{"id":554,"date":"2008-09-11T07:55:14","date_gmt":"2008-09-11T12:55:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.heart-valve-surgery.com\/heart-surgery-blog\/2008\/09\/11\/name-of-david-lettermans-heart-surgeon\/"},"modified":"2025-06-09T18:50:20","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T23:50:20","slug":"name-of-david-lettermans-heart-surgeon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.heart-valve-surgery.com\/heart-surgery-blog\/2008\/09\/11\/name-of-david-lettermans-heart-surgeon\/","title":{"rendered":"David Letterman’s Heart Surgeon: Who Is He?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lisa was recently diagnosed with severe mitral valve regurgitation due to due to mitral valve prolapse<\/a>. That said, Lisa is currently searching for a heart surgeon. She writes to me, “Hi Adam: I live in New York…. And, I am curious… Do you know the name of David Letterman’s heart surgeon?”<\/p>\n

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\"David<\/div>\n

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As you may know, David Letterman had emergency heart surgery on January 14, 2000 at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital in New York. David Letterman’s surgeon was Doctor O. Wayne Isom<\/a>, the Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery. Due to a blocked artery, Letterman had quintuple heart bypass surgery.<\/p>\n

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\"Dr.<\/div>\n
Dr. Wayne Isom<\/div>\n

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As a result of heart surgery, Letterman missed his first television show in twenty years of late night entertainment. In total, Letterman was out for five weeks during his recovery. Upon Dave’s return to The Late Show, there was a week-long celebration featuring Jerry Seinfield, Julia Roberts, Rudy Giuliani, Bill Cosby, Regis Philbin, etc.<\/p>\n

As for Doctor O. Wayne Isom, Letterman’s surgeon, he too is a very celebrated person. Recognition for Dr. Isom’s work includes:<\/p>\n