Heart Valve Surgeon Of The Month

I earned my medical degree from the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey, where I was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha. I received postgraduate training in General Surgery from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where I also spent two years researching human gene therapy for cardiac illness.

During this time, I was the five time recipient of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Annual Surgical Scholar Award, the 1999 AHA Vivian Thomas Young Investigator Award, the 2000 Institute of Human Gene Therapy Young Investigator Award, and the 2000 AATS C. Walton Lillehei Young Investigator Award. After completing my residency, I trained in Cardiothoracic Surgery Training at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center.

Upon the completion of my training, I remained on the faculty of NYP/Columbia, where I serve as Director of Aortic Surgery. As an attending surgeon at Columbia, I have co-authored over 50 manuscripts and book chapters, and lectured and/or operated on five continents in over 20 countries about valvular heart disease. I have created a variety of innovative and minimally invasive approaches to valvular heart disease, and am actively involved in clinical trials of transcatheter valve therapy.

Additionally, I am a member of the American College of Surgeons, the Society of Thoracic Surgery, and the American Association of Thoracic Surgery. I serve as a reviewer on The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery and The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, as well as an expert for your website and for aorticdissection.com. I have served as a medical correspondent for Fox News and the Rachel Maddow show.

On a personal note, I have become an advocate for patient recovery after heart valve surgery. As shown above, I recently completed three triathlons with Greg O'Keeffe, a former valvular heart disease patient. Now, I am training for the NYC marathon with another one of my patients, who will be celebrating the one year anniversary of his valve sparing aortic root replacement on the day of the marathon!

To contact Dr. Stewart, please call his office by email at as2276@columbia.edu or call (212) 305-4980.