Emergency icon Important Updates
Department Heart, Vascular and Thoracic Institute
Primary Location Rosner Family Health and Wellness Center
Type of Doctor Adults Only
Languages English
Surgeon Yes
Locations
Primary Location

Rosner Family Health and Wellness Center

Appointment:
877.463.2010
Desk:
772.563.4580
Fax:
772.563.4690
Specialties & Treatments

Treatment & Services

  • Ablation Therapy for Atrial Fibrillation
  • Acute Care Surgery
  • Adult Cardiothoracic Surgery
  • Aneurysm Surgery - Traditional Open Surgery
  • Aorta Surgery
  • Aortic Dissection Repair
  • Aortic Root Replacement
  • Aortic Valve Replacement
  • Arrhythmia Surgery
  • Arrhythmia Surgery for Congenital Heart Disease
  • Atherosclerosis Surgery
  • Atrial Fibrillation Surgery
  • Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) Closure
  • Beating Heart Surgery
  • Bypass Surgery
  • Bypass Surgery for Atherosclerosis
  • Bypass Surgery Re-operation
  • Cardiac Reoperations
  • Cardiac Surgery
  • Cardiovascular Surgery Department
  • Cardiovascular Surgery Section
  • Congenital Heart Surgery in Adults
  • Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) Surgery
  • Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery Re-operation
  • Decortication
  • Heart Failure Surgery
  • Heart Surgery
  • Heart Surgery Reoperation
  • Heart Valve Disease - Percutaneous Interventions
  • Heart Valve Repair
  • Heart Valve Replacement
  • Heart Valve Surgery
  • Maze Procedure
  • Minimally Invasive Aortic Surgery
  • Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery
  • Minimally Invasive Cardiovascular Surgeries
  • Minimally Invasive Surgery
  • Mitral Valve Repair
  • Mitral Valve Replacement
  • Mitral Valve Stenosis and Insufficiency
  • Mitral Valve Surgery
  • Off Pump Coronary Artery Bypass (OPCAB)
  • Off Pump Heart Surgery
  • Pericardial Window
  • Pericardiectomy
  • Pericardium Surgery
  • Radial Artery and Saphenous Vein Harvesting
  • Re-do/Re-operative Heart Surgery
  • Removal of Atrial Myxoma
  • Removal of Cardiac Tumors
  • Removal of Heart Tumors
  • Reoperation Valve Surgery
  • Reoperative Heart Surgery
  • Repair of Aortic Aneurysms
  • Surgical Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation
  • Surgical Procedures for Atrial Fibrillation
  • Surgical Treatment of Adult Acquired Heart Disease
  • Surgical Treatment of Valve Endocarditis
  • Thoracic Aorta Surgery
  • Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm Repair
  • Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm Surgery
  • Thoracic Aortic Dissection Repair
  • Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)
  • Tricuspid Valve Repair
  • Tricuspid Valve Replacement
  • Tricuspid Valve Surgery
  • Valve Surgery
  • Ventricular Aneurysm Surgery
  • Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS)
View all 69 Treatment & Services +

Specialty in Diseases & Conditions

  • Acquired Adult Cardiac Disease
  • Acquired Valve Disease
  • Adult Congenital Heart Disease
  • Aortic Aneurysms
  • Aortic Stenosis
  • Aortic Valve Disease
  • Ascending Aortic Aneurysm
  • Atrial Fibrillation
  • Atrial Septal Defects
  • Cardiomyopathy Valvular
  • Constrictive-Pericarditis
  • Coronary Aneurysm
  • Coronary Artery Disease
  • Coronary Fistula
  • Endocarditis
  • Heart Valve Disease
  • Heart Valve Infections
  • Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
  • Mitral Stenosis with Insufficiency
  • Mitral Valve Disease
  • Mitral Valve Prolapse
  • Mitral Valve Regurgitation
  • Mitral Valve Stenosis
  • Myomas
  • Patent Foramen Ovale
  • Pericardial Cyst
  • Pericardial Effusion
  • Rheumatic Heart Disease
  • Thoracic Aorta Disease
  • Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm
  • Tricuspid Regurgitation
  • Tricuspid Stenosis
  • Tricuspid Valve Disease
  • Ventricular Aneurysm
  • Ventricular Septal Defects
View all 35 Specialties +
Insurance

Insurance

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Biography

About James Wudel, MD

James H. Wudel, MD FACC, graduated from the University of South Dakota with a degree in Biology while also competing in varsity baseball. He obtained his Medical Degree from Emory University Medical School, and completed General Surgery residency at Vanderbilt University Hospitals. His training included two years of research at Vanderbilt and Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide, South Australia. He then completed his Cardiothoracic Surgery residency at the University of California, San Francisco, and a Chief Resident position at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. He is certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology.

Dr. Wudel came to the Cleveland Clinic Florida after practicing throughout Nebraska. His prior appointments include being a founding member of the Nebraska Heart Hospital while serving patients across the upper midwest, and also prior National Co-Director of the Structural Heart and Cardiac Surgery Standards Committee for its parent organization. He currently is the Site Director for the Heart, Vascular, and Thoracic Institute, Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital.

Dr. Wudel’s academic interest have included primary authorship of articles in the foremost cardiac surgery journals and guest reviewer for several scientific publications. He has been principal investigator for over twenty cardiac surgery trials and previously advised industry on evolving cardiovascular therapies. He has been a clinical proctor to surgeons on new cardiac surgery techniques.

Away from work, Dr. Wudel enjoys the outdoors, swimming, and overall fitness activities. His wife is a native of Florida and they enjoy hosting family and exploring throughout the area.

Dr. Wudel is a board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon focusing on the latest advances in care to treat adult patients. His areas of interest include multi-arterial coronary bypass grafting, the surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation, and the surgical treatment of valvular heart disease including transcatheter therapies.

Education & Professional Highlights

Education & Professional Highlights

Appointed
2023

Education & Fellowships

Fellowship - Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery
Cleveland, OH
1997

Residency - University of California-San Francisco
Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery
San Francisco, CA
1996

Residency - Vanderbilt University College of Medicine
General Surgery
Nashville, TN
1994

Internship - Vanderbilt University College of Medicine
Nashville, TN
1988

Medical Education - Emory University School of Medicine
Atlanta, GA
1987

Undergraduate - University of South Dakota
Vermillion, SD
1983

Additional Training


Professional Highlights


Certifications

  • Thoracic Surgery

Awards & Honors


Innovations & Patents


Memberships

  • American Board of Thoracic Surgery
  • International Society Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery
  • American College Cardiology
  • Heart Valve Society
  • Florida Medical Association
Research & Publications

Research & Publications

See publications for James Wudel, MD.

(Disclaimer: This search is powered by PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. PubMed is a third-party website with no affiliation with Cleveland Clinic.)

Industry Relationships

Industry Relationships

Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists may collaborate with the pharmaceutical or medical device industries to help develop medical breakthroughs or provide medical expertise or education. Cleveland Clinic strives to make scientific advances that will benefit patient care and support outside relationships that promise public benefit. In order for the discoveries of Cleveland Clinic physicians' and scientists' laboratories and investigations to benefit the public, these discoveries must be commercialized in partnership with industry. As experts in their fields, Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists are often sought after by industry to consult, provide expertise and education.

To assure professional and commercial integrity in such matters, Cleveland Clinic maintains a program that reviews these collaborations and, when appropriate, puts measures in place to minimize bias that may result from ties to industry. Cleveland Clinic publicly discloses the names of companies when (i) its physicians/scientists receive $5,000 or more per year (or, in rare cases, equity or stock options) for speaking and consulting, (ii) its physicians/scientists serve as a fiduciary, (iii) its physicians/scientists receive or have the right to receive royalties or (iv) its physicians/ scientists hold any equity interest for the physician's/scientist's role as inventor, discoverer, developer, founder or consultant.* In publicly disclosing this information, Cleveland Clinic tries to provide information as accurately as possible about its physicians' and scientists' connections with industry.

As of 2/15/2024, Dr. Wudel has reported the financial relationships with the companies listed below. In general, patients should feel free to contact their doctor about any of the relationships and how the relationships are overseen by Cleveland Clinic. To learn more about Cleveland Clinic's policies on collaborations with industry and innovation management, go to our Integrity in Innovation page.

Public Health Service-Reportable Financial Conflicts of Interest. Cleveland Clinic scientists and physicians engage in basic, translational and clinical research activities, working to solve health problems, enhance patient care and improve quality of life for patients. Interactions with industry are essential to bringing the researchers' discoveries to the public, but can present the potential for conflicts of interest related to their research activities. Click here to view a listing of instances where Cleveland Clinic has identified a Public Health Service (PHS)-Reportable Financial Conflict of Interest and has put measures in place to ensure that, to the extent possible, the design, conduct and reporting of the research is free from bias.

* Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists subscribe to the guidance presented in the PhRMA Code on Interactions with Healthcare Professionals and the AdvaMed Code of Ethics on Interactions with Health Care Professionals. As such, gifts of substantial value are generally prohibited.

Patient Satisfaction Reviews

45 Patient Satisfaction Reviews

The Patient Satisfaction Rating is an average of all responses to the care provider related questions shown below from our nationally-recognized Press Ganey Patient Satisfaction Survey. Patients that are treated in outpatient or hospital environments may receive different surveys, and the volume of responses will vary by question.

Responses are measured on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the best score.

The comments are submitted by patients and reflect their views and opinions. The comments are not endorsed by and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cleveland Clinic.

Overall Star Ratings
5 out of 5
Explains 4.9
Listens 5
Courtesy, Respect & Concern 5
Patient Rating of Doctor 5

6 Patient Comments

Reviewed on Jun 13, 2024

Dr Wudel is always informative and patient with me.

Reviewed on Jun 9, 2024

Dr. James Wudell and his staff are the best physicians I have encountered in my life.

Reviewed on Apr 19, 2024

Medical assistant, Lacey, and doctor Wudel excellent and professional.

Reviewed on Mar 21, 2024

Dr Wudel is a very fine surgeon& extremely caring, thorough & compassionate doctor. I am most grateful & thankful to have had Dr Wadel as my cardio vascular. As a doctor & surgeon, he truly cares about his patients

Reviewed on Dec 13, 2023

Dr Wadel was referred to me by my primary care/cardiologist, Dr Howard Tee. Dr Tee was certainly correct when he told what an outstanding thoracic cardio surgeon Dr Wadel was. Dr Wadel showed so much compassion, kindness & thoroughly went over my history& all labs& previous cardio procedures. He then thoroughly explained to my husband & me my condition with my mitro valve & what my surgery will consist of to correct this. He then went on to tell us about hospital stay, cardio rehab ,recuperation. I had many questions & Dr Wadel addressed each on & my concerns....as nervous as I was When I met him...i can honestly tell you Dr Wadel kindness, caring ,compassionate personality put my mind at ease. I am very fortunate to have wonderful doctors & now Dr Wadel. You are mot a number with Dr Wadel...you are his patient & he truly cares. I know that I am In "excellent hands" with Dr Wudel. DR Wudel also introduced us to Iris, Dr Wudel's Nurse Practitioner ...a true medical professional

Reviewed on Nov 22, 2023

Dr. Wudel is an extremely gifted cardiac surgeon and equally gifted in communication skills. He clearly and thoroughly explained the array of issues affecting my heart's functioning and exactly how he would correct each one in a specific order from start to finish. Thus fully informed I knew the operation would be 100% successful from the very beginning of my stay which allowed me to be completely relaxed my entire stay. Cleveland Clinic is very, very fortunate to have him.

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