Biography
John R. Garrett, MD, FACS, Chief of the Department of Cardiac, Thoracic & Vascular Surgery, founded the Cardiac Surgery program at Virginia Hospital Center in 1989. Dr. Garrett is board-certified and his special areas of interest include aortic dissections and aneurysms, carotid endarterectomy, coronary artery bypass surgery, valve repair and replacement, minimally invasive thoracic surgery and minimally invasive (endovascular) aneurysm repair. He is certified by the National Board of Medical Examiners, FLEX and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery.
Dr. Garrett completed his Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery Residency at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston, Texas, where he trained under world-renowned surgeon Denton A. Cooley, MD. A pioneer in American heart surgery, Dr. Cooley performed the first successful heart transplant in the U.S. Dr. Garrett also served as Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Division of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. In addition, he has past faculty appointments at Auburn University and Georgetown University Medical Center.
Dr. Garrett is Chairman of the Board of Directors at Virginia Hospital Center and a former Chairman of the Hospital’s Department of Surgery. He has also been a member of the Arlington Health Foundation Board of Directors and the Columbia Arlington Healthcare System, LLC Board of Governors. A Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, Dr. Garrett is a member of the Cooley Hands Society, the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and the Arlington County Medical Society.
Dr. Garrett received his B.S. in Biology from Emory University in 1972, his M.S. in Physiology and Biophysics from the University of Alabama in 1975, and his M.D. from the University of Alabama School of Medicine in 1979. He completed an Internship, Residency and Chief Residency in General Surgery at the University of Alabama Hospitals and Clinics in Birmingham, Alabama.
Congratulations to Dr. Garrett for being named in Northern Virginia Magazine’s 2021 TOP DOCTORS!
Congratulations to Dr. Garrett for being named in Northern Virginia Magazine’s 2020 TOP DOCTORS!
Congratulations to Dr. Garrett for being named in Washingtonian Magazine’s 2019 TOP DOCTORS!
Congratulations to Dr. Garrett for being named in Northern Virginia Magazine’s 2018 TOP DOCTORS!
Congratulations to Dr. Garrett for being named in Washingtonian Magazine’s 2017 and 2018 TOP DOCTORS!
Congratulations to Dr. Garrett for being named in Northern Virginia Magazine’s 2017 TOP DOCTORS!
Patient Ratings & Comments
Our physicians receive a star rating which is an average of all responses from questions answered by patients from our nationally-recognized Press Ganey Patient Satisfaction Survey. These responses are measured on a scale of 1 – 5; 5 being the best score. Patient comments are collected from our Press Ganey Patient Satisfaction Survey and then published to our web site. Personal Health Information (PHI) is removed from comments to maintain patient confidentiality and patient privacy. More Survey Info »