Columbia University Irving Medical Center/NewYork-Presbyterian (CUIMC/NYP) has received the 2026 Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center Award from the Mitral Foundation. This award recognizes outstanding clinical outcomes for mitral valve repair.
“This award demonstrates our commitment to providing the highest level of care for our patients,” says Arnar Geirsson, MD, Chief of Cardiac Surgery, Director of the Cardiovascular Institute, and Director of the Surgical Heart Valve Program at CUIMC/NYP. “We’re proud of the standard we’ve set and the results we’ve achieved.”
Founded in 2009, the Mitral Foundation is dedicated to advancing mitral valve reconstructive techniques, as well as supporting basic and clinical research for mitral valve disease. The Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center Award Program was established to identify, recognize, and promote Mitral Valve Repair Reference Centers in the United States, and help patients make informed choices about the surgeon and program they choose to perform their procedure.
Qualified centers must perform at least 50 index mitral valve repair procedures in the most recent year, and have at least one surgeon who has performed a minimum of 25 index mitral valve repair procedures in the most recent year or an average of 25 per year for the most recent 2 years.
Columbia’s robotic cardiac surgery program has been a key driver for mitral valve repair, having recently completed its 300th robotic heart surgery. 80% of these robotic procedures have been mitral valve repair, with 99% of mitral valve prolapse successfully repaired, and 99% of these repairs performed without conversion to sternotomy. Based on annual volume, Dr. Geirsson is one of the busiest robotic mitral surgeons in the US.
“Over the past two years, we have been the fastest growing program in the nation, " says Dr. Geirsson. “That we’ve achieved such outstanding outcomes at this scale speaks volumes about our team.”