Surgeons

Dr. Gregg Anderson

Though Gregg Anderson has been a surgeon for over two decades, his goal has always remained the same: to be the kind of doctor that patients would feel confident referring their family members to, as that is the highest praise a surgeon can earn. One of Dr. Anderson's most treasured memories from surgery was meeting a man who was diagnosed unexpectedly with a malignant cardiac tumor. After Dr. Anderson performed a bi-atrial reconstruction (essentially rebuilding half the heart), the man was able to enjoy a number of years of life that he hadn't expected to have.

It was in college that Dr. Anderson realized that he wanted to be a doctor. Studying to be an engineer, he was doing a medical research project in collaboration with some doctors, but the doctors seemed to be having more fun - they enjoyed their work! Once he was in residency, the hardest thing (aside from staying awake) was managing a large group of patients, many of whom had very complicated cases.

Dr. Anderson says that one of the things that is satisfying about being a surgeon now, in contrast to residency, is that he gets to see his patients in follow-up and see how they've improved. He gets to see the difference he's made in their lives. Dr. Anderson's favorite procedure to perform is an aortic valve reconstruction, because it helps the patient immediately. Dr. Anderson is married to his wife Audrey, and they have four sons, Jordan, Evan, Darin, and Logan.

Dr. Jong Kim

Dr. Kim has always been interested in the mechanics of nature. His childhood goal was to become an engineer. To pursue that goal, he attended California Institute of Technology majoring in Applied Physics.

As many things happen in life an event changed his life. His father was diagnosed with lung cancer and passed away during his junior year in college. He reevaluated his life and decided to attend medical school. He attended University of Illinois for his medical school and subsequently finished residency in General Surgery at the University of Southern California. With his inclination for mechanics, he decided to become a cardiothoracic surgeon.

He finished his fellowship in Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Minnesota. During his training, he became very interested in minimally invasive surgery, including video assisted lung resections, robotic assisted surgery, and endovascular treatment of aortic aneurysms.

He is married with three boys and with their active family felt that the Twin Cities would be a better place to raise their boys. Living here, he has discovered the joy of fishing and all of the out door activities Minnesota offers.

Dr. Mark Solfelt

Dr. Mark Solfelt is a native Minnesotan. He went to medical school at the University of Minnesota, followed by additional training at Michigan State University and the Mayo Clinic. He has sub-specialty training in Surgical Critical Care and Pediatric Heart Surgery. His practice includes the full spectrum of heart and lung surgery, including coronary artery bypass, cardiac valve repair and replacement, and surgery for atrial fibrillation. He has been named on Minneapolis-St. Paul Magazine's Top Doctor list for the past four years.

One special emphasis in Dr. Solfelt's practice is lung surgery - particularly as needed for the treatment of lung cancer. "Lung cancer has become the leading cancer killer in our country, and the diagnosis and treatment can be quite involved," states Dr. Solfelt. "These patients really need to know that their surgeon will take the time to get to know them personally and coordinate their care with other specialists. My patients know that I will stick with them throughout the treatment and follow-up process." Dr. Solfelt is constantly striving to advance his expertise and techniques in lung surgery, and this includes the use of minimally-invasive techniques whenever possible.

Dr. Solfelt's desire to become a surgeon dates back to early childhood, and that career choice was reinforced when his own father suffered a major heart attack at a young age. He experienced first-hand the anxieties faced by a family in that situation. He would like to be remembered someday as a surgeon who ministered to the needs of heart and lung patients and their families in a caring, compassionate way.

Dr. Solfelt and his wife, Sara, have three children age 6, 9, and 12. He enjoys piano and vocal performance, boating, and church activities with his family.

Dr. Brian Tell

Dr. Tell's area of special expertise is the Mitral Valve repair (where the surgeons treat leakage or narrowing of the mitral valve). He enjoys this procedure because "it is as much arts and crafts as it is science -- there are many ways to get a mitral valve to close." Dr. Tell likes the challenge of figuring out the best way to repair the diseased valve.

One of Dr. Tell's particular concerns about the medical field in general is the inefficiencies of the health care system; he considers it embarrassing that we have not figured out a way to provide all citizens with the basics of health care access. The doctors at Twin Cities Heart and Lung accept many forms of health insurance, and work with all local hospitals as a step in this direction.

Dr. Tell was inspired to go into medicine by his father, who was a family physician in New York City. As a young boy, Dr. Tell would go with his dad on house calls, and the appreciation that the patients and their families showed made an impression on him. Years later, he is following in his father's footsteps, helping people and trying to make their quality of life better.

Dr. Tell's family is his wife Linda, and two daughters, Danielle, who is twenty, and Margo, who is seventeen.