Walker A Julliard, MD

Biography

An expert surgeon caring for patients in and out of the operating room

Thoracic surgery is a challenging specialty: It covers a wide range of diseases, requiring procedures that are technically difficult.

For Dr. Walker Julliard, the challenge makes his work exceptionally rewarding – and drives his commitment to patients with varied needs.

Most of the chest surgeries Dr. Julliard performs at VCU Health are robotic procedures that offer numerous benefits for patients.

“Pain after surgery is much lower when the robot is involved,” he says. “The ability to return patients to their regular life is much higher, and so is their satisfaction.”

In addition to less discomfort and shorter hospital stays, Dr. Julliard notes that the robotic approach, which accounts for around 90 percent of his surgeries, also allows him to tackle trickier procedures while treating patients with chest illnesses that aren’t directly related to heart disease.

As a general thoracic surgeon, Dr. Julliard cares for patients living with lung cancer, esophageal cancer, chest wall disorders, tracheal diseases, hernias in their diaphragm, acid reflux disease and other conditions. As a surgeon on the cutting-edge edge of chest care, he is also helping build a growing lung transplant program at VCU Health Hume-Lee Transplant Center as the surgical director.

“Lung transplantation is something I’ve been passionate about for a long time and have always wanted to be involved in,” he says. “It is great to be involved at the ground level of a program to grow it over time.”

It’s a field requiring close collaboration with a wide range of other medical providers. When treating a lung cancer patient, for example, Dr. Julliard coordinates their care with pulmonologists, oncologists, and radiation oncologists. He also works with VCU Health’s team of gastroenterologists to treat patients with acid reflux, and he works with pulmonologists while treating patients with diseases affecting the airways in their lungs.

“We all work really closely together to make sure each patient gets the best care,” he says.

He continually monitors advancements in the field, including the use of monoclonal antibodies to help the body’s immune system fight cancer.

In 2021, Dr. Julliard was awarded the prestigious AATS Foundation F. Griffith Pearson Fellowship. During this time, he trained with experts further developing his skills in lung transplantation, complex airway surgery, pulmonary endarterectomy procedures and other niche fields of thoracic surgery.

As a surgeon, his care really starts at diagnosis, and he stays with the patient during and after surgery.

“Treatment is a journey,” he says, “and doesn’t always go through an operating room. “For some, radiation may be a better option and align better with their life goals and what’s important to them.”

He stresses the value of patients finding providers who bring the right mix of expertise and empathy and who put the patient’s wishes at the forefront of their own care.

“It’s important to find doctors who are well-versed in all the treatment options and who are willing to offer you the best treatment for you specifically,” Dr. Julliard says. “Sometimes that’s surgery, and sometimes that’s not surgery.”

Advice to Patients:

“Find providers who have the right expertise and whom you trust. Look for doctors who are truly invested in you and what’s important to you.”

Research Interests

Lung cancer surgery, lung transplant care, how the immune system adapts to environmental factors