Britt H. Tonnessen

Britt H. Tonnessen, MD, FACS is an Associate Professor of Surgery (Vascular) at Yale School of Medicine, where she holds a primary appointment in the Department of Vascular Surgery & Endovascular Therapy. She also contributes to the Thoracic Outlet Syndrome Program and serves as Associate Program Director for the Vascular Residency. Her clinical expertise spans open and minimally invasive endovascular procedures for conditions including peripheral arterial disease, carotid disease, aneurysms, and venous disorders.

Dr. Tonnessen earned her BSc in Neuroscience with honors from Brown University in 1994, followed by her MD from the Mayo Clinic in 1999. She completed her general surgery residency and vascular surgery fellowship at Ochsner Clinic, becoming board certified in both general and vascular surgery. As a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, she is recognized for her surgical excellence and commitment to patient care.

Her research focuses on improving outcomes in vascular surgery, with recent publications examining:

• Risk factors for amputation and functional decline
• Antithrombotic therapy in vascular patients
• Smoking cessation and its impact on surgical outcomes
• Techniques and complications in endovascular interventions

She has co-authored the 5th and 6th editions of The Handbook of Patient Care: Vascular Diseases, a key educational text for trainees. Her recent publications in journals such as Journal of Vascular Surgery and Annals of Vascular Surgery reflect a strong trend toward outcomes-based, patient-centered vascular research.

Her scientific honors include being named a Top Doctor in 2020 by Connecticut Magazine.

Dr. Tonnessen is actively involved in clinical research, serving as Principal Investigator for the Medtronic Product Surveillance Registry and as Sub-Investigator for trials on stem cell therapy for critical limb ischemia and real-world use of drug-eluting devices. She mentors residents and fellows through her role in the vascular residency program and collaborates extensively with researchers such as Raul J. Guzman and Edouard Aboian. She is based at the Yale Medicine Vascular Surgery clinic in New Haven, CT.