Columbia University Department of Surgery
Institutional Overview
The Columbia University Medical Center, situated on a 20-acre campus in the Washington Heights community of northern Manhattan, holds a position of world-class leadership in scientific research, medical education, and patient care.
The medical center's Department of Surgery draws on a tradition of more than 225 years marked by some of the most extraordinary achievements in medicine.
The Department of Surgery is committed to the belief that multidisciplinary collaboration leads to a higher level of care, and that such teamwork promotes meaningful interaction between faculty members as well as cross-functional fertilization among staff.
Another defining element of the Department's culture is innovation, an area in which it is the beneficiary of a rich legacy, and in which continues to foster the transition from scientific discovery to clinically relevant application.
Innovation, of course, originates in the intellect and experience of people, and the department's faculty includes more than 70 of the most talented surgeons in the world as well as 600 support and clinical staff members, including researchers, transplant coordinators, administrative support staff, and communications professionals.
Columbia's Department of Surgery is ranked among the top five institutions in the country for the quality of its residency program, where new surgeons are trained.
Each year, 800 applicants vie for five positions in general surgery.
Columbia's institutional relationship with the Weill Cornell Medical College has led to collaborative teaching and practice of surgery, including the minimally invasive colorectal, vascular, plastic, and pediatric surgery disciplines.
The department is committed to serving its patients, referring physicians, partner hospitals, and local community.
Its goal is not merely to provide what is expected, but to consistently exceed expectations.
The Department of Surgery has established Management Service Agreements with 26 programs in 22 hospitals and five states, encompassing the following clinical areas:
- Bariatric Surgery
- Breast Surgery
- Cardiac Surgery (adult and pediatric)
- General Surgery
- Liver Surgery
- Pediatric Surgery
- Vascular Surgery
- Surgical Oncology
Through these agreements, the department provides leadership and clinical, didactic, and technical expertise to improve client hospitals' surgical volume, quality, and profitability.
Columbia Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Adult Cardiac Surgery Section
Performing 2,000 adult and pediatric open heart procedures a year, the Cardiac Surgery Section is a leader in the region and among the most recognized in the world.
In addition to on- and off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery, it performs a high volume of valve procedures, and is recognized for its innovation and skill in valve repair.
Its surgeons undertake some of the most complex and challenging cases, such as combined bypass and valve repair or replacement procedures, often in high-risk patients.
The Columbia Cardiac Surgery Section holds expertise in a range of surgical specialties:
- The Aortic Surgery Program offers expertise in medical, surgical, endovascular and minimally invasive management of acute and chronic aortic conditions, including aneurysms and Type A and Type B dissections, and regularly performs aortic root reconstruction.
- With over 25 years of experience, the Cardiac Transplantation Program is one of the top heart transplant programs in the world—performing 70 to 119 heart transplants in a given year.
- Founded in 1990 to advance the use of cardiac assist devices as a bridge-to-transplantation, the Mechanical Circulatory Support Program now offers assist devices as destination therapy for patients with end-stage heart failure who are not eligible for heart transplant.
- The Columbia Valve Program offers innovative approaches to aortic and mitral valve disease.
Columbia has the world's most extensive experience in percutaneous aortic valve procedures.
- The Minimally Invasive and Robotic Cardiac Surgery Program treats cardiac disease through smaller incisions, resulting in a faster recovery with less discomfort.
It has performed 750 minimally invasive operations to date, and has been a pioneering center in the area of robotic cardiac surgery.
- The Surgical Atrial Fibrillation Program offers a variety of surgical solutions to atrial fibrillation, including the Maze procedure, surgical atrial fibrillation ablation (SAFA), and totally endoscopic beating heart lone-atrial fibrillation ablation.
Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Section
Columbia is a recognized leader in pediatric cardiac surgery, with special expertise in:
- Complex congenital heart defects (e.g. transposition of the great vessels, single ventricle)
- Mechanical circulatory support devices (LVADs)
- Pediatric heart transplantation
- Complex valve procedures, such as the Ross procedure
- ECMO for critically ill neonates requiring life support for such congenital anomalies as diaphragmatic hernia
- Pediatric cardiomyopathy and adult congenital heart disease: Columbia pediatric cardiac surgeons work closely with the Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New York-Presbyterian (MSCHONY) in caring for pediatric patients at the MSCHONY Center for Cardiomyopathy, Heart Failure & Transplantation.
The Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Section provides specialized care for adult patients with congenital heart disease through Columbia's Schneeweiss Center for Adult Congenital Heart Disease.
Research
Columbia's physician-scientists have brought forth a range of advances in cardiac surgery. Recent highlights include:
- A $17 million SCCOR grant from the NIH to investigate improving outcomes for end-stage heart failure patients with implanted mechanical devices:
This grant includes study of stem cell transplantation, infection control, and anti-coagulation issues in VAD patients.
- EVEREST investigation of the EvalveŽ Cardiovascular Valve Repair System for the non-surgical (percutaneous) treatment of mitral valve regurgitation:
This technology was developed and patented by Columbia surgical faculty.
- The multi-national, randomized, NIH-funded STICH Trial to test treatment alternatives for patients with left ventricular dysfunction and coronary artery disease that is amenable to surgical revascularization (bypass surgery).
- The FREEDOM Trial, a multi-national, NIH-funded, randomized comparison of coronary artery bypass surgery to stenting in diabetics.
|
