Mark Iafrati, MD, professor of Surgery, has joined the surgical faculty in the Department of Vascular Surgery, and is director of the new, multidisciplinary Vanderbilt Wound Center.
“We’re fortunate to have someone with Mark’s qualifications and great expertise now leading our comprehensive Wound Center,” said Seth Karp, MD, H. William Scott Jr. Professor and chair of the Section of Surgical Sciences. “The August opening of this specialty clinic in Medical Center East has collected the many specialties that collaborate to provide optimal wound care into one centralized space. Already, we’re seeing great progress under Mark’s leadership.”
Iafrati most recently served as director of the Tufts Center for Vascular, Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine, as well as program director of the Vascular Surgery Fellowship and director of Vascular Surgery Research at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. He had served as chief of Vascular Surgery at Tufts from 2006 until 2020.
A major focus of Iafrati’s research and clinical interests include development of novel venous techniques together with establishing guidelines addressing the care of venous and arterial ulcers, diabetic foot ulcers and lymphedema. His patient care specialties include open and endovascular management of carotid disease, peripheral vascular disease, aneurysms, venous disease, and advanced wound care management including hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy.
“The cross-specialty collaboration we’ve achieved just a few months into opening the Wound Care Center is remarkable,” Iafrati said. “Chronic and acute wounds can quickly become debilitating, especially when multisystem chronic diseases impact healing. We have the skills, technology and teamwork mentality here to adeptly address the complex needs of these patients.”
Iafrati holds leadership positions on the American Venous Forum Board of Directors and serves as chair of the Health Policy Committee. He is a member and sits on committees of the Society of Vascular Surgery and the American Venous and Lymphatic Society. He is also a member of the American College of Surgeons, the American Surgical Association and the Wound Healing Society.
Iafrati earned his MD at Tufts University School of Medicine and completed both his internship and residency at New England Medical Center in Boston. He also held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force, serving from 1985 until 2001.
Patients can be referred to Iafrati by calling the Vanderbilt Wound Center at 615-421-1274.