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Leonard Wudel, MD, Thoracic Surgery, Fairview Park, OH, Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital

LeonardJamesWudelMD

Thoracic Surgery • Fairview Park, OH

Adult General Thoracic Surgery, Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery, Thoracic Surgical Oncology

Cleveland Clinic, Western Regional Director, Thoracic Surgery

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Summary

  • Leonard James Wudel, Jr., MD is a master surgeon who has spent the last 18-years practicing, perfecting, and teaching all aspects of advanced, complex general thoracic surgery in a variety of settings. He has performed over 8,000 operations, including more than 2,000 robotic procedures. He is a key national opinion leader and pacesetter in minimally invasive thoracic surgery. Dr. Wudel is a proven servant leader and innovator. He is a valued coach and mentor, a dynamic speaker, and an award-winning educator.
    Dr. Wudel is currently the Western Regional Director for Thoracic Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. He is also the Chief of Thoracic Surgery at Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital. In his current position he has been tasked with oversight of a complex general thoracic surgery program in the Clinic’s western region. In the past three years he has developed and leveraged a multidiscipline program including a thoracic tumor board, a lung nodule clinic, and the introduction of interventional pulmonary services as well as complex, minimally invasive surgical services.
    Formally, Dr. Wudel was the Director of Thoracic Surgical Oncology at Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston Salem, North Carolina where he was able to establish a best practice thoracic surgery enhanced recovery after surgery program. He was nationally recognized and established one of the largest regional referral centers for the mid-Atlantic United States. He helped develop the Lung Cancer Survivorship program. He has trained scores of fellows, residents, and medical students.
    Dr. Wudel has been able to grow personally to strengthen his professional career. He has completed the Harvard Medical School Surgical Leadership Program-2024. He has completed the Cleveland Clinic Heart, Vascular and Thoracic Personal Leadership Development Series. He has received his Distinguished Educator Certificate from the Cleveland Clinic Education Institute in Cleveland, Ohio and continues to te

Clinical Expertise

  • Adult general thoracic surgery, Thoracic surgical oncology, Minimally invasive thoracic surgery, Robotic Lung and Esophageal Surgery, Wound management, Minimally invasive surgery, Diaphragmatic hernia, Lung volume reduction surgery, Congenital Chest Wall Abnormalities, Video Assisted Minimally Invasive Lung and Esophageal Surgery, Tracheal surgery, Lung cancer, Malignant Esophageal Disease, Pleural disease, Fiberoptic bronchoscopy, Lymphadenectomy

Education & Training

  • Harvard Medical School
    Harvard Medical SchoolHarvard Medical School, Post Graduate Medical Education, Surgical Leadership Program, 2023 - 2024
  • Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
    Case Western Reserve University School of MedicineREFRAME program, Career Development , 2023 - 2024
  • University of Michigan Health System
    University of Michigan Health SystemFellowship, Thoracic Surgery, 2004 - 2006
  • Vanderbilt University Medical Center
    Vanderbilt University Medical CenterResidency, Surgery, 1997 - 2004
  • Vanderbilt University Medical Center
    Vanderbilt University Medical CenterResidency, Internal Medicine, 1994 - 1997
  • East Tennessee State University James H. Quillen College of Medicine
    East Tennessee State University James H. Quillen College of MedicineClass of 1994
  • University of Tennessee, Knoxville
    University of Tennessee, KnoxvilleBachelor of Science, Biology, Honors, 1985 - 1990

Certifications & Licensure

  • OH State Medical License
    OH State Medical License 2020 - 2026
  • NC State Medical License
    NC State Medical License 2012 - 2025
  • TN State Medical License
    TN State Medical License 2000 - 2017
  • MI State Medical License
    MI State Medical License 2004 - 2008
  • American Board of Thoracic Surgery Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery
  • American Heart Association Basic Life Support/Advanced Cardiac Life Support
  • Cleveland ClinicDistinguished Educator Level 1: Reflective Practitioner Program

Awards, Honors, & Recognition

  • Best Capstone Project Elevator Pitch-Surgical Leadership Program Harvard Medical School, 2024
  • Top Reviewed Doctor 2023
  • Patient Reviews Certified TOP Doctor, 2015-2023
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Publications & Presentations

PubMed

Journal Articles

  • Effect of colchicine on perioperative atrial fibrillation and myocardial injury after non-cardiac surgery in patients undergoing major thoracic surgery (COP-AF): an in...  
    David Conen, Michael Ke Wang, Ekaterine Popova, Matthew T V Chan, Giovanni Landoni, Juan P Cata, et al, The Lancet, 8/25/2023
  • A comparison of positional stability: The EZ-blocker versus double lumen endotracheal tubes in adult patients for thoracic surgery  
    20. Benjamin N. Morris, Rohesh J. Fernando, Cahndrika R. Garner, Sean D. Johnson, Jeffrey C. Gardner, Bryan E. Marchant, Kathleen N. Johnson, Hannah M. Harris, L. Jame..., Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia, 12/2020
  • Dissecting intratumoral cell-cell interactions in myeloid reprogramming by single cell RNA-seq  
    19. Qiangian Song, Gregory Hawkins, Leonard Wudel, Ping-Chieh Chou, Elizabeth Forbes, Ashok Pullikuth, Liang Liu, Guanqxu Jin, Loud Craddock, Umit Topalaglu, Gregory K..., Cancer Medicine, 7/2019
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Grant Support

  • Industry Grant Award, Blinded Investigator- A Randomized, Open Label, Pilot Assessment of the Effect of Protonix IV for Injection on Gastric pH in ICU patientsWyeth-Ayerst Pharmaceuticals, Philadelphia Pennsylvania2000–2002
  • Industry Grant Award-Synthetic Sealant for Biliary ReconstructionCohesion Technologies, Inc., Palo Alto, California2000–2002
  • National Institutes of Health/Individual National Research Service Award: Liver-Lung Interactions Following Liver InjuryVanderbilt University Medical Center2000–2002
  • Kenneth Jacobs Research Fellowship AwardVanderbilt University Medical Center, Department of Surgery2000–2002

Committees

  • Interviewer, Admissions Committee, Case Western Reserve School of Medicine 2023 - Present
  • Member, Physician Improvement Committee, Cleveland Clinic 2021 - Present
  • Member, Robotic Committee, Cleveland Clinic 2021 - Present
  • Wake Forest Baptist Health, Winston Salem, North Carolina, Thoracic Surgery ERAS Project 2019 - 2019
  • Wake Forest Baptist Health Winston Salem, North Carolina, Thoracic Surgery Surgical Navigation Clinic On-Boarding 2018 - 2019
  • Wake Forest Baptist Health, Winston Salem, North Carolina, Faculty Representative Committee 2017 - 2021
  • Wake Forest Baptist Health, Winston Salem, North Carolina, Esophagectomy Outcomes Project 2017 - 2019
  • Wake Forest Baptist Healh, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Work Relative Value Limit Committee 2017 - 2018
  • Co-Director, Wake Forest Baptist Health Winston Salem, North Carolina, Disease Oriented Treatment Group, Thoracic Oncology 2015 - 2021
  • Wake Forest Baptist Health, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Surgical Services Value Analysis Committee 2013 - 2021

Research History

  • Co-InvestigatorA Randomized, Open Label, Pilot Assessment of the Effect of Protonix IV for Injection on Gastric pH in ICU Patients2000 - 2002
  • Co-InvestigatorIndustry Grant Award-Synthetic Sealant for Biliary Reconstruction2000 - 2002
  • Principal InvestigatorNational Institutes of Health/Individual National Research Service Award: Liver-Lung Interactions Following Liver Injury2000 - 2002
  • Principal InvestigatorDepartment of Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center Kenneth Jacobs Research Fellowship Award2000 - 2002

Professional Memberships

Hospital Affiliations

External Links

Dr. Leonard Wudel, Dr. Leonard Wudel, MD, Dr. L Wudel, Dr. Leonard James Wudel