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Surgeons In the News 2009

The December 22, 2009 Poughkeepsie Journal published an article on an LVAD patient who left home without extra batteries for his LVAD device, which nearly ran out of power. Dr. Yoshifumi Naka, the man's physician provided a comment for the article.
A comment from Dr. David Cohen, Medical Director, Renal and Pancreatic Transplant, was published in a December 14, 2009 The New York Times article on industry and medical community disputes regarding the payment system for kidney transplant treatment. Regarding Medicare's current limited reimbursements for immunosuppressant drugs for kidney transplant recipients under 65, Dr. Cohen commented, "It's like buying someone a new car and giving them only enough gas to drive around the block a few times."
The December 14, 2009, USA Today ran an article about Liesbeth Stoeffler, a cystic fibrosis patient who received lifesaving lung support with a device called ECMO (short for extracorporeal membrane osxygenation). According to the USA Today article, ECMO enabled Ms. Stoeffler's doctors Matthew Bacchetta, MD, and David Lederer, MD, to remove her from the ventilator, thereby improving her health so that she could maintain eligibility for lung transplant, which she received at NYP/Columbia on July 20, 2009. The ECMO gave Ms. Stoeffler's lungs relief from the ventilator, improving her oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, ultimately bridging her to transplant. According to the article, Ms. Stoeffler's doctors pared down her ECMO equipment and she was able to take liquids and food, which helped her gain weight and strength. She could eventually sit up, talk and even use her laptop and iPhone. "About five days into it, she told me it was the best she'd felt in years," Dr. Bacchetta said.

Ventilators may cause damage to the lungs because they push air into the lungs. ECMO, short for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, directly oxygenates the blood, and does not cause lung damage. Patients may move around, eat, and even undergo pulmonary rehabilitation while on ECMO. Doctors at Columbia have been using ECMO technology as both a bridge to transplant and a bridge to recovery, using it to treat patients with H1N1, pulmonary fibrosis, COPD, cystic fibrosis, and pneumonia.
The December 15, 2009 New York Times Science Times section featured a marathon NYP/Columbia Ex-Vivo procedure in which a team of surgeons led by Dr. Tomoaki Kato removed a football-size tumor from a Wisconson man's abdomen. Surgery totaled 43 hours, not including a hiatus to stabilize the patient in the ICU. The team salvaged Mr. Collison's essential abdominal organs, all of which were embedded in the tumor, and reconstructed major abdominal vessels. In addition to Dr. Kato, the article mentioned Drs. Emond and Samstein, who participated in the procedure.
During the week of December 7 2009, Advance for Nurses ran an article entitled "Heart & Soul: Nurses in the pediatric heart transplant program at New York-Presbyterian help kids reclaim their lives." The article featured the Heart Transplant Program at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital/Columbia and was presented as a tribute to the 25th anniversary of pediatric heart transplant. NYP/Columbia clinical staff featured in the article included Dr. Linda Addonizio, Rose Rodriguez, RN, Rosalind Korsin, RN, Lisa Gilmore, RN, Tara Giblin, RN, and Kimberly Beddows, RN.
Kathie-Ann P. Joseph, MD, MPH, was named in the December issue of Essence magazine as one of the 25 most influential African-Americans for 2009.
An article entitled "Expert Advice: Mammograms: More or Less?" bylined by Kathie-Ann Joseph, MD, appeared in the November, 2009 issue of Essence magazine. The article discussed African-American women and breast health in relation to mammogram guidelines released by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force during November, 2009.
On November 20, 2009, the Daily News reported on a dramatic NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital event uniting kidney transplant recipients and their donors, all of whom had participated in a kidney swap at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia. Dr. Lloyd Ratner and transplant coordinator Joan Kelly were named in the article.
Dr. Nicholas Morrissey was quoted in a November 16, 2009 New York Times article about Jed Ortmeyer, a forward for the San Jose Sharks National Hockey League team. The focus of the article was Ortmeyer's life-threatening blood-clotting disorder.
During the week of November 16, 2009, comments from Dr. Naka regarding nurse and physician assistant jobs in American hospitals appeared in an article in Asahi Shimbun, the second most circulated national newspaper in Japan.
In the wake of the new guidelines on mammography and cervical cancer presented by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force during November, 2009, Columbia surgeons were interviewed about the best approach to preventing cancer. The guidelines recommend mammograms only after the age of 50 and once every other year thereafter. Kathie Ann P. Joseph, MD, MPH, was quoted extensively in a November 16, 2009 Crain's New York Business article. Calling the guidelines "a big step backwards," she said, "Maybe this task force is saying doing mammograms for these women is not cost effective, but it can mean catching cancers at a much earlier stage. That can be the difference between telling a woman she needs a lumpectomy and some pills and telling her she needs a mastectomy and chemotherapy."
During the week of October 26, 2009, MemphisDailyNews.com reported that Dr. Oz and Dr. Smith had participated in cardiovascular training courses at Methodist Hospital in Houston.
Kathie Ann P. Joseph, MD, MPH, appeared on the October 23, 2009 Today show discussing male breast cancer as part of a feature on a husband and wife being simultaneously treated for breast cancer. "It affects older men, men in their 60s and 70s," said Dr. Joseph. "There are hereditary risk factors that are associated with it. Twenty percent of all men who get breast cancer have the genetic predisposition for it. Men should be aware of their bodies, just like women. We do recommend that men check their breasts." The story also ran on MSNBC.com. During the same week, Dr. Joseph also appeared on WTTE-TV (Fox Ohio) and three other Fox affiliate stations discussing breast cancer in young women.
Footage of Dr. Sheldon Feldman performing surgery was included in the October 22, 2009 "The Dr. Oz Show," which focused on assisting patients who have not received necessary and urgent medical treatment.
During the week of October 19, 2009, Amica Magazine ran a profile of Dr. Kathie-Ann Joseph.
MedicalNewsToday.com reported on Dr. Christine Rohde's presentation at the 95th annual Congress of the American College of Surgeons, which took place October 11-15, 2009. The presentation, which she shared with Dr. Beth Aviva Preminger, dealt with how referrals increase likelihood of reconstructive surgery for breast cancer patients.
Dr. Ratner was quoted in a September 21, 2009 Los Angeles Times article about an episode of General Hospital episode in which a character suffered digitalis poisoning.
An interview with Kathie-Ann Joeph, MD, MPH, and one of her patients appeared on part four of the Komen Race for the Cure special, which aired September 12, 2009. The segment focused on the doctor/patient relationship.
On September 9, 2009, New York Newsday published a follow-up story about Heather McNamara, whose multiple-organ autotransplant and tumor removal was performed by Dr. Tomoaki Kato during February, 2009. Heather had lost her pancreas, stomach, and spleen, which were too damaged by her tumor to be reattached, leaving her diabetic, more prone to infections, and dependent upon pre-digested food for her nutrition. The article reported that the seven-year-old, who started third grade on September 8, looked and acted like a normal, healthy girl. Dr. Steven Lobritto, who was interviewed for the article, reported that her prognosis is good, "She's a robust kid," he said. "She's right on target."
Robert S. Brown, Jr., MD, MPH, provided a comment for an August 9, 2009, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article regarding Living donor liver transplants. According to the article, the number of these procedures peaked nationally at 524 in 2001, when they comprised 10 percent of all liver transplants. By last year, they had dropped to 249, and accounted for just 4 percent of liver transplants. "The fundamental choice patients are making is not a living donor organ versus a deceased donor organ; they're deciding between a living donor transplant today versus staying on the waiting list with the potential for getting an organ in the future," said Dr. Brown, who explained that, at the present, the chance of people dying while on the liver transplant waiting list is greater than 20 percent, while the chance of dying after a transplant is less than 10 percent after one year. "So the real question is, 'What risk should a donor take in order to get the recipient off the waiting list sooner?' "
During August, 2009, StopAfib.org posted a video interview with Dr. Michael Argenziano regarding atrial fibrillation surgery. The video was recorded at the 2009 convention of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, held May 9-13.
CLDT Emergency Liver Transplant Profiled by NYT
Dr. Ratner was quoted in a July 24, 2009 Los Angeles Times article regarding the movie "My Sister's Keeper," (New Line Cinema), a fictional story about an 11-year-old girl who is asked to donate a kidney to her sister, and must sue her parents in order to keep the kidney. "[N]o credible transplant center would let a kid donate a kidney based on the parents' consent alone," said Dr. Ratner.
During the week of July 13, 2009, the New York Daily News cited a comment from Dr. Michael Goldstein regarding treatment of pediatric focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), a disease that attacks the kidney's filtering system, causing serious scarring.
Dr. Grant was one of two plastic surgeons featured on the July 10, 2009 broadcast of The Leonard Lopate Show on National Public Radio. The show's "Please Explain" segment focused on plastic and reconstructive surgery.
On July 5, 2009, the New York Post Page Six gossip column reported "We've heard that" Bill Clinton delivered high praise for his heart surgeon, Craig Smith, MD, during a call to Ed Koch, was hospitalized for bypass surgery. Apparently, when Koch reported to Clinton that Smith had performed his quadruple bypass, Clinton replied, "He's not only a good doctor, but a good man."
On June 30, 2009, Dr. Robert Brown was interviewed on ABC's World News Tonight about a recent report linking use of acetaminophen with increased risk of liver failure. The segment also aired on five other ABC affiliate stations nationally.
Comments from Dr. Robert S. Brown, Jr. were included in a June 22, 2009 Reuters article about possible reasons for Apple CEO Steve Jobs' recent liver transplant. If the tumor migrated to the liver from the pancreas, a liver transplant may be an effective treatment, said Dr. Brown, who continued, "Our experience after a liver transplant is a return to normal function."
June 12, 2009 news items on WABC-TV and USnews.com included comments from Kathie-Ann P. Joseph, MD, MPH, regarding findings of a research study published in the journal Cancer by Columbia epidemiologist Judith Jacobson and colleagues about use of antioxidants by breast cancer patients. There is concern among physicians that antioxidants can reduce the efficacy of radiation and chemotherapy treatment, and Dr. Jacobson's study found that a surprisingly high number of women use high doses of antioxidants during their treatment.
Dr. Robert T. Grant provided comments about the pain and discomfort experienced by women with large breasts for a June 2, 2009 New York Daily News article about breast reduction surgery.
During the week of May 22, 2009, Dr. Grant appeared on a WABC-TV news segment about the dangers of using commercial silicon injections to contour the body, a trend among Hispanic women.
The June 19, 2009 The New York Times reported that former New York City mayor Ed Koch underwent quadruple bypass and aortic valve replacement at NYP/Columbia. The surgery was performed by Dr. Craig R. Smith.
In a quote provided for a May 29, 2009 ABC national news segment, Dr. Chabot called pancreatic cancer the silent killer because there are often few, if any symptoms. The segment focused on actor Patrick Swayze's battle with pancreatic cancer and unfounded rumors that the actor had died.
Kathie-Ann P. Joseph, MD, MPH, was quoted in a May 15 Essence magazine article on the recent lawsuit challenging the patents on BRCA testing. The suit targets Myriad Genetics which holds the patent to BRCA1 and BRCA2, genes implicated in hereditary forms of breast cancer for which women of color hold risk.
During the week of May 4, 2009, Dr. Robert Brown was interviewed on CW11 about dietary supplements that may damage the liver. The interview was engendered by the FDA recall of the dietary supplement Hydroxycut.
The April 29, 2009, Associated Press reported that New York City fire department lieutenant Lt. Martin Fullam of Staten Island, who received surgery from the NYPH/Columbia Lung Transplant Program, is set to be released from the hospital with a new lung. Lt. Fullam suffered severe lung damage in the World Trade Center attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 leading to pulmonary fibrosis, a terminal condition. Doctors say the lung transplant saved his life.

Picked up by: Staten Island Advance, New York Daily News, New York Post, WABC-TV, WPIX-TV
During the week of April 27, 2009, Dr. Keith Kuenzler appeared on a WABC-TV segment about Pediatric surgery for newborns.
Dr. Charles J. H. Stolar was listed as a "Best Doctor in New York" in issues of in-flight/on-board magazines including: Delta's Sky magazine, Amtrak's Arrive, and Continental.
Dr. Tomoaki Kato will be featured as one of TV Tokyo's "Japanese All-Stars" for his work as a leading surgeon. The program will highlight his recent groundbreaking abdominal surgery and include an interview with the 7-year-old patient and her parents. Also interviewed for the program were Jean Emond, MD, Steven Lobritto, MD, and Kara Ventura, DNP.
Kathie-Ann P. Joseph, MD, MPH, was interviewed for the April, 2009 issue of Essence magazine. The article, entitled "The biggest risks to your health right now", discusses which health issues women need to focus on by age. Dr. Joseph discusses the impact breast cancer has on African American women, the importance of early detection, growing concern about triple negative tumors and the fact that African American women disproportionately develop them.
In March, 2009, Dr. Robert S. Brown, Jr. was the featured expert in a news story on the extracorporeal liver-assist device (ELAD). He noted that, unlike previous attempts at an artificial liver, the ELAD uses human liver cells to metabolize toxins and synthesize proteins. The interview has aired on eight ABC and NBC affiliate stations across the country.
Nina Reiniger, PhD, a postdoctoral research scientist in the Division of Surgical Science, was interviewed for a February 27, 2009, Associated Press article regarding the rock-throwing sport known as curling. The article focused on the Olympic trials for the 2010 American curling team, which took place near Denver, Colorado. Dr. Reiniger was a member of one of the 10 teams competing in the trials. Regarding the sport, she told the AP, "The interest for me is [in] it's the small details of how you can use the information you have about how the rock has been thrown and make it work as a team to get shots done."

Read a researcher profile of Dr. Reiniger.
Dr. Hardy was interviewed for a February 27, 2009, Poughkeepsie Journal article regarding 9-year old Gabriella Falzarine, who may soon be receiving a kidney transplant at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia.
Kathie-Ann P. Joseph, MD, MPH, participated in the development of an educational DVD and brochure on breast cancer targeted for African-American women. The project was sponsored by Novartis, the American Cancer Society, the National Medical Association, and the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The materials will be distributed free of charge through the sponsors.

The video from the DVD, titled "Taking Charge of Breast Cancer: A Guide for African American Women," is scheduled to air on 5 TV stations across the country during the month of April, 2009.
During February, 2009, Dr. Michael Argenziano appeared on a Discovery Health channel segment about surgical robotics. Drs. Yoshifumi Naka and Allan Stewart performed transplant surgery in another segment.
Following the announcement on February 5, 2009, that Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg was being treated for pancreatic cancer, Dr. John Chabot interviewed with ABC News and CBS Evening News, Dr. John Allendorf, with USA Today and CBS Newsradio 88, and Dr. Beth Schrope with CNN.
On February 2, 2009, the Associated Press published a comment from Dr. Robert S. Brown in an article on about a national study of the ELAD, or "extracorporeal liver assist device." NYP/Columbia is one of the institutions participating in the study. Consisting of a cartridge packed with human liver cells, the hope is that the machine may be able to temporarily help patients with sudden liver failure by taking over some of the liver's jobs, much like dialysis helps kidneys work. The device "comes closer to replacing the amount of liver" people need, said Dr. Brown.

Picked up by: Akron Beacon Journal, Baltimore Sun, Boston Herald, CTV.CA (Canada), Chicago Daily Herald, Denver Post, Florida Sun-Sentinel, Fox News, Houston Chronicle, International Herald Tribune, Las Vegas Sun, Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, Minneapolis Star Tribune, MSNBC.COM, News Channel 8 (DC), Newsday, Philadelphia Inquirer, Sacramento Bee, Salt Lake Tribune, San Diego Union Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, Seattle Post Intelligencer, Seattle Times, WJLA-TV (ABC affiliate, Washington, DC), WLS-TV (ABC affiliate, Chicago)
On January 5, 2009 ABC News Good Morning America featured the percutaneous aortic valve replacement procedure that is currently under investigation in the PARTNER Trial. The segment included a story about Sister Thomas Duggan, an aortic stenosis patient who is among the first to receive the new treatment. "In my career, this is probably the biggest thing to come along since heart transplants, which is now quite a few years ago in my career," said Craig Smith, MD, who is co-Principal Investigator in the trial with Dr. Martin Leon of the Division of Cardiology.

Read the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center press release about the procedure and the PARTNER trial.
During the week of January 5, 2009, Pancreas Center gastrointestinal specialist Dr. Harold Frucht was cited in articles on ABC News.com and the Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) regarding the health of Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Dr. Frucht said that, based on available information, Jobs did not require a Whipple procedure to remove a large portion of the pancreas. Instead, he said, it was more likely that Jobs's surgeon performed an enucleation — a procedure in which the tumor is scooped out of the pancreas, leaving the organ largely intact. On January 6, 2009, Business Week ran an article extensively quoting responses of Pancreas Center oncologist Robert Fine, MD, on the same topic. Also on January 6, ABC News profiled actor Patrick Swayze's experience with metastatic pancreatic cancer, including a comment from Pancreas Center surgeon Dr. John Chabot, "One of the most important problems is we tend to diagnose it late," said Dr. Chabot. "Fifty percent of people, when they're diagnosed, the cancer has already spread to other organs, and there's almost no chance of cure with current treatments."