Born in South Korea, Dr. Lee moved to New York at the age of 11. He attended Great Neck South High School, where he was a dedicated multi-sport athlete, playing varsity football, baseball, basketball, and competing in Track & Field for four years. He went on to attend Cornell University, earning a degree in Applied and Engineering Physics in just three years, graduating cum laude. After deep reflection, Dr. Lee decided to pursue a career in medicine to better serve the needs of others.
He earned his medical degree from SUNY Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, where he discovered his passion for surgery. Dr. Lee completed his general surgery residency at Brookdale University Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY, where he gained robust experience in trauma and general surgical procedures. His excellence in trauma care was recognized with the Gerald W. Shafton, M.D. Trauma Service Award. During this time, he developed a profound interest in vascular surgery, drawn by its intricate pathology and the opportunity to care for critically ill patients.
Dr. Lee completed his vascular surgery fellowship at the prestigious Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center in 2019. There, under the mentorship of renowned vascular surgeons such as Dr. Alan Lumsden and Dr. Eric Peden, he trained in state-of-the-art techniques and technologies including hybrid ORs, 3D-3D fusion imaging techniques, remote endovascular surgery techniques, utilizing transcranial doppler to study the effects of aortic arch surgeries in the brain, and numerous other advanced endovascular procedures. His training encompassed a wide range of complex procedures such as open thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repairs, open ascending aortic repairs, multi-vessel endovascular aortic repairs (EVAR, FEVAR, TAMBE, TBE, IBE, and ascending aortic grafts), carotid and peripheral arterial disease treatments, mesenteric revascularization, venous and lymphatic interventions, and advanced dialysis access surgeries including HeRO grafts, right atrial grafts, chest wall grafts, and femoral fistulas.
Following fellowship, Dr. Lee joined the Department of Surgery at the University of Kentucky in Lexington as an Assistant Professor. Working in one of nation’s busiest tertiary transfer center and trauma center over six years, he expanded his expertise in endovascular and open vascular procedures, including complex aortic aneurysm and dissection repairs, aortoiliac occlusive disease, mesenteric occlusive disease, carotid surgery, and limb salvage for peripheral artery disease. Dr. Lee was a part of team that pioneered novel techniques to classify aortic aneurysms and provide durable endovascular repairs for these aortic aneurysms. He was also part of nationally recognized publication that studied roles of revascularization in claudicant patients. In addition, Dr. Lee played a critical role in vascular surgery education and leadership, serving as Director of the Vascular Lab, Chair of the Midwest Vascular Collaborative Regional Venous Research Committee, and a core faculty member in vascular surgery education. In recognition of his outstanding commitment to teaching, he was honored with the 2023 Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Surgical Education.
Dr. Lee and the surgeons at SCMSC treat a wide variety of vascular conditions:
Now based in the Los Angeles area, Dr. Lee continues his mission of providing compassionate, cutting-edge vascular care. His clinical interests span the full spectrum of vascular disease, including:
- Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
- Carotid Artery Disease
- Chronic Venous Insufficiency
- Critical Limb Ischemia
- Deep Vein Thrombosis
- Diabetic Foot Ulcers/ Advanced Wound Healing
- Diabetic Neuropathy
- IVC Filter Placement & Removal
- Limb Salvage and Amputation Prevention
- May-Thurner Syndrome
- Pelvic Congestion Syndrome
- Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)
- Pulmonary Embolism
- Renal Artery Stenosis
- Renal Disease
- Subclavian Artery Steal Syndrome (SSS)
- Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms (TAA)
- Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
- Varicose Veins
- Venous/ Arterial Leg Ulcers
Outside of the operating room, Dr. Lee is passionate about fitness, weightlifting, and outdoor adventures like camping. He looks forward to returning to golf with friends and family and exploring motorsports. At home, he enjoys quiet evenings unwinding with a good Netflix series.
Languages Spoken
- English
- Korean
Presentations
- Operating Southpaw – Grand Rounds, University of Kentucky, Department of Surgery, Lexington, KY (2021)
- Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome (MALS) – The Glenn Lambert Symposium, Norton Healthcare, Louisville, KY (2024)
Surgical Video
- Carotid–Carotid–Subclavian Bypass – Houston Methodist DeBakey Institute for Cardiovascular Education and Training (2019), watch at https://youtu.be/wzHmnIuVgDw
Publications & Abstracts
- Lee DH, Khalil A, Abrol S, Fiores L, BS. Carotid Blowout Syndrome: Endovascular Management of Acute Hemorrhage with Tapering Overlapped Covered Stents. Annals of Vascular Surgery. 2014 Nov; 28(8):1934.e7–1934.e11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avsg.2014.06.075
- Lee DH, von Ballmoos MCW, Ramchandani MK. Use of Multi-Modality Imaging Techniques to Optimize Operative Strategy in Iatrogenic Ascending Aortic Dissection.
- Presented at the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, April 26–27, 2018
- Also presented at the International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery (ISMICS), Vancouver, Canada, June 13–16, 2018
- Hughes TG, King RW, Repella TL, Lee DH, Minion DJ, Tyagi SC. Thoracic Branch Endograft Use in Emergent Blunt Aortic Trauma and Acute Aortic Syndrome.
- Presented at the Society for Clinical Vascular Surgery (SCVS), Scottsdale, AZ, March 16–20, 2024
