I am a pediatric heart surgeon at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital. I treat patients — from newborns to adults — with congenital heart disease, performing all the necessary operations that help improve their longevity and quality of life. I also perform surgeries related to advanced heart failure, including implantation of mechanical circulatory assist devices and heart transplantation.

I have wanted to be a doctor for as long as I can remember. I entered general surgery residency with the intent of becoming a pediatric general surgeon. That changed during my intern year when my dad had heart surgery. My curiosity in cardiac care peaked and I chose to combine my interests in the heart, surgery and taking care of children to pursue congenital cardiac surgery.

My focus is always on my patients and their families. I see myself as a partner with parents and believe it’s important to help them understand the underlying diagnosis, surgery and possible outcomes. I want them to feel comfortable asking questions, sharing ideas and stories and knowing that I will always advocate for their child.

As for the kids, I want them to know I’m doing everything I can to make them feel better, even if it’s hard at first. One of my patients nicknamed me “Bear” because he considered himself a cub and I was in charge of taking care of him. I hope all my patients feel that same sense of safety and comfort in my care.

While I love all aspects of my clinical work, my favorite part is spending time caring for my pediatric patients. Their sweet smiles and funny conversations are hands-down the best part of my day. I believe children should be able to be children; they need to be able to go to school, spend time with their family and play with their friends. I will do whatever I can to make that happen for my patients.

In addition to providing patient care, I also enjoy working on quality improvement projects and initiatives that enhance the everyday bedside care of our patients.

Hospital Affiliations

• Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital
• Memorial Regional Hospital

Gender

• Male

Education

Wayne State University School Of Medicine, 2009

Residency

Hospital Of St Raphael, 2012, Surgery
Yale University School Of Medicine, 2014

Fellowships

Indiana University, 2017, Cardiothoracic Surgery
Washington University/Seattle Children's Hospital, 2018, Congenital Cardiac Surgery

Certifications

American Board of Thoracic Surgery-Cardiothoracic Surgery
American Board of Thoracic Surgery-Congenital Cardiac Surgery

Publications

Please view Dr. John Dentel’s publications on PubMed.

Professional Organizations

• Society of Thoracic Surgeons
• International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation

Presentations

• Extracorporeal Membrane Support for Pediatric Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children. 50th Critical Care Congress. Virtual Meeting. 2021.

• Berlin Heart EXCOR explantation in a patient with life-threatening arrhythmia. The Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Society 16th Annual International Meeting. Virtual Meeting. 2020.

• Congenital Panel: The Value of Collaboration in the Congenital World. The Michigan Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (MSTCVS) 55th Annual Summer Conference. Virtual Meeting. 2020.

• Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in the Emergency Department. Western Thoracic Surgical Association 44th Annual Meeting, Goleta, California. 2018.

• Poor Out-patient Clinic Appointment Compliance is a Predictor of Post-Heart Transplant Mortality in Children. The International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation 38th Annual Meeting, Nice, France. 2018.

• Duration of ECMO Predicts Survival in Transplant Patients. The International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation 38th Annual Meeting, Nice, France. 2018.

• Ministering to the Sick: The Evolving Role of the Physician. Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Surgery, Grand Rounds, New Haven, Connecticut. 2014.

• Mechanical strain is not the mechanism for p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation in fast skeletal muscle. Experimental Biology Meetings, Washington, D.C. 2004.

• The effects of skeletal muscle force production on intracellular signaling cascades. McNair/SROP Research Symposium. Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan. 2003.

• The effects of contractile activity on the phosphorylation of p38 MAP kinase in mouse skeletal muscle. University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum. Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan. 2003.

• The effects of metabolic stress on the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK in mouse skeletal muscle. Southern California Conference on Undergraduate Research. California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California. 2002.

• The effects of metabolic stress on the activation of p38 MAPK in mouse skeletal muscle. McNair/SROP Research Symposium. Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan. 2002.

Awards

• Hour Magazine – Metro Detroit Top Docs List (Peer-voted), Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery Detroit, Michigan, October 2020.

• Hour Magazine – Metro Detroit Top Docs List (Peer-voted), Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery Detroit, Michigan, October 2019.

• Joint Council on Thoracic Surgery Education (JCTSE) Top Gun Finalist, American Association of Thoracic Surgery (AATS) 95th Annual Meeting, Seattle, Washington, 2015.

• Invited Guest Speaker, Securing Your Fellowship Workshop, American College of Surgeons Connecticut Chapter Annual Meeting Farmington, Connecticut, 2013.

• Resident of the Year Award 2012-2013, The Faculty of the General Surgery Residency Program, Yale New Haven Hospital and Saint Raphael Campus 4, Yale University School of Medicine Department of Surgery, New Haven, Connecticut, 2013.

• The Walter E. Pleban, M.D. Award for Professional Excellence, Burn Unit Resident of the Year, Bridgeport Hospital/ Yale New Haven Health System, Department of Surgery, Bridgeport, Connecticut, 2011.

• Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, Peer-Selected Representative Hospital of Saint Raphael, Department of Surgery, New Haven, Connecticut, 2011.

• Gold Humanism Honor Society, Wayne State University School of Medicine Chapter, Detroit, Michigan, 2008.

• American Medical Association – Medical Student Section, 2007 Interim Meeting Honolulu, Hawaii Travel Award, Wayne State University School of Medicine American Medical Association – Wayne County Medical Society, 2007.

• American Medical Association – Medical Student Section, 2006 Interim Meeting Las Vegas, Nevada Travel Award, Wayne State University School of Medicine, American Medical Association –Wayne County Medical Society, 2006.

• 9th Annual Conference on Bioethics, Tainted Alliance: Challenging Ethics of Engagement Between Medicine and the Pharmaceutical Industry Traverse City, Michigan Travel Award, Wayne State University School of Medicine, American Medical Association, Michigan State Medical Society, 2005.

• The American Physiological Society, Undergraduate Poster Session, Annual Experimental Biology Meetings, Washington, D.C., 2004.

• The Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement, Program/Summer Research Opportunity Program (McNair/SROP), Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 2003.

• University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan First Place Award – Organismal Biology – Oral Presentation, 2003.

• Southern California Conference, Undergraduate Research in Affiliation with the National Conference on Undergraduate Research, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California Travel Award – Oral Presentation, 2002.

• The Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement, Program/Summer Research Opportunity Program (McNair/SROP), Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 2002.