Meet Dr. Victor Pretorius, Heart Transplant Surgical Director

Victor Pretorius, MBChB, is a board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon and surgical director of UC San Diego Health's heart transplant program. He specializes in lead management. Pacemakers and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) deliver energy to the heart through thin, flexible wires called leads. When these leads are not working properly, they need to be removed. Dr. Pretorius performs a minimally invasive procedure called laser lead extraction to cut through scar tissue surrounding the lead, allowing it to be easily removed. Learn more about cardiovascular services at UC San Diego Health: https://health.ucsd.edu/specialties/cardiovascular/Pages/default.aspx