinic Successfully Performs Risky Fetal Surgery for Second Time HistoryDecember 25th, 2021
  • Family Travels to Cleveland for Surgery to Correct Spinal Issue on Unborn Baby
    Family Travels to Cleveland for Surgery to Correct Spinal Issue on Unborn BabyDecember 18th, 2020
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Grant Support

  • Mechanisms of Scar-Free Healing in the Fetal ArteryNIH2006–2010
  • Investigation into Mechanisms of Regenerative Healing in the Fetal Artery WallAmerican Heart Association- Texas Affiliate2003–2005
  • The Role of Cell Adhesion Molecules in Fetal Wound RepairJuvenile Diabetes Foundation International1995–1997

Committees

  • Institutional Representative, North American Fetal Therapy Network (NAFTNet) 2020 - Present
  • Vice Chair, Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy, APSA 2019 - Present

Professional Memberships

Other Languages

  • Spanish

Hospital Affiliations

External Links

  • Fetal Surgeryhttp://www.cnn.com/2016/10/20/health/baby-born-twice-fetal-surgery/index.html

Dr. Darrell Cass, Dr. Darrell Cass, MD, Dr. D Cass, Dr. Darrell L. Cass