Cardiothoracic surgeon Mark Rodefeld, MD, today was presented with the Earl Bakken 2025 Scientific Achievement Award at The Society of Thoracic Surgeons’ 61st Annual Meeting in Los Angeles.
Dr. Rodefeld is renowned for his groundbreaking development of a "Fontan pump," designed to provide right-side or subpulmonary circulatory support for patients with single-ventricle heart defects. These patients face lifelong circulatory challenges following Fontan palliation due to the lack of a subpulmonary ventricle. Dr. Rodefeld's work addresses this issue by restoring a subpulmonary power source to effectively normalize circulation. Computational modeling, animal studies, and preclinical device development have demonstrated the pump’s potential to neutralize Fontan circulatory inefficiency, offering hope for improved long-term health and outcomes.
“Dr. Mark Rodefeld’s contributions as an innovator and pioneer in cardiothoracic surgery are a true testament to his veracity and perseverance,” said STS President Jennifer C. Romano, MD, MS. “His work will continue to inspire the field and revolutionize the treatment of single-ventricle heart disease. He shows us that with unyielding determination, even the most complex challenges can lead to transformative change.”
"This is a tremendous honor, and it is deeply humbling to be included among this group of exceptionally accomplished past awardees," said Dr. Rodefeld. "They are giants in the field, and many were my mentors who significantly impacted my clinical and scientific work. Recognition from colleagues and peers is profoundly rewarding and fuels my continued passion and enthusiasm."
A professor of surgery at the Indiana University School of Medicine, Dr. Rodefeld practices pediatric cardiac surgery at Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis. He leads an independent research program focused on developing innovative treatments for single-ventricle heart disease—a field in which he has made significant strides.
While at Indiana University, Dr. Rodefeld has balanced clinical practice with research aimed at advancing univentricular Fontan circulation, an area that has traditionally been underserved. His pioneering work is supported by a National Institutes of Health (NIH) R01 grant and focuses on developing technologies that could replicate biventricular circulation in single-ventricle patients, potentially offering long-term curative solutions.
A key milestone in Dr. Rodefeld ’s career came in 2010, when his research team developed a novel blood pump with funding from the NIH’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The pump uses a spinning disk to draw blood from the veins and propel it into the arteries of patients with a single functioning heart ventricle. This device provides modest multi-directional cavopulmonary blood flow augmentation, which holds promise to improve circulatory function in this patient population.
“The scientific accomplishments that stand out as most rewarding to me are the early proof-of-feasibility studies I conducted,” added Dr. Rodefeld. “Interestingly, some of these early studies were incredibly simple and performed in my garage (like Earl Bakken’s early pacemaker work), or in initial animal studies.”
Dr. Rodefeld also highlighted the invaluable mentorship he received from colleagues both within and outside of cardiothoracic surgery and expressed his pride in his independent NIH funding.
This recognition underscores Dr. Rodefeld's profound impact on the field of pediatric cardiothoracic surgery and his ongoing commitment to advancing the care of patients with complex heart conditions.
The Earl Bakken Scientific Achievement Award was established in 1999 through a grant from Medtronic, Inc. to honor individuals who have made outstanding scientific contributions that have enhanced the practice of cardiothoracic surgery and patient quality of life. The award was named for Medtronic co-founder Earl Bakken. Among numerous other achievements, Bakken developed the first wearable artificial pacemaker.