Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery in New York

Biography: Dr. David Kalfa is a Board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon with a subspecialization in pediatric cardiac surgery. A Native of France, Dr. Kalfa graduated from Marseilles University Graduate School of Medicine with the highest level of distinction in 2004. During his certification, he developed a research program in Tissue Engineering applied to the field of Congenital Heart Diseases that led to the attainment of numerous grants including a European Research FP7 Grant. He completed a research fellowship in Fondation Alain carpentier/INSERM in Paris and received his PhD degree in 2011 with the highest level of distinction. He then performed a 2-year clinical fellowship in Congenital Cardiovascular Surgery in one of the highest-volume centers (Marie Lannelongue Hospital in Paris) with exposure to highly complicated cases from all age groups (from neonates to adults). He completed a clinical fellowship in Adult Cardiac Surgery at Laval University Hospital in Quebec, Canada (2012-2013). He was then Assistant Attending in Congenital Cardiac Surgery at Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital/NYP (2013-2015) and is currently Associate Professor of Surgery (tenure track) in the Section of Pediatric and Congenital Cardiac Surgery, Columbia University, and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College.

Biography: Dr. Emile Bacha is a board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon with a subspecialization in pediatric cardiac surgery. From 2000-2004, he was the Surgical Director of the Congenital Heart Center at the University of Chicago. From 2004-2009, he was Senior Associate in Cardiac Surgery at the Children's Hospital Boston and Associate Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School, as well as Cardiac Surgery Fellowship Program Director, and Director of the Pediatric Heart Valve Center. Since January 2010, Dr. Bacha has been Director of the Congenital and Pediatric Cardiac Surgery program at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons, and Weill Cornell Medical School. In July 2011, he was appointed Chief of the Division of Cardiac, Thoracic, and Vascular Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

Biography: Andrew B. Goldstone, MD, PhD is a member of the Section of Pediatric and Congenital Cardiac Surgery in the Division of Cardiac, Thoracic, and Vascular Surgery at the NYP/Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and Weill-Cornell Medical Center. Dr. Goldstone trained in pediatric heart surgery at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the nation's first children's hospital. Prior to that, he completed residency in cardiothoracic surgery at the University of Pennsylvania. He earned his medical degree from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, where he graduated first in his class. Dr. Goldstone is also a graduate of Duke University, where he graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Chemistry, and Stanford University, from which he earned his PhD in Epidemiology and Clinical Research. With a focus on neonatal surgery, complex biventricular repair, pulmonary artery reconstruction, and the surgical management of heart failure, Dr. Goldstone treats the full spectrum of congenital heart disease, with patients spanning from birth through adulthood. He believes in a personalized approach to the treatment of heart disease, tailored to each patient's specific needs. As the father of a child who required chest surgery at birth, he understands the importance of an individualized approach to care, as well as the unique challenges faced by parents of children with complicated medical conditions. Dr. Goldstone has been recognized nationally and internationally for his clinical and basic science research. By applying rigorous statistical methods, his research group leverages population-based data to investigate questions that could not otherwise be answered by the conventional randomized trial. His work has led to changes in the guidelines for the management of heart valve disease. His long-term goal is to continue adding high-level evidence to better inform the surgical treatment of pediatric and adult cardiovascular disease. In the lab, he focuses on mechanisms underlying collateral artery formation and cardiac regeneration. Dr. Goldstone has authored several publications in the top medical and scientific journals, including The New England Journal of Medicine, Cell, Circulation, and the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. He has also served in several national leadership roles, including as President of the Thoracic Surgery Resident's Association (TSRA) and as the Resident Director to the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Board of Directors. Dr. Goldstone was born and raised in Manhattan, and is a proud graduate of New York City public schools, including the Bronx High School of Science. Click here for a complete list of publications from Dr. Goldstone.

Biography: John M. Karamichalis, MD is an experience board certified cardiothoracic surgeon with subspecialty certification in Pediatric cardiac surgery by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery. He joined Columbia University Medical Center January 2021 and has been appointed as the Associate Program Director of the Columbia University Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency Program. He is experienced in the entire field of pediatric cardiac surgery with areas of expertise including the Ross procedure, valve repair procedures, and minimally invasive cardiac surgery. He takes particular interest in patient outcomes, performance measures for surgeons, and pediatric cardiac surgery program development. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, a member of the Congenital Heart Surgeons Society and recipient of many awards throughout his career. He was recently awarded the title of Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (FRCS) ad eundem. He holds an advanced research Doctorate degree from The University of Oxford Medical Sciences Division based on his world renown work at Boston Children's on technical performance and outcomes in pediatric cardiac surgery.

Care Philosophy: I relate well to children of all ages in a non-threatening way. I will explain your child's condition in terms you can understand, and I will make sure that you understand all of the treatment options, including non-surgical options. I will answer all of your questions, and will make myself available to you, if you should have more questions after you leave. You will leave my office feeling educated and empowered. I will offer your child the latest in minimally invasive techniques, with minimal pain and scarring, and faster recovery. I love my patients and treat them as if they were my own, and I take pride in my craft.

Care Philosophy: We are committed to delivering the best care and an exceptional patient experience. We are devoted to providing services that are patient-centered and compassionate, and care for you as a person.

Biography: Dr. Angela Kadenhe-Chiweshe completed her M.D. degree at the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine. She entered a categorical general surgery residency at the University of Rochester where her interest in pediatric surgery was solidified. In 2001 she joined the Pediatric Tumor Biology Laboratory as a postdoctoral research fellow under the tutelage of Drs. Jessica Kandel and Darrell Yamashiro. During this time she studied the effects of anti-angiogenic therapy in experimental models of pediatric solid tumors. This work led to key discoveries of how these tumors respond to anti-angiogenic therapy and served as important preclinical data for the Phase II studies for Avastin® (bevacizumab). She also concurrently completed a clinical fellowship in Extra-Corporal Membrane Oxygenation with Dr. Charles Stolar. She went on to complete her general surgery training at Columbia University in 2007, and followed with a clinical fellowship in Pediatric Surgery at the Morgan Stanley Children's' Hospital of New York Presbyterian, in 2009. Dr. Chiweshe joined the faculty of the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, as Assistant Professor of Surgery in July 2009 until her departure in June 2018, when she briefly joined the Faculty of the Department of Surgery at Westchester Medical Center. Dr. Chiweshe's clinical interests include all aspects of general and thoracic pediatric surgery: in particular, neonatal anomalies, intestinal rehabilitation, hepatobiliary disease, pediatric cancer and vascular anomalies. Dr. Chiweshe's academic interests lie in the field of clinical and translational research. She served as co-PI of the Pediatric Tumor Biology Lab at Columbia, working alongside her mentor Dr. Yamashiro to elucidate the response of the tumor microenvironment of experimental models of pediatric solid tumors to NOTCH inhibition and high dose radiation. She has received grant funding from various sources, throughout her career, including NIH, Pediatric Cancer Foundation, and other institutional and philanthropic sources. Dr. Kadenhe-Chiweshe is a highly respected mentor and teacher, and has served as a role model to many students, residents, and fellows.Dr. Chiweshe is a Fellow of American College of Surgeons, a member of the American Pediatric Surgical Association, Children's Oncology Group, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. She has been recognized by Castle Connolly as one of "America's Top Doctors".

Biography: Peter Pastuszko, MD, is the Chief of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery and the Director of Pediatric Cardiovascular Services at the Mount Sinai Health System and Co-Director of the Children's Heart Center at the Mount Sinai Kravis Children's Hospital.

Biography: Dr. Mark E. Ginsburg is an associate Professor of Surgery at Columbia University Medical Center and surgical director of the Diaphragm Program and the Lung Volume Reduction program. Dr. Ginsburg received his MD from Tufts University School of Medicine in 1980, completed his General Surgery residency in 1985 and Thoracic and Cardiovascular Residency in 1987 both at the University of Rochester Medical Center. He is renown for his surgical work in patients with disorders of the Diaphragm, and is one of few surgeons in the country to perform pacing of the diaphragm. Dr. Ginsburg has lectured and published extensively on this subject, and recently addressed the 95th AATS Annual Meeting in 2015, presenting ten-year data on lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS). The results, based primarily on surgical experience in the Division of Thoracic Surgery at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia, showed durable benefits that should promote wider adoption of LVRS in patients with severe emphysema. Dr. Ginsburg has been an invited speaker and principal and co-investigator of numerous clinical trials, author of numerous publications in renown journals such as the Journal of The American College of Cardiology, Annals of Thoracic Surgery, and the Journal of Heart and Lung Transplant, among many others, including co-author of the book, Lung Volume Reduction Surgery published by Humana Press. He's also currently on the department of surgery QA committee and is a member of numerous professional societies including, the American College of Surgeons, New York State Medical Society, New York Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation.

Biography: Dr. Lyall Gorenstein is a regionally recognized thoracic surgeon in the New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center department of surgery.Dr. Gorenstein is Associate Professor of Surgery at the Columbia University Medical Center, and a leader in the clinical management of lung cancer, esophageal cancer, benign esophageal disorders, hyperhidrosis and pectus excavatum. Dr. Gorenstein received his MD degree at the University of Toronto Medical School, in 1983, and did his general surgery residency at the University of Toronto, Department of Surgery from 1983-1988, followed by a Fellowship at the Ontario Cancer Institute with a research focus in multi-drug resistance, from 1988-1989 . This was followed by a fellowship at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas in Thoracic Surgery from 1989-1990, completing his Fellowship training from 1990- 1992 at the University of Toronto, Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. Dr. Gorenstein is a member of a number of organizations and societies including the Rockland County Medical Society, Medical Society, State of New York, New York State Thoracic Society, Society of Thoracic Surgeons, Fellow, American College of Surgery, New York State Medical Society, the General Thoracic Surgery Club and the International Society of Sympathetic Surgery. He has published and authored numerous abstracts and presentations, as well as book chapters over the years in notable publications such as the Surgical Oncology Clinician, the Annals of Thoracic Surgery and the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. He has served on numerous hospital committees including tumor boards, credentialing committees and intensive care committees, and is currently Surgical Director, Minimal Access Thoracic Surgery, Director, Columbia University Hyperhidrosis Center and the Annals of Thoracic Surgery Adhoc reviewer. Dr. Gorenstein is a noted Castle Connolly Top Doctor in Thoracic Surgery, for the past 17 years. He is also recognized as a Hudson Valley Top Doctor in thoracic surgery.