Clarence H. Owen, MD

Cardiothoracic Surgery

Dr. Owen is a board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon with more than 25 years of experience in adult cardiac surgery who specializes in minimally invasive cardiac surgery. These techniques completely avoid the need for cutting the breastbone (median sternotomy) and are associated with decreased pain, decreased blood loss, and a quicker return to normal physical activity. Dr. Owen has been using this approach since 2009 to perform mitral valve repair or replacement, aortic valve replacement, maze procedure for atrial fibrillation, closure of atrial septal defect, resection of cardiac tumors, and other procedures traditionally performed using open heart surgery. He has extensive experience with complex mitral valve repair and has performed more than 800 mitral valve procedures during his career, including more than 400 using the minimally invasive approach. In addition, Dr. Owen helped launch a structural heart program in 2013 and has been performing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) ever since, gaining experience with up-to-date treatment guidelines and new catheter-based technologies as they have emerged over the past 10-15 years, including transcatheter mitral repair (mTEER). His team is dedicated to offering patients a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary approach to diagnostic testing and patient care. Patients can expect to learn about all available treatment options and make well-informed decisions about their care, including which procedure is best for them, what to expect for post-operative recovery and return to work, and life-long management of their cardiac diseases. Dr. Owen completed his medical degree and post-graduate training at Duke University Medical Center and is certified by both the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery. He currently practices at HCA Florida Northside Hospital in St. Petersburg, where he serves as Medical Director for Cardiothoracic Surgery and has helped organize a team dedicated to personalized care delivery for all patients with cardiovascular disease.