News and Events

Find our current Cardiothoracic events and news stories below.

Valley Health System Participates in First Cardiac Surgery Clinical Trial for Women

Valley Health System is pleased to participate in the ROMA: WOMEN clinical trial, the first cardiovascular surgery clinical trial in women. Valley recently enrolled its first two patients in the trial. Sponsored by Weill Medical College of Cornell University and The Starr Foundation, the trial is designed to determine which bypass graft type is more effective for women with coronary artery disease (CAD) who are undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedure. Click here to learn more about the article

PCORI Awards $30 Million for a Comparative Study of Surgical Options for Coronary Artery Disease in Underrepresented Patient Populations

Dr. Mario Gaudino

A multi-institutional team of scientists led by Dr. Mario Gaudino, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Professor in Cardiothoracic Surgery and assistant dean for clinical trials at Weill Cornell Medicine, has been approved for a nearly $30 million funding award from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). The award will fund the first study among women and Black and Hispanic patients comparing the effectiveness of two revascularization options used to treat coronary artery disease.

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WCM Redefines Lung Cancer Treatment with Streamlined Diagnosis and Surgery

Dr. Eugene Shostak . jonathan villena-vargas, thoracic surgery, lung cancer surgeon

For patients diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer, the journey from detection to treatment has traditionally been a prolonged and intricate process. However, Weill Cornell Medicine has introduced an innovative approach that is streamlining the field of lung cancer care. Led by thoracic surgeon Dr. Jonathan Villena-Vargas and interventional pulmonologist Dr. Eugene Shostak, this innovative technique aims to simplify the diagnosis and surgical treatment of lung tumors, providing patients with a more efficient and effective healthcare experience.

The new combined procedure, offers a comprehensive and integrated approach to lung cancer management. By combining cutting-edge technology, unified anesthetic administration, and seamless diagnostic and surgical capabilities, patients now benefit from a rational pathway that consolidates multiple procedures into a single session.

Click here to learn more.

Doing More With Less in Lung Cancer Surgery

Patients with stage 1A non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who undergo surgery to remove a small portion of their lung have outcomes comparable to patients who have surgery removing an entire lobe, according to recent study results. Read More

Lung-Sparing Surgery Is Effective for Some with Early-Stage Lung Cancer

When lung cancer is found early, before it has spread beyond the lungs, people usually have surgery to remove the tumor. For more than 25 years, the standard of surgical care for such patients—even those with very small tumors—has been to remove the entire large section, or lobe, of the lung that contains the tumor. This is done to reduce the chances of the cancer coming back.

But some lung surgeons have suggested that certain patients may do just as well or even better with an operation to remove only part of the affected lobe.

Now, results of a large international clinical trial show that, for certain people with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), surgery to remove a piece of the affected lobe is as effective as surgery to remove the whole lobe.

Cardiac Surgical Complications: Strategic Analysis and Clinical Review

Cardiac Surgical Complications: Strategic Analysis and Clinical Review provides a practically applicable guide on how to successfully resolve and mitigate potential complications in cardiac surgery. This book comprehensively reviews a selection of cases resulting from complications that can occur in cardiac surgical procedures. It details the science behind each potential complication along with a range of available strategies to rectify the issues, including those applicable to minimally invasive techniques.

Click here to learn more about Dr. Sandhya Balaram and Dr. Levi Bassin's new book.

NY State Report 2017 - 2019

Click here to learn more about the report

Scientists Detail Major Mechanism Lung Cancers Use to Evade Immune Attack

A protein commonly found at high levels in lung cancer cells controls a major immunosuppressive pathway that allows lung tumors to evade immune attack, according to a study led by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine. The discovery could hasten the development of treatments that overcome this tumor defense mechanism and improve outcomes for lung cancer patients. Click here to learn more about the article.

Upcoming Event: WCM’s First Benign Airway Disease Symposium

Airway Disease Symposium

For additional information and registration, please visit the Airway Disease Symposium website.

Surgical Mitral Repair or Mitral Clip for Degenerative Mitral Valve Regurgitation?

We are enrolling in this NIH sponsored trial investigating surgical mitral valve repair versus mitral clip in patients 65 years old or older, of any risk status. Patients suitable for surgery or clip are randomized to the procedure, and will be followed for 10 years.

From Clinical Trials.gov: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05051033

Click here to learn more about the article.