Boulder Heart’s innovative, collaborative approach to heart surgery

The cardiothoracic surgeons with Boulder Community Health’s (BCH) Boulder Heart offer renowned expertise in complex open-heart and minimally invasive surgeries.

At Foothills Hospital, this accomplished surgical team provides a range of advanced thoracic and cardiovascular surgeries and robotic-assisted procedures, using da Vinci Xi™ technology. In 2025, our surgeons performed more than 290 heart surgeries – while delivering personalized, timely and compassionate critical care.

Meet the Boulder Heart surgeons

The surgical team at Boulder Heart – one of the most experienced in Colorado – is the only full-service cardiac surgery program in Boulder County.

The trio is comprised of esteemed surgeons Bryan Mahan, DO; R. Brent New, MD; and Joseph Rowe III, MD. Drs. New and Rowe are in the beginning of their tenure at Boulder Heart, while Dr. Mahan joined the practice in 2015.

Each surgeon brings two decades of operating room skills to their consultations with patients and families, as well as ongoing knowledge of the latest surgical techniques.

The team specializes in multiple approaches, including open-heart surgery, minimally invasive surgery, catheter-based surgery (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement - TAVR) and off-pump surgery (open-heart bypass).

Heart disease conditions and treatment options available at Boulder Heart:

• Aortic aneurysms
• Aortic dissection
• Aortic root replacement and repair
• Aortic valve disease
• Aortic valve repair and replacement (SAVR)
• Cardiac rhythm disturbances / MAZE procedure
• Complex endocarditis surgery
• Complex revision cardiac operations
• Complicated high risk cardiac surgery
• Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)
• Coronary artery disease
• Complex re-operative surgeries
• Heart infections
• Hybrid ablation
• Lung cancer and other chest diseases requiring surgery
• Minimally invasive thoracic & robotic surgery
• Minimally invasive open-heart surgery
• Mitral valve repair (including complex) and replacement
• Mitral valve disease
• Multiple valve surgery
• Proximal aortic surgery (root through arch)
• Surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation (AFib) (Cox-Maze IV procedure)
• Thoracic aortic aneurysms
• Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR)
• Transcatheter valve and aortic procedures
• Tricuspid valve disease
• Tricuspid valve repair and replacement
• Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) / Lobectomy

Get to know our BCH heart surgeons

Bryan Mahan, DO
Board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon

• Prior to Boulder Heart: Dr. Mahan was fellowship-trained at the prestigious Cleveland Clinic.He served as Director of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery for 16 years at Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs and as Director of Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery for 11 years at McLaren Northern Michigan Hospital.
• Specialties: Dr. Mahan is a leader in innovative, minimally invasive procedures. He is one of the few surgeons in Colorado to perform hybrid ablation for atrial fibrillation (AFib), a collaborative procedure with an electrophysiologist. He also specializes in thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR), a minimally invasive technique for aortic aneurysms that uses a stent-graft to repair the aorta.
• Treats most frequently:
  • Aortic conditions: Aneurysms, dissection, and valve replacement/repair.
  • Coronary artery disease: Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG).
  • Valve disease: Mitral and tricuspid valve replacement/repair.
  • Other conditions: Heart infections, lung cancer, and complex re-operative surgeries.
     

R. Brent New, MD, FACS, FACC
Board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon

• Affiliations: Dr. New is a fellow of both the American College of Surgeons (FACS) and the American
  College of Cardiology (FACC). He is a member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association and the Cardiothoracic Surgery Network (CTSNet), among others.
• Most passionate about treating and treats most frequently: Dr. New performs complex cardiac and non-cardiac thoracic surgical procedures. His clinical interests include aortic valve/root surgery, aortic surgery, endovascular surgery, transcatheter valve procedures (TAVR), mitral valve repair, Maze procedure, robotics, VATS lobectomy and minimally invasive valve surgery.
• Personal interests and hobbies: A native Texan, Dr. New and his family are always grateful to be in the great outdoors of Colorado.
• Philosophy of care: Patient-centered care is at the heart of Dr. New’s philosophy.“The patient comes first; all my patients are VIPs in the hospital,” he says.
• Prior to Boulder Heart: From 2020-2025, Dr. New served as the Methodist Healthcare Division Medical Director for Cardiothoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at Methodist Healthcare and Section Chief of Cardiothoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery for the Methodist Hospital – the largest hospital in Texas.
   

Joseph Rowe, MD, FACS
Board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon
 

• Affiliations: Dr. Rowe is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS) and a member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons.
• Most passionate about treating and treats most frequently: Robotic lung surgery, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), aortic valve replacement, aortic aneurysm surgery, and ablation of atrial fibrillation (AFib).
• Personal interests and hobbies: Dr. Rowe is an avid reader and dog lover who enjoys hiking, cycling and skiing.
• Philosophy of care: A lifelong learner, Dr. Rowe is always seeking the safest and best options available for his patients, individualizing care to their specific conditions and goals.
• Prior to Boulder Heart: Dr. Rowe was an attending surgeon at the Carilion Clinic Cardiothoracic Surgery and Aortic Center (Virginia) and a faculty member at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. He is the surgical founder of the Carilion Clinic Structural Heart Program and former co-surgical director of the Carilion Clinic Aortic and Endovascular Center.
• Trends in cardiothoracic surgery: “The most important and valuable trend to cardiothoracic diseases is that of a multidisciplinary team approach,” says Dr. Rowe. According to Dr. Rowe, this approach “leverages the combined expertise and diverse perspectives of cardiologists, surgeons, pulmonologists, oncologists, primary care physicians, and other team members to devise the very best options for treatment. There are now a wide variety of less invasive and safer treatment options available for most diseases. Only after a detailed consideration of each patient’s specific attributes can the best option be selected.”
• da Vinci surgical robot experience: Dr. Rowe has extensive experience with lung surgery (lobectomy, segmentectomy) for lung cancer and other chest tumors (mediastinum), and the diaphragm.
   

Make an appointment with our surgeons

Schedule a consultation with Drs. Mahan, New or Rowe. Make an appointment today to meet with our surgical care team and learn about the best treatment options for you. To schedule, call Boulder Heart at 303-442-2395

Boulder Heart general cardiologists

Each year, over 900,000 cardiac surgeries are performed in the United States; this number is expected to reach 1.3 million by 2029 (Source: market study by iData Research).

Heart-related problems do not always require surgery. Heart conditions can sometimes be addressed with lifestyle changes, medications, or nonsurgical procedures. Learn more about the full cardiology team at bch.org/heart.