Physician’s Profile

Craig R Smith Jr., MD

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1
Top Doctor: 
1
Chair, Department of Surgery
Surgeon-in-Chief, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital / Columbia University Medical Center
Expertise: 
Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD)
Aneurysm Aortic Surgery
Aneurysm Repair
Aneurysm Repair, Aortic
Aortic Aneurysm
Aortic Dissection
Bicuspid Aortic Valve
Bloodless Surgery
Cardiac Surgery
Congenital Heart Disease
Coronary Artery Bypass
Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery
Heart Failure
Heart Surgery
Heart Transplant, Pediatric
Heart Transplantation
Heart Valve Repair
Marfan's Syndrome
Mediastinal Tumor
Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery
Minimally Invasive Valve Repair
Mitral/Aortic Valve Replacement
Mitral Valve Prolapse
Mitral Valve Repair
Mitral Valve Surgery
Off Pump Coronary Bypass Surgery
Open Heart Surgery
Pericardial Disease
Second Opinion
Thoracic/Cardiothoracic Surgery
Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery
Thoracic Aneurysm
Thoracic Aortic Surgery
Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
Valve Reconstruction/Repair
Valve Replacement
About: 

Dr. Smith earned his MD at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio (Phi Beta Kappa), going on to a general surgery internship and residency and a vascular surgery fellowship at the University of Rochester Medical Center/Strong Memorial Hospital (1977-1982). He completed his cardiothoracic surgery residency at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in 1984, immediately joining the faculty of the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.

He was Director of Cardiopulmonary Transplantation at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center during 1986-1996 and was appointed Chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery in 1996. He became a full professor of surgery in 1998. In 2010, Dr. Smith became Chair, Department of Surgery.

Dr. Smith's clinical specialties include medical support for pre- and postoperative transplant recipients, use of bioartificial support devices, and alternative immunosuppressive strategies. His research interests focus on mitral valve repair, transmyocardial laser revascularization, long-term heart and lung transplantation outcomes, preoperative risk factors for stroke after CABG, and adaptation in cardiac transplantation. Dr. Smith was named Practitioner of the Year for 2004 by the Society of Practitioners at Columbia University Medical Center. He is co-Principal Investigator for the multicenter PARTNER aortic transcatheter valve trial.

Honors: 

New York Magazine's Top Doctors, 2015-2016

Practitioner of the Year Award, 2004, Society of Practitioners, NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia

Program Committee, American Society of Transplant Surgeons, 1989-1991

Program Committee, New York Society for Thoracic Surgery, 1992-1993

Advisory Board, Issues in Cardiovascular Surgery, 1993-present

Member, Grant Selection Committee, Clinical Research-Blood Conservation, Bayer Inc., 1993-present

Board of Directors, NY State Affiliate of the American Heart Association, 1996-2002

Vice President, New York Society for Thoracic Surgery, 1998-1999

Membership Committee, American Association for Thoracic Surgery, 1998-2002

Editorial Board, American Association for Thoracic Surgery, Internet Journal, 1999-2002

President, New York Society for Thoracic Surgery, 1999-2000

Chairman, Nominating Committee, New York Society for Thoracic Surgery, 2000-2001

Workforce on Annual Meeting/Program Task Force Committee, 2000-2003

Program Committee, Society of Thoracic Surgeons, 2001-present

Editorial Board, Heart Surgery Forum, 2002-present

Chairman, Membership Committee, American Association for Thoracic Surgey, 2002-2004

Chairman, Workforce on Annual Meeting/Program Task Force Committee, Society of Thoracic Surgeons, 2003-2004

Chairman, Education Committee, American Association for Thoracic Surgery, 2003-2007

Council Member, American Association for Thoracic Surgery, 2005-2009

Committee Member, New York State Cardiac Advisory Board, 2005-present

Healthcare Childhood Obesity Expert Panel, American Heart Association, 2006

Society of Thoracic Surgeons Task Force on Communications, 2006-present

Chairman, Improvement Workgroup, New York State Cardiac Advisory Board, 2006-present

Heart of New York Honoree, American Heart Association, 2007

President, American Association for Thoracic Surgery, 2011-2012

Champion Participant, American Heart Association, 2012

Interests: 
Adaptation in cardiac transplantation
Long-term heart and lung transplantation outcomes
Mitral valve repair
Preoperative risk factors for stroke after CABG
Transmyocardial laser revascularization
Publications: 
Heyer EJ,Lee KS, Manspeizer HE,Mongero L, Spanier TB, Caliste X, Esrig B, Smith CR. Heparin-bonded cardiopulmonary bypass circuits reduce cognitive dysfunction. J Cardiothor Vasc Anes; 16(1):37-42.
Williams MR, Stewart JR, Bolling SF, Freeman S, Anderson JT, Argenziano M, Smith CR, Oz, MC. Surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation using radiofrequency energy. Ann Thorac Surg 2001;71:1939-44.
John R, Rajasinghe HA, Chen JM, Weinberg A, Sinha P, Mancini DM, Oz MC, Smith CR, Rose EA, Edwards NM. Long-term outcomes after cardiac transplantation: an experience based on different eras of immunosuppressive therapy. Ann Thorac Surg 2001;72:1-9.
Mongero LB, Beck JR, Manspeizer HE, Heyer EJ, Lee K, Smith CR. Cardiac surgical patients exposed to heparin-bonded circuits develop less postoperative cerebral dysfunction than patients exposed to non-heparin bonded circuits. Perfusion 2001;16:107-11.
John R, Choudhri AF, Weinberg AD, Ting W, Rose EA, Smith CR, Oz MC. Multicenter review of preoperative risk factors for stroke after coronary artery bypass grafting. Ann Thor Surg 2000; 69:30-6.
Suehiro K, Takuma S, Shimizu J, Hozumi T, Yano H, Cardinale C, DiTullio M, Wang J, Smith CR, Burkoff D, Homma S. Assessment of left ventricular systolic function using contrast two-dimensional echocardiography with a high-frequency transducer in the awake murine model of mycardiodial infarction. Japanese Circ Jour 2001; 65(11):979-83
Suehiro K, Takuma S, Cardinale C, Hozumi T, Shimizu J, Yano H, Tullio M, Wang J, Smith CR, Burkhoff D, Homma S. Assessment of segmental wall motion abnormalities using contrast two-dimensional echocardiography in wake mice. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2001; 280: H1729-35.
John R, Rajasinghe H, Chen JM, Weinberg AD, Sinha P, Itescu s, Lietz K, Mancini D, Oz MC, Smith CR, Rose EA, Edwards NM. Impact of current Management Practices on early and late death in more than 500 consecutive cardiac transplant recipients.
Smith CR, Spanier TB. Aprotinin in deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. Ann Thor Surg, 1999
Argenziano M, Chen JM, Cullinane S, Choudri AF, Rose EA, Smith CR, Edwards, NM, Landry DW, Oz MC. Arginine Vasopressin in the management of vasodilatory hypotension after cardiac transplantation: J Heart and Lung Transplant 1999;18: 814-17.
Smith CR. Management of bleeding complications in redo cardiac operations. Ann Th S 1998; 65:S2-8.
Argenziano M, Choudhri AF, Moazami N, Rose ER, Smith CR, Levin HR, Smerling AJ, Oz, MC. A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of inhaled Nitric Oxide in LVAD recipients with pulmonary hypertension. Ann Thoracic Surgery 1998; 65:340-5.
Adams DC, Madigan JD, Hilton HJ, Hilton HJ, Szerlip NJ, Cooper LA, Emerson RG, Smith CR, Rose EA, Oz MC. Evidence for unconscious memory processing during elective cardiac surgery. Circ. 1998; 98:II, 289-93.
Argenziano M, Chen JM, Choudri AF, Cullinane S, Garfein E, Weinberg AD, Smith CR, Rose EA, Landry DW, Oz MC. Management of vasodilatory shock after cardiac surgery: Identification of predisposing factors and use of a novel pressor agent. J Thoracic Cardiovasc Surg 1998; 116:973-80.
John R, Choudhri A, Ting W, Rose EA, Smith CR, Oz MC. Role of cardiopulmonary bypass in single vessel coronary revascularizations: Implications for MIDCAB. Heart Surgery Forum 1998; 1: (1) 65-70
Argenziano M, Choudhri A, Rodino M., Weinberg A, Smith C, Rose EA, Landry DW, Oz MC. Heart failure is a risk factor for vasodilatory hypotension after cardiopulmonary bypass. JHLT 1998; 17(1):108.
Ashton C, Whitworth GC, Seldomridge JA, Shapiro PA, Michler RM, Smith CR, Rose EA, Fisher S, Oz MC. Self-hypnosis reduces anxiety following coronary artery by-pass surgery. A prospective randomized trial. J. Cardiovascular Surg. 1997; 38:69-75.
Kohmoto T, Argenziano M., Yamamato N, Vliet Ka, Gu A, DeRosa CM, Fisher PE, Spotntz HM, Burkhoff D, Smith CR. Assessment of transmyocardial perfusion in alligator hearts. Cir 1997; 95:1585-1591.
Fisher PE, Kohmoto T, DeRosa CM, Spotnitz HM, Smith CR, Burkhoff D. Histologic analysis of transmyocardial laser channels: comparison of CO2 and holmium: YAG lasers. Ann Th Surg 1997: 64: 4566-72.
Argenziano M, Choudhri AF, Oz MC, Rose EA, Smith CR, Landry DW. A prospective randomized study of arginine vasopressin in the treatment of vasodilatory hypotension after LVAD placement. Circ 1997, 96:II 286-290.