Wissam Khalife, MD

Expert Publications

• Respiratory failure secondary to methemoglobinemia induced by benzocaine: a case report.
• Pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis in a postmenopausal woman: case report with review of literature.
• Impending cardiac tamponade as a primary presentation of hypothyroidism: case report and review of literature.
• Sirolimus-induced alveolar hemorrhage.
• The TandemHeart pVAD in the treatment of acute fulminant myocarditis.
• Dilated cardiomyopathy and myocardial infarction secondary to congenital generalized lipodystrophy.
• Heart Disease in Patients with HIV/AIDS-An Emerging Clinical Problem.
• Reduced coronary blood flow in cardiac tamponade: mystery solved.
• Acute heart transplant graft failure in association with hyperosmolar hyperglycemia state.
• Influence of Access, Anticoagulant, and Bleeding Definition on Outcomes of Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Early Experience of an US Academic Center.
• Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection: One Disease, Variable Presentations, and Different Management Approaches.
• Diarrhea-An uncommon presentation of tertiary adrenal insufficiency following heart transplantation.

Media Releases

Get to know Cardiologist Dr. Wissam Khalife, who serves patients in Galveston, Texas.

Dr. Khalife is an esteemed heart failure cardiologist serving Galveston, Texas and the surrounding communities. Currently, he is the Director of the Heart Failure/Transplant and Left Ventricular Assist Device Program at UTMB Health. 

His areas of interest include invasive cardiology, invasive heart failure and transplant, as well as cardiology imaging. Patients applaud his expertise, bedside manner, and compassion.

Among his other roles at UTMB Health, Dr. Khalife is the Director of the Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program, Associate Professor of the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, as well as Holder of the Stubbs Family Professorship in Cardiology.

UTMB is a health network offering a full range of primary and specialty healthcare services throughout Galveston and Brazoria counties, the Bay Area, and Southeast Texas. With approximately 70 primary and specialty care clinics, dozens of locations, and three large modern campuses featuring comprehensive hospital and emergency care, UTMB is a health system that continues to enhance access to excellent care. 

Back in 1999, Dr. Khalife earned his medical degree from the Lebanese University in Beirut, Lebanon. After relocating to the United States, he went on to complete his internship and residency in internal medicine at the University of South Dakota School of Medicine in 2003 and  2005, respectively. 

To further his training, he then completed a fellowship in heart failure and cardiac transplantation at Texas Heart Institute in 2006, and a fellowship in cardiovascular disease at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston in 2009. 

Recognized and awarded the title of Master of the American College of Cardiology in 2010, Dr. Khalife is also an active member of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, the American College of Cardiology (Fellow), and the Heart Failure Society of America.

As a testament to his success, he is board-certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease & advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). The ABIM is a physician-led, non-profit, independent evaluation organization driven by doctors who want to achieve higher standards for better care in a rapidly changing world. 

Furthermore, he holds board certifications in nuclear cardiology through the Certification Board of Nuclear Cardiology, and in echocardiology through the National Board of Echocardiography.

Cardiology is a branch of medicine that deals with the disorders of the heart, as well as the circulatory system. The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease, and electrophysiology. Cardiologists are doctors who diagnose, assess, and treat patients with diseases and defects of the heart and blood vessels (the cardiovascular system).

For his dedication to cardiology and for achieving excellence in patient care, Patient Preferred Physicians and Practitioners proudly named Dr. Khalife a “Patient Preferred Cardiologist” in the state of Texas for 2021. 

With multiple ongoing research projects, he is an accomplished physician with more than 100 authored and co-authored research publications, abstracts, and posters. 

On a more personal note, he speaks several languages, including English, Arabic, and French.

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