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

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

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.

Mitral Valve Repair

Learn About: Mitral Valve Repair Surgery

The mitral valve sits between the left atrium and left ventricle, and is comprised of two leaflets, anterior and posterior. 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.

When the mitral valve does not function properly, it can cause excessive leakage of blood back into the left atrium. In its most severe form, it can cause blood to back up into the lungs and cause deterioration of heart function. Together, these conditions are called congestive heart failure.

While initially, most valves had to be replaced, the mitral valve can now be successfully repaired in over 90% of patients with mitral valve regurgitation. Mitral valve repair has significant advantages over replacement, as it is associated with better long term outcomes and less need for future surgery.

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

New York Heart Surgeon Honored by Peers as Top Doctor in Thoracic Surgery

New York Cardiothoracic Group’s Dr. Steven Lansman Named in New York Magazine’s 2008 Best Doctors List

VALHALLA, NY – June 8, 2008 – Steven Lansman MD/PhD, Professor of Surgery at New York Medical College and Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Westchester Medical Center, was recently named to New York Magazine’s list of 2008 Best Doctors. This list profiles the top 1,434 physicians in the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut areas.

The New York Magazine’s list represents about a quarter of the top 10 percent of New York-area physicians, as determined by Castle Connolly, a New York City research and information firm that publishes an annual guidebook titled Top Doctors: New York Metro Area. The guidebook lists the top 10 percent of the region’s physicians and profiles more than 6,000 in all. Doctors are selected through a peer-review process and the firm investigates each doctor’s credentials and disciplinary history. The list is also balanced based on geographic location and specialty.

Currently serving as Professor of Surgery at New York Medical College and Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Westchester Medical Center, Dr. Lansman of the New York Cardiothoracic Group has over twenty five years experience in the field of Thoracic Surgery and is honored, for the third consecutive year, to be chosen by his peers as one of the New York-area’s top specialists in Thoracic Surgery.

About the New York Cardiothoracic Group
The New York Cardiothoracic Group (NYCTG) – Drs. Steven Lansman, David Spielvogel, Ramin Malekan and Paul Saunders – is located at Westchester Medical Center (the clinical campus of New York Medical College.) Founded in 2005 by Drs Lansman and Spielvogel, the group specializes in cardiothoracic surgery and is dedicated to providing cutting-edge surgical treatment for a wide range of cardiac and thoracic conditions. From coronary bypass grafting (CABG) to minimally invasive mitral valve repairs to repair of complex thoracic aortic aneurysms, the cardiac surgeons at NYCTG rely on their extensive experience to deliver outstanding results. To learn more about the NYCTG, visit www.NYTCG.com or call (914) 493-8793.