Massachusetts General Hospital | Heart Center

BiographyDr. Harthorne is closing in on a 50 year association with the MGH dating from training with Paul Dudley White as a Cardiology Fellow in 1961. He introduced coronary angiography in 1965, transvenous cardiac pacing during that same year and has been involved in the training of annual cardiology fellows ever since. He remains active in a clinical practice that covers all aspects of cardiology including coronary disease, valvular disease, heart failure, adult congenital heart disease and pacemaker and defibrillator related issues as well as medical aspects of rhythm management. He see patients two days each week (Tuesday and Thursday) and oversees device implants in the Electrophysiology Laboratory every Wednesday.

   A recent interest in the Team Heart medical mission to Rwanda has brought renewed interest in the social and technical challenges of providing diagnostic and therapeutic assistance to that country that was wracked by tragedy in the 1994 genocide.

ResearchDr. Harthorne's research interests have largely been related to clinical practice. As the principal invvestigator of the CASS (coronary artery surgical study) at the MGH he was involved in the comparative observations of the clinical differences between medical and surgical treatment of mild stable angina. His work on diagnostic catheter techniques has produced "How To" book chapters on cardiac catheterization and the anatomy of the coronary arterial circulation. An early involvement in the creation of cardiac pacemaker devices and later the automatic implantable defibrillator has included several years of consulting with manufacturers on the desirable characteristics of these devices for maximal patient benefit. More recently, an awareness of environmental sources of electromagnetic interference with arrhythmia devices has led to a study of theft deterrent systems in stores and their effect upon patients with arrhythmia devices.

Publications130 manuscripts, books, periodicals relating to all aspects of clinical and diagnostic cardiology with a focus on cardiac catheterization, cardiac pacemaker implantation and management, CPC case analyses, electromagnetic interference sources etc.

Treating heart disease in Rwanda: Mass General team joins volunteer mission

On April 8th Terry Nearhos, RN, Jennifer Neary, cardiac sonographer, and J. Warren Harthorne, MD, departed for Kigali, Rwanda to join Team Heart in diagnosing and treating heart failure patients.