Medical Matters of the Heart
Northwest Airlines World Traveler Magazine (May 2001)
- reprinted with permission of World Traveler Magazine
It's a career that's seen many changes. Minimally invasive heart surgery was developed in the early '90s in an attempt to reduce risk, cost and recovery pain involved with traditional types of open-chest heart surgery. Instead of the usual seven to 10 days in the hospital following surgery, patients of minimally invasive procedures generally require only four days of care. Elimination of the sternotomy greatly reduces a patient's pain and scarring, and shorter hospital stays mean lower costs.
At first Colvin was skeptical about the feasibility of the minimally invasive approach. His feeling was, "We're never going to do that with the heart," he says. But then his interest in congenital heart problems and valve surgery led to the revelation that entering from a particular port in the body might have its advantages. "The approach to some of the valves is more direct if you come from the side rather than from the front," he says. "You get a beautiful view."
In 1996, in cooperation with Stanford University, Colvin and his colleagues earned FDA approval for use of Port Access technology, in which access to the heart is created via small ports, or entryways, in the patient's chest, neck and groin. It's been successful in a wide variety of cardiac procedures. Now Colvin and his colleagues perform approximately 10 minimally invasive procedures each week, more than any other cardiac hospital in the country. In addition, he has operated on patients ranging in age from 85 years to one day old.
But reaching this impressive record took time and patience. "Early on, when you do something new and different, there will always be those who say, 'This is great,' and those who feel threatened because they feel this is something they don't want to try to figure out," explains Colvin. It felt as if they were under constant attack until they could document positive results, he says.
In addition to teaching new techniques to cardiac surgical Fellows at NYU, Colvin and his team are spreading the news of minimally invasive procedures worldwide. They have conducted satellite conferences in Montana, Florida, Louisiana and Washington D.C. Internationally, they've worked in Israel, Japan, China, India and Oman.
Their most extensive relationship abroad has been with Beijing, in cooperation with Fu Wai hospital, the largest pediatric heart surgery center in the world. "There is a tremendous under served need in China," Colvin explains.
Colvin's commitment to improving surgical techniques is changing the way heart surgery is performed in the 21st century. He has made a positive difference in the lives of thousands of his own patients and in the lives of tens of thousands more by sharing his life-saving information with surgeons from around the world.
Even though he humbly describes himself as a glorified plumber, Colvin also explains that heart surgeons require particular leadership qualities. "You have to like to handle serious problems pretty quickly. There has got to be one captain of the ship," he says. "There's got to be one leader. I'm responsible ultimately for the outcome of the patient. I've been entrusted with taking care of that person's life."
Northwest Airlines World Traveler Magazine (May 2001)
- reprinted with permission of World Traveler Magazine
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Behind the door of room two on the cardiac surgical wing of NYU Medical Center, three surgeons, two anesthesiologists and two nurses work quietly and intently. A radio plays softly in the background and a monitor beeps steadily. A TV screen mounted from the ceiling reveals a magnified view of pink, pulsating tissue. It's the heart of a 3-year-old child on the operating table, projected from a video camera strapped to the head of the surgeon who is repairing the child's congenital heart defect. Ordinarily this operation would require a full sternotomy-the child's sternum would be sawed open and the ribs pulled back to expose the entire heart. But this procedure is significantly different. Instead of reaching the heart directly through the sternum, the surgeon has made a two-inch incision on the left side of the child's chest. He can then access the child's heart through this opening with long, fine instruments. This unusual approach results in a lower risk of infection, less pain, a quicker recovery and minimal scarring. The pioneering work going on in this room is the result of collaborative efforts of many people, including senior surgeon Dr. Stephen Colvin. Minimally invasive heart surgery is just one of Colvin's specialties. He's also known for his work in heart valve repair as an alternative to heart valve replacement, and works with infants and children around the world. "I've always liked to take care of the more difficult and challenging things that people have wrong with their hearts," Colvin says. Colvin's interest in cardiology began during medical school, when heart pump technology and heart surgery was reaching new heights. "This is the only thing I wanted to do," he says. After medical school, he spent two years at the National Heart and Lung Institute before completing five years of surgical training and two years of specialized cardiac surgical training at NYU Medical Center. Now Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery, he estimates that he has performed more than 10,000 heart operations in his career. |
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At first Colvin was skeptical about the feasibility of the minimally invasive approach. His feeling was, "We're never going to do that with the heart," he says. But then his interest in congenital heart problems and valve surgery led to the revelation that entering from a particular port in the body might have its advantages. "The approach to some of the valves is more direct if you come from the side rather than from the front," he says. "You get a beautiful view."
In 1996, in cooperation with Stanford University, Colvin and his colleagues earned FDA approval for use of Port Access technology, in which access to the heart is created via small ports, or entryways, in the patient's chest, neck and groin. It's been successful in a wide variety of cardiac procedures. Now Colvin and his colleagues perform approximately 10 minimally invasive procedures each week, more than any other cardiac hospital in the country. In addition, he has operated on patients ranging in age from 85 years to one day old.
But reaching this impressive record took time and patience. "Early on, when you do something new and different, there will always be those who say, 'This is great,' and those who feel threatened because they feel this is something they don't want to try to figure out," explains Colvin. It felt as if they were under constant attack until they could document positive results, he says.
In addition to teaching new techniques to cardiac surgical Fellows at NYU, Colvin and his team are spreading the news of minimally invasive procedures worldwide. They have conducted satellite conferences in Montana, Florida, Louisiana and Washington D.C. Internationally, they've worked in Israel, Japan, China, India and Oman.
Their most extensive relationship abroad has been with Beijing, in cooperation with Fu Wai hospital, the largest pediatric heart surgery center in the world. "There is a tremendous under served need in China," Colvin explains.
Colvin's commitment to improving surgical techniques is changing the way heart surgery is performed in the 21st century. He has made a positive difference in the lives of thousands of his own patients and in the lives of tens of thousands more by sharing his life-saving information with surgeons from around the world.
Even though he humbly describes himself as a glorified plumber, Colvin also explains that heart surgeons require particular leadership qualities. "You have to like to handle serious problems pretty quickly. There has got to be one captain of the ship," he says. "There's got to be one leader. I'm responsible ultimately for the outcome of the patient. I've been entrusted with taking care of that person's life."