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Melissa Kirkwood, MD, Vascular Surgery, Dallas, TX

Melissa Louise Kirkwood MD FACS

Vascular Surgery•Dallas, TX

Professor and Chief, Vascular Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Southwestern Medical School

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  • 5323 Harry Hines BoulevardDallas, TX 75390

  • Book by Phone+1(469) 639-1201

  • Fax+1 214-645-0536

Overview of  Dr. Kirkwood

Dr. Kirkwood is Professor and Chief of the Division of Vascular Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center. She holds the Sam H. Phillips, Jr., M.D. Distinguished Chair in Surgery. Dr. Kirkwood graduated from Yale University School of Medicine and completed her general surgery training at the University of Chicago Medical Center & Vascular Surgery Fellowship at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. She has completed several leadership programs including: The Harvard T. H Chan School of Public Health advanced leadership development program for physicians in academic medicine and Drexel University’s ELAM program (Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine). Dr. Kirkwood specializes in all aspects of vascular surgery: peripheral artery disease & limb salvage with both advanced endovascular & open techniques, carotid artery disease & open and endovascular aortic surgery. Her research centers on patient & operator radiation exposure during complex endovascular procedures. She has published extensively and is an international expert in the field. Dr. Kirkwood has won the UTSW Pitch Competition for medical devices & the commercialization milestone award for her patented radiation face shield that decreases operator eye & brain dose during endovascular procedures. Dr. Kirkwood is past Chair of the Leadership Committee for the Society of Vascular Surgery where she implemented and led the inaugural SVS leadership development program for vascular surgeons. She has served as the Counselor at Large for the Southern Association of Vascular Surgery and member of the SVS program committee and the UT Southwestern promotion and tenure committee. She is board certified in both general and vascular surgery by the American Board of Surgery and serves as an examiner for the Vascular Surgery Board. Dr. Kirkwood has annually been named by D Magazine as “Best Doctors in Dallas” consistently since 2016.

Education & Training

  • Drexel University
    Drexel UniversityELAM/ELH (Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine/Health Care, 2024 - 2025
  • Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
    Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public HealthThe Harvard T. H Chan School of Public Health Advanced Leadership Development Program for Physicians in Academic Medicine, 2018 - 2019
  • University of Pennsylvania Health System
    University of Pennsylvania Health SystemFellowship, Vascular Surgery - Independent, 2009 - 2011
  • University of Chicago
    University of ChicagoResidency, Surgery, 2004 - 2009
  • Yale School of Medicine
    Yale School of MedicineClass of 2004

Certifications & Licensure

  • TX State Medical License
    TX State Medical License 2011 - 2028
  • PA State Medical License
    PA State Medical License 2009 - 2012
  • IL State Medical License
    IL State Medical License 2007 - 2009
  • Surgery
    American Board of Surgery Surgery
  • Vascular Surgery
    American Board of Surgery Vascular Surgery

Awards, Honors, & Recognition

  • Sam H. Phillips Jr, MD. Distinguished Chair in Surgery University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 2026
  • SVS representative for the Blue-Ribbon Panel on Fluoroscopy Safety Consensus Panel Society of Vascular Surgery, 2024-2026
  • SVS representative for the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions consensus panel on radiation safety Society of Vascular Surgery, 2024-2026

Clinical Trials

Publications & Presentations

PubMed

Other

Authored Content

  • Radiation Safety: Don’t Wait Until It’s Too LateNovember 2025
  • Dual Fluoroscopy with Live-Image Digital Zooming Significantly Reduces Patient and Operating Staff Radiation During Fenestrated/Branched Endovascular Aortic Aneurysm Repair (F-BEVAR)January 2020

Press Mentions

  • Radiation Safety: Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late
    Radiation Safety: Don’t Wait Until It’s Too LateNovember 14th, 2025
  • New Program Will Teach Surgeons to Lead
    New Program Will Teach Surgeons to LeadNovember 14th, 2019
  • Gore Initiates Study to Compare the Gore® Viabahn® Vbx Balloon Expandable Endoprosthesis to Bare Metal Stents
    Gore Initiates Study to Compare the Gore® Viabahn® Vbx Balloon Expandable Endoprosthesis to Bare Metal StentsJune 14th, 2023

Committees

  • Member, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Cardiac Surgery Chief Search Committee 2025 - 2026
  • Member, UT Southwestern Six-Year Strategic Plan Clinical Operations Committee 2024 - 2026
  • Member, UT Southwestern Promotion and Tenure Committee 2023 - 2026
  • Member, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Vice Provost Search Committee 2023 - 2023
  • Member, Program Committee, Society of Vascular Surgery 2022 - 2024

Professional Memberships

Insurance Accepted

  • Aetna Choice POS II
    Aetna HMO
    BCBS Blue Card PPO
    BCBS Texas BlueChoice
    CIGNA HMO
    CIGNA Open Access
    CIGNA PPO
    Empire BCBS HMO
    Empire BCBS PPO
    First Health PPO
    GHI PPO
    Great West PPO
    HIP of New York - Select PPO
    Humana ChoiceCare Network PPO
    MagnaCare PPO
    Multiplan PHCS PPO
    Multiplan PPO
    MVP Healthcare PPO
    Oxford Health Freedom
    Oxford Health Liberty
    United Healthcare - Direct Choice Plus POS
    United Healthcare - Direct Options PPO
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