Scott Sakaguchi, MD

Associate Professor of Medicine (Cardiac Arrhythmia Center)
Director, Electrophysiology Fellowship Program

Born in California, Dr. Sakaguchi received his B.S. and M.S. in biological sciences from Stanford University, and his M.D. from the University of California-Davis. After completing a residency at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota and general-cardiology and electrophysiology fellowships at the University of Minnesota, he joined the faculty in 1993.

Dr. Sakaguchi is an accomplished medical educator. In addition to directing the electrophysiology fellowship program, he also teaches general-cardiology fellows. He is a three-time winner of the general-cardiology fellowship program’s Teacher of the Year Award.

Dr. Sakaguchi cares for patients with all forms of heart-rhythm disorders. He performs pacemaker implants, defibrillator implants, and catheter ablations. His special interests include inherited arrhythmia syndromes, arrhythmias in athletes, and arrhythmias in patients with neuromuscular diseases. Dr. Sakaguchi is the recipient of a University of Minnesota Department of Medicine Clinical Excellence Award.

Professional Organizations

American Heart Association, member
American College of Cardiology, Fellow
Heart Rhythm Society, Fellow

Selected Publications

Benditt DG, Sakaguchi S, Lu F, Sutton R. Head-up Tilt-Table Testing. In: Zipes DP and Jalife J, Cardiac Electrophysiology: From Cell to Bedside. 5th edition. Philadelphia, Saunders Elsevier. p859-879, 2009

Sakaguchi S. External Cardioversion and Defibrillation. In: Lu F and Benditt DG (eds), Cardiac Pacing and Defibrillation: Principle and Practice. 1st edition. P.R. China, People’s Medical Publishing House. p361-373, 2008

Sakaguchi S. Interpretation of the Pacemaker ECG. In: Lu F and Benditt DG (eds), Cardiac Pacing and Defibrillation: Principle and Practice. 1st edition. P.R. China, People’s Medical Publishing House. p144-178, 2008

Marcus FI, Zareba W, Calkins H, Towbin JA, Basso C, Bluemke DA, Estes NA 3rd, Picard MH, Sanborn D, Thiene G, Wichter T, Cannom D, Wilber DJ, Scheinman M, Duff H, Daubert J, Talajic M, Krahn A, Sweeney M, Garan H, Sakaguchi S, Lerman BB, Kerr C, Kron J, Steinberg JS, Sherrill D, Gear K, Brown M, Severski P, Polonsky S, McNitt S. Arrhythmogenic right-ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia clinical presentation and diagnostic evaluation: Results from the North American Multidisciplinary Study. Heart Rhythm 2009;6:984-992

Yannopoulos D, Lurie KG, Sakaguchi S, Milstein S, Ermis C, VanHeel L, Benditt DG. Reduced atrial-tachyarrhythmia susceptibility after upgrade of conventional implanted pulse generator to cardiac resynchronization therapy in patients with heart failure. JACC 2007;50:1246-1251