Columbia Surgery

09/14/2026

Following his recent surgery for pancreatic cancer, Alan Honig is well on the road to recovery. While he considers himself lucky to have caught it early, he wishes to share some of his lessons learned.

Below are five pieces of advice that Alan offers up to anyone who encounters pancreatic cancer, either head-on or as a loved one.

While Alan considers himself lucky to have caught it early, he shares some important lessons learned

09/11/2026

“He went to sleep in one world, and woke up in another.”

Twenty-five years after 9/11, Cardiac surgeon Dr. Craig Smith looks back on the people and moments that have stayed with him ever since.

On September 11, 2001, Dr. Craig Smith began an operation in one world and emerged hours later into another, carrying with him a series of moments that still shape how he remembers that day.

09/11/2026

In September 2001, five Columbia med students responded to Ground Zero with food, medical supplies, and training. Now an interventional cardiologist at Columbia, Dr. Rajiv Singh recalls what happened.

Read the story: https://www.columbiadoctors.org/news/how-medical-students-made-difference-ground-zero

09/11/2026

Before some babies ever take their first breath, surgeons may already be working to give their lungs a better chance.

FETO, or fetoscopic endoluminal tracheal occlusion, is a fetal procedure used for carefully selected babies with severe congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). In CDH, the diaphragm does not form completely, allowing abdominal organs to move into the chest and limit the space lungs need to develop.

For babies with severe CDH, the central problem is often the lung itself. As pediatric surgeon Dr. Vincent Duron explains, “The primary morbidity in patients with CDH is that they’re born with a hypoplastic lung.”

During FETO, a tiny balloon is placed in the fetus’s trachea to temporarily block the airway. The goal is to keep lung fluid inside the developing lungs, creating pressure that encourages more lung tissue to grow before birth.

The balloon is later removed, and after delivery the baby is stabilized before surgeons repair the diaphragmatic hernia.

“By improving pulmonary outcomes, we hope to improve survival rates and overall outcomes,” says Dr. Duron.

Read more from Dr. Duron on cutting-edge fetal surgery, CDH, and Columbia’s FETO program at the link in bio.

09/10/2026

Smartwatches and fitness trackers have wormed their way into the daily lives of millions of people. Some sit on wrists or fingers, counting steps, monitoring sleep, and occasionally interrupting a meeting or movie with an alert that something in our bodies may be worth noticing. But how much can these devices actually tell us about heart health?

During a recent Instagram Live conversation, cardiologist Jennifer Haythe, MD, spoke with Isaac George, MD, heart surgeon and Director of the Structural Heart and Valve Center, and Hirad Yarmohammadi, MD, electrophysiologist specializing in heart rhythm disorders, to unpack the ins and outs of wearable health tech. https://columbiasurgery.org/news/can-smartwatches-and-fitness-trackers-really-help-your-heart

09/09/2026

What's the difference between a suture and a stitch? They’re words we tend to use interchangeably in everyday conversation, but in the operating room the difference between a suture and a stitch is the action and the object itself.

They’re words we tend to use interchangeably in everyday conversation, but in the operating room the difference between a suture and a stitch is the action and the object itself.

09/08/2026

“Surgical missions are evolving. It’s no longer just about performing surgeries and leaving—now it’s about teaching, mentoring, and building sustainable surgical capacity,” says Dr. Christine Rohde, chief of plastic surgery .

Dr. Rohde is the Research Co-Director for SHARE (Surgeons in Humanitarian Alliance for Reconstruction, Research, and Education), a Plastic Surgery Foundation initiative that seeks to enhance surgical collaboration worldwide.

As visiting professors, the SHARE teaching group delivers comprehensive training through lectures, simulations, and hands-on surgery. The work expands beyond the OR too. An emphasis on research, research training, and fostering a culture of local surgeon-led research in Sub-Saharan Africa is paramount. The recent graduation of Rwanda’s first class of plastic surgery residents marks a significant milestone, demonstrating the program’s transformative effect on healthcare in the region.

Scroll through to see photos from the microsurgery program in Kigali. Full interview with Dr. Rohde at link in bio! And stay tuned for a coming update about this powerful work. https://columbiasurgery.org/news/modern-international-surgical-mission-starts-local-and-stays-local

09/07/2026

Liver cancer rarely follows a straight line. Often, it arrives alongside chronic liver disease or cirrhosis. By the time they reach a surgical program, many patients have already spent years navigating appointments, scans, biopsies, and treatment decisions. Care doesn’t move through a single specialty either; it exists at the intersection of many—from oncology, hepatology, interventional radiology, to transplant. And that complexity is only growing. https://columbiasurgery.org/news/what-it-takes-treat-liver-cancer-today

09/04/2026

In Routine Procedures, we’re taking a closer look at the daily habits—from breakfast choices to favorite shoes—that shape our surgeons’ work and life. Here's Dr. James Lee on stillness, focus, and even forging knives:

Up before his alarm and most of the city, Dr. James Lee moves through his day with a steady, deliberate focus, from the OR to forging knives at home.

09/01/2026

We’re proud to announce that Columbia University Irving Medical Center / NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital has received the Mitral Foundation’s 2026 Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center Award, recognizing our program’s clinical outcomes in mitral valve repair.

The team recently completed their 300th robotic heart surgery, with mitral valve repair accounting for 80% of those procedures. Among those with mitral valve prolapse, 99% were successfully repaired, and 99% of those repairs were completed without conversion to sternotomy.

As Arnar Geirsson, MD, Chief of Cardiac Surgery and Director of the Surgical Heart Valve Program, puts it, “We’re proud of the standard we’ve set and the results we’ve achieved.”

What a meaningful recognition of the people, precision, and teamwork behind every one of those outcomes! 🙌

Read more: https://columbiasurgery.org/news/columbia-university-irving-medical-centernewyork-presbyterian-receives-2026-mitral-valve