Clinical Programs & Curriculum

• Heart Failure: Working in close collaboration with the medical heart failure team, the program has boasted the best 3 year transplant survival in the NY region (Jan 2019) and one of the best implantable LVAD survival rates in the nation. Fellows will engage in the weekly interdisciplinary selection meetings, procurement of organs, and participate with the implantation team. Opportunities to partake in organ harvest exist as well.
  • https://www.montefiore.org/advanced-heart-failure 
• Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery: We are proud to have one of the busiest minimally invasive programs in New York. Fellows will be able to select appropriate patients for robotically assisted CABGs, minimally invasive valve surgeries, thoracoscopic ASD and MAZE procedures, off pump CABGs.
• Structural Heart Team: In close collaboration with the interventional cardiology team, our staff is intimately involved in all aspects of the preop, intraop and postop care of patients undergoing all structural heart cases. Fellows will be able to assess a patient for candidacy, appropriate therapy, plan of intervention, and device choice. Fellows will be able to perform access, closure, and multiple steps of the intervention.
• Aortic Surgery: Our Department works independently and in close collaboration with vascular surgery performing a full range of open and endovascular interventions from the aortic valve to the aortic bifurcation. Fellows will be able to adequately evaluate a patient, imaging, and a plan for intervention.
• ECMO: Fellows will be able to adequately evaluate a patient need and candidacy for venoarterial and venovenous ECMO, cannulation and initiation of ECMO on site and off site. CTS work closely with heart failure and vascular surgery teams in the care of these complex patients.
• Thoracic Surgery: Fellows are exposed to all aspects of benign and malignant thoracic surgery as well as to a busy and growing lung transplant program – the latter in close working relationship with our pulmonary transplant staff. Fellows will be engaged in the weekly interdisciplinary selection meetings, procurement of organs, and participate with the implantation team. Fellows will also participate in weekly thoracic oncology conference and be able to adequately evaluate patients’ oncological status, candidacy and plan for intervention.
• Congenital Cardiothoracic Surgery: Fellows rotate through the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital in the New York Presbyterian system in New York for three months under Dr. Emile Bacha. They have over 700 cases per year covering the full range of neonatal and congenital heart cases.

Example of Senior and Junior rotations, can be adjusted with elective time during senior year

2 teams, M and W cardiac
CUMC: Columbia University Congenital Rotation

Curriculum

Rotation schedule
Senior Fellow: 9 months adult cardiac, 3 months of MMC elective
Junior Fellow: 6 months thoracic, 3 months congenital, 3 months adult cardiac

Conferences