Christopher Nicholas, MD
Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) · West Burlington, IANPI 1316037195
Payments from drug & device makers
What this record shows
Almost everything reported here is food and beverage — 100.0% of the total across 9 separate payments, which is the pattern of a clinician who attends manufacturer presentations rather than one with a consulting arrangement. 6 manufacturers reported payments, led by AbbVie at 30.2% of the total. Reporting peaked in 2019 at $69 and has fallen 66.2% since, to $23 in 2025. That places this record below the midpoint for thoracic surgery (cardiothoracic vascular surgery) clinicians in IA, where the typical reported total is $2,703.
Across 9 payments — averaging $19.39 each. Meals, travel, consulting and speaking fees, gifts and royalties reported by drug and device makers.
- AbbVie$53
- Misonix Inc$37
- Medtronic$36
- Leica Microsystems Inc.$19
- Johnson & Johnson$16
- Braintree Laboratories, Inc.$14
What the payments were for
- Food & beverage$174100%
Most of this is food and beverage — typically meals provided during product presentations at a clinic or hospital. Nationally that is the single largest category of reported payments by count.
General payments by program year
Who reported the general payments
Companies are grouped under their corporate parent — a single manufacturer often files under several CMS reporting entities. Research and ownership payments are counted separately and are not in this table.
| Company | Payments | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AbbVie(2 entities) | 3 | $53 |
| Misonix Inc | 1 | $37 |
| Medtronic | 2 | $36 |
| Leica Microsystems Inc. | 1 | $19 |
| Johnson & Johnson | 1 | $16 |
| Braintree Laboratories, Inc. | 1 | $14 |
How this compares
$174 in reported general payments places this provider in the 15th percentile of 48 thoracic surgery (cardiothoracic vascular surgery) providers in Iowa.
See all thoracic surgery (cardiothoracic vascular surgery) providers in Iowa →
Medicare billing
What this is not: this is the amount Original Medicare Part B allowed for services this provider billed in 2024. It is not their income. It excludes Medicare Advantage — now more than half of all Medicare enrollment — along with Medicaid and all commercial insurance, and it is gross practice revenue before staff, rent, supplies and malpractice premiums. CMS also suppresses any figure covering ten or fewer patients, so low-volume providers appear smaller than they are.
Most prescribed under Part D
| Drug | Claims | Cost to plans & patients |
|---|---|---|
| Sod Sulf-Potass Sulf-Mag SulfSodium, Potassium,mag Sulfates | 167 | $10,379 |
| Sucralfate | 107 | $4,385 |
| Famotidine | 288 | $3,193 |
| Pantoprazole Sodium | 71 | $701 |
| Hydrocodone-AcetaminophenHydrocodone/Acetaminophen | 55 | $567 |
| Gavilyte-GPeg3350/Sod Sulf,bicarb,cl/Kcl | 34 | $481 |
| Peg-3350 And ElectrolytesPeg3350/Sod Sulf,bicarb,cl/Kcl | 12 | $217 |
| Lactulose | 28 | $115 |
| Omeprazole | 16 | $95 |
| Metronidazole | 11 | $66 |
Paid to pharmacies, not to this prescriber.
Other thoracic surgery (cardiothoracic vascular surgery) in West Burlington
- Robert GallegosDes Moines$156K
- Ali Al AmeriDes Moines$53K
- Garry WeideCedar Rapids$39K
- Mohammad BashirIowa City$28K
- Tayyaba MalikDes Moines$21K
- Anthony PanosIowa City$21K
- Ganga PrabhakarDes Moines$16K
- Hashim HanifDes Moines$15K
- John KeechIowa City$14K
- Adnan Al AyoubiIowa City$14K
Where these figures come from
- Payments: CMS Open Payments, program years 2019–2025 (publication P06302026_06032026).
- Billing: Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners, data year 2024. Original Medicare Part B only.
- Identity: NPPES NPI Registry, July 2026.