Aortic Symposium - April 29-30, 2010

Aortic Symposium 2010 is a 2-day medical symposium sponsored by the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, in cooperation with the Mount Sinai and Westchester Medical Centers. The focus of the symposium will be on aortic disease and treatments.

Program committee members include Dr. Steven L. Lansman (co-chair) and Dr. David Spielvogel of the New York Cardiothoracic Group. The heart surgeons of the NYCTG provide cutting-edge surgical treatment for a wide range of cardiac and thoracic conditions, including heart transplant, mitral valve repair and aortic surgery.

Learn more about the Aortic Symposium 2010

News about the NYCTG Heart Surgeons (New York)

Read the latest news about these New York Heart Surgeons.

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Heart Surgeon Featured in Westchester Medical Center Advertising Campaign

Dr. Steven Lansman, Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Westchester Medical Center, was recently featured in a WMC ad titled "We've created a medical center where people are treated like their lives depend on it. Because they do." The ad appeared in the Scarsdale Inquirer in September, 2009. Dr. Lansman specializes in heart transplant surgery, coronary artery surgery, ventricular assist device (lvad), aortic aneurysm and mitral valve surgery and was recently named to the 2009 Best Doctors list by New York Magazine.

Click to see the ad

Mitral valve procedures include:

• Mitral Valve Repair
• Mitral Valve Replacement
• Mitral Valve Stenosis and Regurgitation
• Mitral Valve Surgery
• Mitral Valve Treatment
• Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Repair

New York Heart Surgeon Named in New York Magazine's Best Doctors List

Honored by Peers as Top Doctor in Thoracic Surgery

Steven Lansman MD/PhD of the New York Cardiothoracic Group has been named to New York Magazine's 2009 list of Best Doctors. This list profiles 1,107 of the best doctors in the New York, Connecticut and New Jersey areas.

Currently, Dr. Lansman is Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Westchester Medical Center and a Professor of Surgery at New York Medical College. Specialties include Coronary Artery Surgery, Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD), Heart Transplant, Aortic Aneurysm and Mitral Valve Surgery. Dr. Lansman has been named in the Best Doctors list four consecutive years.

Read the full press release: Best Doctors in New York

Mitral Valve Regurgitation - Causes and Treatments

The heart's mitral valve sits between the left atrium and left ventricle, and is comprised of an anterior leaflet and posterior leaflet. When the mitral valve is open, it allows blood to pass from the atrium to the ventricle. When closed, it prevents blood from backing up into the atrium as the ventricle pumps blood out of the heart.

Leakage of the mitral valve is called mitral valve regurgitation and can be caused by a number of different pathologic conditions. Here are three common conditions resulting in mitral valve regurgitation:

1. Excessive leaflet tissue, which prevents the leaflets from closing normally, leading to leakage of blood through the valve.
2. Rupture of the muscles that support the leaflets, which prevent the valve from closing normally.
3. Different adaptations to chronic heart failure can cause the annulus of the mitral valve to enlarge, thereby producing leakage.

Mitral valve regurgitation can be successfully treated with surgery, and, if performed early enough, can limit progression of congestive heart failure. If you have mitral valve regurgitation, your cardiologist should discuss the various treatments available to you, including medical therapy as well as surgery.

Visit the NYCTG's website to learn more about Mitral Valve Regurgitation.