2011

Learn more about the surgeons of Columbia University Medical Center by viewing clips of recent news coverage, referencing their contributions to the professional literature, noting awards they've received, and reading the consumer and professional newsletters published by the Department of Surgery.

First Ex Vivo Lung Transplant in NOVEL Trial

Frank D'Ovidio, MD, PhD

September, 2011: Frank D'Ovidio, MD, PhD, and members of the NYP/Columbia Lung Transplantation Program performed the first ex vivo transplant at this hospital, saving the life of 59-year-old Patricia Kingsbury. The innovative transplant was part of the recently opened NOVEL trial, which is testing a new method of restoring and repairing donor lungs that may have sustained damage.

Developed at the University of Toronto, the ex vivo method entails keeping the donor lungs outside the body for about four hours. During this time, the lungs are infused with a solution of oxygen and nutrients, and are carefully assessed for damage. In some cases, lungs that might have previously been deemed too poor for transplant can in fact be successfully replenished and repaired, rendering them usable. This technique has the potential to significantly increase the number of donor organs available for transplant — a benefit that could mean all the difference for patients like Patricia whose lives may well depend upon the availability of a donor organ.

See the NYP/Columbia blog and the WABC-7 News for more on this important trial.

Innovations in Liver Transplantation

This 26-minute video, produced by Information Television Network, includes interviews with patients and transplant surgeons at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital's Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation.

Center for Acute Respiratory Failure Opens at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia

Daniel Brodie, MD


Matthew Bacchetta, MD, MBA, MA

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center has officially launched the Center for Acute Respiratory Failure, which offers expertise in using lung bypass technology to help adult patients whose lungs are rapidly shutting down. Already one of the largest centers in the world for respiratory as well as cardiac failure in adults, NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia is expanding further due to its new ECMO program.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) can take over the function of the lungs in adults with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) to give severely damaged lungs time to rest and heal. The ECMO program has improved the techniques used for delivering ECMO in adults and has developed a novel mini-ECMO unit that can be used to transport critically ill patients to the Center.

While ECMO is used at other centers, very few hospitals in the world treat as many adult patients with ECMO. NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia treats about 70 a year, and that number is growing. More unusual in the U.S. is the team's ability to travel to area hospitals, place patients on their adapted ECMO unit, and transport them to the Center. This allows the team to bring patients into NYP/Columbia who would otherwise be too sick to be transported by ambulance, so that they can receive ECMO and other advanced respiratory care.

Co-directed by Daniel Brodie, MD, and Matthew Bacchetta, MD, the program's innovative use of ECMO has been highly successful: every adult ECMO patient has recovered and is now thriving. Click here to read their stories, and learn about the Center for Acute Respiratory Failure here.

Drs. Brodie and Bacchetta publish review article on ECMO in NEJM

Daniel Brodie, MD


Matthew Bacchetta, MD, MBA, MA

November 17, 2011: Daniel Brodie, MD, and Matthew Bacchetta, MD, Co-directors of the Center for Respiratory Failure at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia, have published an important review article about ECMO in the New England Journal of Medicine. The article details how extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) can take over the function of the lungs in adults with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) to give severely damaged lungs time to rest and heal.

In addition to improving ECMO techniques in order to reduce side effects, Drs. Brodie and Bacchetta have also devised a mini-ECMO unit that can be used to transport critically ill patients to the Center. These advances represent a dramatic improvement in the treatment of patients with ARDS, which can be associated with high mortality rates. To date, every patient treated by the new ECMO program has recovered and is now thriving. According to Dr. Brodie, "Evidence is accumulating that referring patients with severe respiratory failure to a center capable of performing ECMO is beneficial for these patients."

See the article in NEJM here, and read more about how ECMO has saved patients' lives at the Columbia blog here.

Learn more about the new Center for Acute Respiratory Failure here.

NewYork-Presbyterian is First in NYC Metro Area and Among Top 6 in Nation

Each year, U.S. News & World Report™ evaluates thousands of hospitals located throughout America. This study is widely considered one of the nation's most thorough and reliable measures of medical quality.

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital ranks #1 in New York and among the top six in the U.S. out of the nearly 5,000 hospitals evaluated by U.S. News Media & World Report for their 2011-12 Best Hospitals rankings. One of the largest and most comprehensive medical centers in the nation, NewYork-Presbyterian is also one of only 17 hospitals listed on U.S. News' prestigious Honor Roll of America's Best. The Honor Roll places us in the company of some of the most prestigious, world-class medical institutions, including Johns Hopkins Hospital, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic and Massachusetts General Hospital. A member of the Honor Roll of America's Best for eleven consecutive years, this distinction is the most recent indication that NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital—and the care it provides—continue to be among the best in America.

NOVEL Lung Transplant Trial Enrolling Patients

As of June 2011, an important trial is now testing a new method of preserving donor lungs before transplantation. This method could potentially increase the availability of donor organs.

The NOVEL Lung Trial (Normothermic Ex-Vivo Lung Perfusion as an Assessment of Extended/Marginal Donor Lungs) will run from June 2011 to March 2014, under the direction of Principal Investigator Frank D'Ovidio, MD, PhD.

Transplant surgeons at the University of Toronto have developed an effective method of preserving donor lungs outside of the body at body temperatures. Preclinical data shows that ex vivo perfusion with STEEN solution is as good, if not better than, the standard cold static preservation. The NOVEL study proposes to use the EVLP technique to improve donor lung assessment before transplant, and thereby safely increase the number of available lungs for transplant. If the lungs demonstrate a favorable ex vivo evaluation, the lungs will be transplanted into a patient.

Read here for more information about the NOVEL study.

New Children's Emergency Department Opens at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital/Columbia

The new Alexandra and Steven Cohen Pediatric Emergency Department at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center opens Thursday, June 23. Located at 166th Street and Broadway in Washington Heights, the brand-new facility significantly expands access to world-class emergency care to children. It more than quadruples the department's previous space, creating a family-friendly environment with the latest technology to best care for young patients.

The 25,000 square foot Cohen Children's Emergency Department was made possible through a $50 million gift from the Steven A. and Alexandra M. Cohen Foundation Inc. One of only three Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Centers in New York state, the facility is equipped to care for 60,000 children annually.

Vein Program Provides Free 'Friends and Family' Screenings for Vein Problems

• Do you have visible varicose veins?
• Have you had blood clots?
• Family members with vascular problems?

Varicose veins may be more than a cosmetic issue — left untreated, they can lead to more serious problems. Take the opportunity to have a brief, private medical examination with a physician from the Division of Vascular Surgery Vein Programs who will evaluate your vascular health and answer your questions.

Screenings are open to both men and women and will be held on the following dates:

June 20th 3pm - 6pm - NYPH/Columbia
June 21st 1:30pm - 4pm - NYPH/Allen Hospital
June 22nd 3pm - 6pm - NYPH/Columbia
June 28th 9am - 12pm - NYPH/Columbia

To make an appointment, call: 1-855-CUSURGE

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement as Good as Open Surgery,
According to PARTNER Results

Approximately 300,000 patients in the United States have aortic stenosis (narrowing of the aortic heart valve), and about one third of these patients are too sick or too old to undergo surgical replacement. Under the leadership of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital's Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has been under study as a less invasive alternative for these patients.

According to the most recent results of the landmark PARTNER study, TAVI is as good as open surgery in terms of long-term survival. Craig R. Smith, MD, Principal Investigator of the PARTNER study, presented long-awaited results of cohort A to the American College of Cardiology 2011 Scientific Summit in New Orleans April 3, 2011. This arm of the study compared long-term outcomes of traditional aortic valve replacement with the catheter-based method of replacing the aortic valve.

The study found the two methods equal in terms of long term survival. Patients who underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement were at higher risk of stroke and vascular complications, while those undergoing open surgery were at greater risk of major bleeding.

Results of the first phase of the PARTNER trial, cohort B, were presented in December 2010. This phase found that compared with medical therapy (including balloon valvuloplasty), patients who were too sick or too old for surgery had a 20% improvement in survival after one year with transcatheter aortic valve replacement. In addition to living longer, patients also felt much better and experienced fewer hospitalizations.

The pivotal results from both cohorts of the PARTNER trial mean that patients with aortic disease now have a new therapeutic option that works exceedingly well. Craig R. Smith, MD, who presented the newest results at a special showcase session at the ACC summit, said in a statement that transcatheter aortic valve replacement "is the most exciting new treatment for aortic stenosis in the past two to three decades."

At this time, transcatheter aortic valves are investigational devices in the US. Already approved and on the market in other countries, it is expected that TAVI may gain FDA approval as early as late 2011, at least for patients ineligible for surgery.

Dr. Smith is Chairman, Department of Surgery, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons; Chief, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center; and Surgeon-in-Chief, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center/ Vivian and Seymour Milstein Family Heart Center. Other PARTNER investigators at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital include Martin Leon, MD, Jeffrey Moses, MD, Susheel Kodali, MD, and Mathew Williams, MD.

Results of PARTNER cohort B

Interviews with Craig Smith, MD, about Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

NYPH Ranked #1 NY Hospital

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is the best hospital in the metropolitan New York area, according to the U.S. News & World Report annual survey, published March 29, 2011.

The magazine evaluated hospitals in cities with populations over 1 million. Criteria included the centers' specialty rankings, mortality rates, patient safety, nurse-to-patient ratios and technology. NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital (NYP), which includes campuses at Columbia University Medical Center and Weill Cornell Medical College, scored the highest overall of the New York area's 66 hospitals.

"With especially strong scores in 11 specialties, NewYork-Presbyterian University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell in New York, NY, was named once again to the Best Hospitals Honor Roll," cites the report. Ranking fourth in the nation in kidney disorders, neurology, and neurosurgery, NYP is nationally ranked in 16 adult specialties and 10 pediatric specialties overall.

Read NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital's 2011 profile.

CLDT Named Top Center for Hepatitis B

Newsmax online magazine listed NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center as one of the top ten treatment centers in the U.S. for hepatitis B. In its review, Newsmax said "The hospital has remarkable statistics on curing patients with hepatitis B. The Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation at the center is one of the best of its kind in the U.S."

Read the story here.

Dr. Grant profiled in Town&Country Magazine

Robert T. Grant, MD, FACS, Chief, Division of Plastic Surgery, is highlighted in the March 2011 issue of Town & Country Magazine. "Dr. G and the Women" profiles the Life Stage Personal Enhancement Team he has built with nutritionist Brooke Alpert and stylist Jacqui Stafford. Together, the trio work with patients to improve their appearances according to their unique needs and preferences. Some patients choose to have plastic surgery followed by recovery at the Pierre Hotel in Manhattan, where they can meet with Alpert and Stafford as they recuperate. Other patients may opt to consult with Alpert or Stafford, without having any procedures. As Dr. Grant says, "I am an interventionalist — I intervene at a specific point — but what Brooke and Jacqui do can help before, during, and after that point," he says. "It just became clear that I needed more than surgery to help make my patients complete."

Read the Town & Country article here .

Dr. Stewart's STS Video Blog Now Live at HeartValveBlog.com

Allan Stewart, MD, Director of the Aortic Surgery Program, discusses the relatively recent use of horse valves in aortic valve replacement surgery. Watch this informal interview of Dr. Stewart by Adam Pick, former heart patient and author, at the February, 2011 Society
of Thoracic Surgeons conference.

Read more.

February is Heart Month

Barbara Walters Heart Health Special: Celebrities share stories of heart surgery.
Featuring NYP/Columbia Surgeons

Life Can Change In A Heartbeat, No Matter How Famous You Are...
On February 4, 2011, award-winning journalist and television personality Barbara Walters hosted a one-hour national special based on her experience of having heart valve replacement surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian. She was joined by President Bill Clinton, David Letterman, Robin Williams, Regis Philbin and Charlie Rose, who also underwent heart surgery. Two heart specialists from the Vivian and Seymour Milstein Family Heart Center at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia appeared on the show.
WATCH FULL EPISODE HERE.

How to Have a Healthy Heart — Dr. Mehmet C. Oz
Mehmet C. Oz, M.D., Vice Chairman of Cardiovascular Services and Medical Director of the Integrative Medicine Program at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, discusses ways to have a healthy heart: exercise, proper diet, stop smoking, maintain a healthy weight, monitor your blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol, and partnering with your doctor.

Heart Attack Symptoms — Drs. Mehmet C. Oz, Holly S. Andersen
Mehmet C. Oz, M.D., Vice Chairman of Cardiovascular Services and Medical Director of the Integrative Medicine Program at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, and Holly S. Andersen, M.D., Director of Education and Outreach at The Ronald O. Perelman Heart Institute of NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, discuss heart attack symptoms and how they are not always the dramatic chest grabbing types like in the movies. Heart attack symptoms can actually be more mild and can take the form of chest discomfort, discomfort in other areas of the body, and shortness of breath. These milder symptoms are more common in women. However, for both genders, the advice is clear: if you think you may be having a heart attack, call 911 immediately. Time is muscle. The faster you get to a hospital, the more heart muscle can be saved.

Learn to Live Heart Healthy at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
February 16, 2011
Join us for a day of free events including heart screening, zumba, yoga, the Milstein Mile walk, heart-healthy meals, education, and more.