BRYAN HEART
Welcome, Dr. Shelstad
R
yan Shelstad, MD, was a freshman in college when his cousin became one of the first living liver transplant donors, helping to save his son’s life by donating part of his liver. The tremendously positive outcome of this surgery profoundly affected Dr. Shelstad and was instrumental in his decision to pursue medicine, and in
Dr. Ryan Shelstad of Bryan Heart
12 Fall 2016
particular, transplantation. “I was so amazed at the power of modern medicine that during my general surgical residency at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis — the same institution where my cousin’s son had received his liver transplant several years earlier — I planned to become a liver transplant surgeon,” Dr. Shelstad says. “But when I was introduced to heart surgery and cardiac transplantation, my interest transitioned into the fascinating world of cardiac surgery.” Now immersed in that world as a cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr. Shelstad recently joined Bryan Heart’s cardiothoracic surgery group, where he is focusing part of his practice on surgical intervention for heart failure, such as implantation of mechanical assist devices, as well as valve replacements, to help improve the lives of cardiac patients. When he was accepted into the Honors College at the University of Michigan, Dr. Shelstad was unsure whether to pursue medicine or economics, but by the time he received his undergraduate degree, he knew his heart was in medicine rather than in economics or business. He returned to his hometown for medical school at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine in Omaha, served his general surgery residency and a research fellowship as part of his training at the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis, and he completed a cardiothoracic fellowship at the University of Colorado in Denver. While completing his training in Colorado, Dr. Shelstad and his wife, Emily, began considering various locations for his practice, including Nebraska where they still have family. Dr. Shelstad had an idea of the type of practice he wanted to join,
and when he heard from a colleague that Bryan Heart was planning to add a partner to its cardiothoracic surgery group, he was intrigued by the organization’s reputation for being innovative and committed to staying on the leading edge of technology. Once they learned more about Bryan Heart and the Lincoln community, the couple knew this would be their new home. “Several things brought me to Bryan Heart,” Dr. Shelstad says. “First and foremost, it was the team of cardiologists and surgeons. They work together very well, are very supportive of one another and have excellent outcomes. In addition, the Lincoln community is known as a great place to raise a family.” Bryan Heart cardiothoracic surgeons Richard Thompson, MD, and Robert Oakes, MD, are enthusiastic about the addition of Dr. Shelstad to their practice. “We are impressed with Dr. Shelstad’s background and experience, particularly in mechanical circulatory support and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR),” Dr. Thompson says. “We look forward to him being a member of the Bryan Heart team for many years to come.” Returning to Nebraska Dr. Shelstad was born in Wiesbaden, Germany, and he and his parents moved back to Omaha when he was two years old. Although he and Emily attended different high schools (he, Omaha Central and she, Duchesne), they enjoyed a mutual group of friends. After losing touch in college, a few chance meetings in Omaha while he was in medical school and she was visiting from California rekindled a friendship and led to a long-distance relationship that evolved into the couple marrying. Emily, a professional graphic and textile