News | Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University

<P><B><BIG>INTRODUCING OUR NEW CARDIOTHORACIC SURGEONS AND DIVISION CHIEF</BIG></B></P>

<p><strong><font color="#990000"><I>Rising Stars from Mount Sinai Health System Joining Our CT Surgery Team</I></font></strong></p>

<P>STONY BROOK, NY, August 16, 2016 — Joanna Chikwe, MD, has been appointed professor of surgery and chief of our <a href="/surgery/divisions/cardiothoracic-surgery">Cardiothoracic Surgery Division</a>, along with Henry J. Tannous, MD, who has been appointed associate professor of surgery. Their appointments are effective on September 1.</P>

<P>Dr. Chikwe will also serve as co-director of the Stony Brook University Heart Institute, joining Javed Butler, MD, MPH, chief of cardiology in the Department of Medicine.</P>

<P>Drs. Chikwe and Tannous are coming to Stony Brook from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, where she is professor of cardiovascular surgery and he is assistant professor of cardiovascular surgery — appointments they will continue to hold in view of Stony Brook's <a href="http://sb.cc.stonybrook.edu/news/general/2016-08-11-mount-sinai-and-sto…; target="_blank">new affiliation with Mount Sinai</a>.</P>

<P>Since the spring of 2015, Dr. Chikwe has been chairman of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at Mount Sinai West and Mount Sinai St. Luke's Hospital. Since joining the Icahn faculty in 2008, she has served as program director of the thoracic surgery residency and advanced fellowship programs.</P>

<P>Dr. Tannous has been serving as chief of pump-assisted thoracic surgery, chief of the Mount Sinai thoracic expansion program, and chair of the resident council. In addition, he is chief of thoracic surgery at St. John's Riverside Hospital in Yonkers, NY.</P>

<P>"We are very fortunate to have two deeply experienced young heart surgeons — who are stars in their field — joining our team at Stony Brook," says <a href="/surgery/people/faculty/dr-mark-a-talamini">Mark A. Talamini, MD</a>, professor and chairman of surgery, and chief of surgical services at Stony Brook Medicine. "Having built excellent programs in Manhattan, they are both excited about taking the reins here at Stony Brook and expanding their reputation for clinical excellence to Long Island."</P>

<div class="callout"><P><I>We are very fortunate to have two deeply experienced young heart surgeons — <BR>who are stars in their field — joining our team at Stony Brook.</I></P></div>

<P>"As we continue to expand our patient-centered, compassionate approach to clinical care, and accelerate our trajectory as the first choice of consumers for cardiac services across Suffolk County, Long Island, and beyond, Drs. Chikwe and Tannous will strengthen our incredible Stony Brook Heart Institute, helping to create and then incorporate the most innovative cardiac surgical techniques," says Kenneth Kaushansky, MD, MACP, senior vice president for health sciences and dean of the School of Medicine.</P>

<P>The team of five cardiothoracic surgeons includes <a href="/surgery/people/faculty/dr-thomas-v-bilfinger">Thomas V. Bilfinger, MD, ScD</a>, <a href="/surgery/people/faculty/dr-allison-j-mclarty">Allison J. McLarty, MD</a>, and <a href="/surgery/people/faculty/dr-vinay-m-tak">Vinay M. Tak, MD</a>: the division now offers outstanding expertise across the spectrum of adult cardiothoracic surgery, with specialist expertise and programs in mitral valve repair, coronary revascularization, minimally invasive surgery, transcatheter aortic valve replacement, ventricular assist devices, lung cancer screening and surgery, and atrial fibrillation surgery.</P>

<P>Dr. Chikwe's primary focus is aortic and mitral valve reconstruction, coronary revascularization, and minimally invasive cardiac surgery. She has particular experience in mitral valve repair, and will be involved in the transcatheter valve programs at the Stony Brook University Heart Institute. Dr. Chikwe will also lead investigative efforts advancing our understanding of the origins of valvular heart disease, and the optimal approach to preventing it and treating our patients.</P>

<P>Dr. Chikwe is one of a handful of US surgeons with advanced training in both reconstructive valve surgery and minimally invasive cardiac surgery techniques, including off-pump and robotic-assisted surgery. She employs valve repair to preserve natural valve tissue wherever possible, as well as off-pump surgery to avoid cardiopulmonary bypass for selected coronary bypass procedures.</P>

<P>Dr. Tannous has established an advanced clinical practice in adult cardiac surgery, as well as a focused interest in the most effective and advanced techniques for minimally invasive surgery for certain lung cancers. In addition to his expertise in aortic valve surgery including transcatheter aortic valve replacement (<a href="https://heart.stonybrookmedicine.edu/services/tavr" target="_blank">TAVR</a>), he also concentrates on the latest surgical methods to correct atrial fibrillation and other arrhythmias.</P>

<P>"Together with Drs. Bilfinger, McLarty and Tak, Stony Brook will continue to bring the best ideas in cardiothoracic surgery to the residents of Long Island. Moreover, by joining with our outstanding cardiologists and cardiovascular investigators, the Stony Brook Heart Institute is poised to understand the origins of heart disease and translate that knowledge from the bench to bedside better than any other health care organization on Long Island. We are so excited by all the possibilities," says Dr. Kaushansky.</P>

<P>"Our patients and their family members, staff, nurses, and physicians at the Stony Brook University Heart Institute are looking forward to working with Dr. Chikwe and Dr. Tannous," says Dr. Butler. "Together they bring tremendous experience to Stony Brook that spans the entire spectrum of cardiovascular and cardiothoracic surgery so this is an important step forward in our progress and excellence in cardiac care."</P>

<div class="subhead">About Dr. Chikwe </div>

<P>Dr. Chikwe received her MD from the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom in 1997. She completed her general surgery residency at Oxford and Cambridge, followed by research into cardiac transplantation for which she received a master's degree from the University of Cambridge.</P>

<P>After finishing her residency in cardiothoracic surgery at the Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals in London, where she gained expertise in minimally invasive surgery, Dr. Chikwe completed an advanced fellowship focusing on mitral valve repair and aortic reconstruction at Mount Sinai Medical Center. She then was recruited to the faculty there.</P>

<P>Dr. Chikwe continues a productive collaboration with the Department of Population Health Science and Policy at Mount Sinai, publishing landmark clinical research in leading journals including <I>JAMA</I> and the <I>Journal of the American College of Cardiology</I> where she serves on the editorial board. She is editor/author of several acclaimed clinical handbooks, a fellow of the <a href="https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/about" target="_blank">Royal College of Surgeons of England</a>, and a member of the <a href="http://www.aats.org/" target="_blank">American Association for Thoracic Surgery</a>.</P>

<P>Dr. Chikwe is certified in cardiothoracic surgery by the Royal College of Surgeons of England. <a href="/surgery/people/faculty/dr-joanna-chikwe">Learn more</a> about Dr. Chikwe.</P>

<div class="subhead">About Dr. Tannous</div>

<P>Dr. Tannous received his MD from the American University of Beirut in 2000 and completed his residency at Waterbury Hospital-Yale School of Medicine in Waterbury, CT, in 2005. He completed fellowships in cardiothoracic surgery at George Washington University and Mount Sinai Hospital.</P>

<P>Board certified in both surgery and thoracic surgery, Dr. Tannous has been a fellow in the American College of Surgeons since 2006.</P>

<P>Dr. Tannous joined the faculty at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in 2008, where he has distinguished himself as a clinical and team leader. He has served as chief of thoracic surgery at St. John's Riverside Hospital in Yonkers, NY, since 2013. <a href="/surgery/people/faculty/dr-henry-j-tannous">Learn more</a> about Dr. Tannous.</P>

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Established in 1982, our Cardiothoracic Surgery Division comprises a team of cardiothoracic surgeons and support staff dedicated to Stony Brook Medicine's mission of excellence in the care of patients with heart, lung, and chest disease; the education of medical students and surgical residents in the art of cardiothoracic surgery; the performance of basic and translational research aimed at advancing the management of cardiothoracic disease; and community service, such as awareness campaigns, preventative programs, and support groups. To date, the division has provided life-saving care to an estimated 20,000 patients.
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<p><span class="pointer"><b><a href="https://heart.stonybrookmedicine.edu/" target="_blank">Learn more</a> about the Stony Brook University Heart Institute.</b></span></p>