History of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Columbia University: A Century at the Vanguard of Clinical Care, Education, and Innovation

The Columbia University Cardiothoracic Surgery Program dates back to the earliest days of the specialty itself, when the first pioneers ventured into the chest, and eventually the heart, to treat diseases previously believed to be beyond the reach of medicine. This spirit of innovation, creativity, and vision has grown over the ensuing century and has driven the development of advances that have defined the specialty and saved countless lives. From novel techniques for the repair of complex congenital cardiac defects and acquired cardiovascular diseases, to comprehensive management of lung and esophageal maladies, and to the marvel of minimally invasive and percutaneous interventions, the march of progress has never been stronger, more dramatic, or more consequential that it is at Columbia today. Fueled by people who -- as descendants of those early pioneers -- have been raised in the “Columbia culture,” the commitment to innovation and education has never been greater.