NEWS :
East Carolina Heart Institute Opens
400th Robotic Mitral
Valve Surgery
During the second Cardiac Master Class on Friday, June 20, 2008, Dr. Chitwood and his team performed the 400th Mitral Valve Surgery case using the Intuitive SurgicalŪ da VinciŪ Surgical System.
Robotic Mitral Valve Repair Using the Haircut Technique
Smith donation to fund $2 million chair at East Carolina Heart Institute. Read the full article here.
View a Virtual Patient Seminar on Mitral Valve Repair
View a Presentation on Mitral Valve Repair for Anterior Leaflet Bacterial Endocarditis
BIOGRAPHIES
W. Randolph Chitwood Jr., M.D., FACS, FRCS (Eng)
Senior Associate Vice-Chancellor for Health Affairs
Director, East Carolina Heart Institute
Chief, Division of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery
Greenville, North Carolina
252.744.4822
Dr. Randolph Chitwood is both a native of Virginia and a naturalized North Carolinian. He is the son and grandson of “Southwestern Virginia mountain doctors”, who set the guidelines for his professional life. He graduated from Hampden-Sydney College and received his medical degree from the University of Virginia. After medical school, he completed the surgical residency at Duke University Medical Center under Dr. David C. Sabiston, the most influential surgical educator of this era, At Duke he spent 10 years training in general and cardiothoracic surgery, as well as basic science research. He was the first house staff member at Duke to be selected to Alpha Omega Alpha. After his chief residency at Duke in 1984, he was selected to begin and head the new cardiac surgery program at the East Carolina University School of Medicine. Because of his prolific publication record as a resident and clinical acumen, his initial appointment was as a full Professor of Surgery. Except for a two-year hiatus as the Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Kentucky, he has spent his entire career at East Carolina University, where he, also, served as Chairman of the Department of Surgery from 1995 to 2003. In July 2003, he was promoted to Senior Associate Vice Chancellor of Health Sciences to be in charge of the development of a new specialty hospital and research institute – The East Carolina Heart Institute. This Institute has come to fruition and includes a new integrated Department of Cardiovascular Sciences as well as a 200 million dollar heart hospital, outpatient, research, and education center. The heart institute now performs over 1000 cardiac surgical, 2500 interventional, and 4000 diagnostic catheter-based procedures yearly. The laboratories in the institute have been responsible for training residents and supporting established investigators alike. Dr. Chitwood is a leading international pioneer in minimally invasive and robotic heart surgery. The Robotic Surgical Center at East Carolina University has trained over 350 surgeons worldwide. He has personally performed the first robotic heart operations in ten countries. Currently, Dr. Chitwood’s research activities relate to myocardial preservation, simulation in surgery, and endoscopic/robotic cardiac surgery. He was the principle investigator of the FDA robotic mitral valve trials that led to approval for this use in the United States.
He is a member of 25 professional societies and has been on many of the most important committees in each of these societies. He is the immediate Past President of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the largest cardiothoracic surgery professional organization in the world. He is Past-President and a founding member of the International Society of Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery as well as past-president of the Society for Heart Valve Disease, the North Carolina Chapter of the American Heart Association, and past Vice President of the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association.
He has served on the editorial boards of the Annals of Thoracic Surgery, the Journal of Cardiac Surgery, the Journal of Heart Valve Disease, the Asian Annals of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, CTS Net, the Heart Surgery Forum, Chest, the American Heart Journal, and the Journal of Robotic Surgery. Currently, he is on the editorial board of the Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery. He also reviews for Circulation, the New England Journal of Medicine, and the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. In the past, he has authored over 175 peer reviewed scientific and clinical articles, as well as many book chapters and several monographs. He is in the process of writing a book entitled, Atlas of Robotic Cardiothoracic Surgery.
He is a busy, active cardiac surgeon and has special expertise in complex valvular surgery, including mitral repair as well as aortic valve and cardiac rhythm surgery. He continually writes and lectures internationally on innovative techniques in minimally invasive and robotic cardiac surgery. He has given over 50 visiting professor and invited lectures. Today, he is the world’s leader in robotic mitral valve surgery.
In 2003, he was elected to Fellowship in the prestigious Royal College of Surgeons of England, an honor to which few Americans are selected. In 2004, he received the O. Max Gardner Award from the University of North Carolina Board of Governors that recognizes a faculty member of the 16 system institutions, who during the scholastic year, made the greatest contribution to the “welfare of the human race.” It is the only statewide honor given to faculty members by the UNC Board of Governors. In 2005 he received the national Mended Hearts - Harken Award, which recognizes excellence in the field of cardiovascular medicine. In the same year he received the National Phi Kappa Phi Scholar Award for outstanding teaching, research, practice, and service. In May of 2009, he received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and in June 2009, he was named a Paul Harris Fellow by the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International.
His lifelong avocations have been photography, amateur radio, trout fishing, and antiquarian medical bibliophilia. He has made productive photographic expeditions to many interesting places including Tibet, Nepal, Syria, India, Cambodia, Thailand, Zambia, Botswana, Tanzania, and South Africa. Many images from these trips have been shown publicly through his salon photographic exhibitions. He has been married for forty-one years to Tamara Chitwood. They have two children, Anne and Randolph. He has one grandson who he calls “Curious Keller” – he says he will be the new generation of inquisitive and innovative thinkers.
L. Wiley Nifong, MD
Biographical Sketch
Dr. Nifong is a native of eastern North Carolina and an Associate Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the East Carolina Heart Institute in Greenville, North Carolina. He is the Director of Surgical Robotics and Director of Surgical Research. He attended college at North Carolina State University and graduated from East Carolina University School of Medicine. He completed his general surgery residency at the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York. He also completed two years as a post-doctoral research fellow at the University of Rochester. He completed cardiothoracic surgery training at Wake Forest University/Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He is a member of Alpha Omega Alpha.
Dr. Nifong’s major area of interest is in minimally invasive cardiothoracic surgery and the fields of computer-assisted and robotic surgery, as well as, both virtual and augmented reality vision systems. He has worked extensively with the FDA in developing protocols for the first robotic mitral valve phase I trial in North America and with the multi-center phase II trial for mitral valve repairs. Along with robotic surgery, he is involved with various types of new technology to aid minimally invasive procedures including atrial fibrillation ablation energy sources, anastomotic devices, adherence devices, sutureless technology, and intracardiac retraction. He is also working with augmented visualization modalities.
He directs the Minimally Invasive and Robotic Training Center at East Carolina University and has been involved with the training of over 500 surgical teams in the use of minimally invasive and robotic surgery. He has several unrestricted grants and has an “Innovation in Clinical Science Award” from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. He has NIH funding with a Bioengineering R01 grant in collaboration with the School of Engineering at North Carolina State University.
Evelio Rodriguez, M.D.
East Carolina University
Brody School of Medicine
Department of Cardiovascular Sciences
600 Moye Boulevard
Teaching Annex #257
Greenville, NC 27834
Office: (252) 744-4536
Fax: (252) 744-9004
Pager: (252) 707-8136
Email: Rodrígueze@ecu.edu
Pitt County Memorial Hospital
2100 Stantonsburg Road
Greenville, NC 27834
Family: Married to Lisa S. Bellin, MD (Breast surgeon/General Surgeon), Son Lucas born 8/23/2000, Son Dante born 3/27/2002, Son Maddox born 5/10/2006
Languages: English, Spanish
Undergraduate
Education: June, 1987 - May, 1991
B.S. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Biomedical Engineering
Concentration: Materials Engineering
Troy, New York
Medical School: September, 1991 - May, 1995
M.D. Albany Medical College
Albany, New York
Residency: June, 1995 – June, 2002
General Surgery Residency
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Director: John Kairys MD
Research Fellowship: July, 1998 – June, 2000
Cardiothoracic Research Fellow
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Director: John D. Mannion MD
ClinicalFellowship: July, 2002 – June, 2005
Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellow
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Director: James T. Diehl MD
Postgraduate Fellowship: July, 2005 – June 2006
Minimally Invasive and Robotic Cardiac Fellowship
East Carolina University Hospital
Greenville, North Carolina
Director: W. Randolph Chitwood, Jr, MD
Postgraduate Fellowship: July, 2006 – January 2006
Congenital Cardiac Fellowship
Children Hospital of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA
Director: Tom Spray, MD
Appointments:
July 2005 – June 2006 Clinical Instructor of Surgery East Carolina University
July 2006 – Current Assistant Professor of Surgery East Carolina University
Sept 2006-Current Assistant Professor of Pediatrics East Carolina University
Awards:
- Alpha Omega Alpha, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, 1994.
- Cum Laude. Albany Medical College, Albany, NY 1995.
- Ralph D. Alley Prize. “Clinical acumen skills and knowledge in Thoracic
- Surgery”, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, 1995.
- Dean’s Outstanding Research Award. Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, 1995.
- David Doran Traeger Memorial Prize. “Overall excellence in Surgery”. Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, 1995.
- Lamb Foundation Inc. Award. “Most nearly approached the ideal in doctor /patient relationship”. Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, 1995.
- Best Clinical Paper. “Role of Doppler U/S and Plethysmography Prior to Radial Artery Harvesting for CABG” Resident Research Day, Department of Surgery; Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia PA, 1999.
- Resident Paper Award (3rd place). “Smooth Muscle Cell Apoptosis Early after Saphenous Vein Grafting”. 37th Meeting of Pennsylvania Thoracic Society, SkyTop, Pennsylvania. September 17-19, 1999.
- Thoracic Surgery Director Association Award Paper. “Smooth Muscle Cell Apoptosis Early after Saphenous Vein Grafting”. 36th Annual Meeting of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, Fort Lauderdale, FL. January 31-February 2, 2000.
- Award For Best In Educational Content Or Innovation In Poster Format. “Outpatient Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: A Surgeons Choice”. 9th International Meeting of The Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons. Orlando, Florida. December 4-6, 2000.
- Award For Best Presentation. “Aortoesophageal Fistula in Right-Sided Aortic Arch after Blunt Chest Trauma”. The Annual Day of Trauma, The Union League of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. December 16, 2000.
- Resident Award for Excellence in Teaching. Recognized by the Jefferson medical students on surgery rotations July 2000-2001.
- Resident Award for Excellence in Teaching. Recognized by the Jefferson medical students on surgery rotations July 2001-2002.
- 16th Annual Gorracci Award. Excellence in teaching as a Chief Surgical Resident. June 15, 2002.
- Best Cardiac Paper Award. “On-Pump Surgery Increases Oxidative Stress and Matrix Metalloproteinase Activity in Saphenous Vein Grafts” 40th Annual Meeting of The Pennsylvania Association for Thoracic Surgery, Miami, Florida October 16-20, 2002.
- Best Poster Presentation. “The Fate of the Failed Miller Cuff”, The Philadelphia Academy of Surgery, February 3, 2003.
- Best Paper Presentation. “Robot-Assisted Minimally Invasive Cryo-Maze Procedure For Treatment Of Lone Atrial Fibrillation. Results From An Initial Series”. International Society of Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery 9th Annual Scientific Meeting The Fairmont, San Francisco California. June7-10, 2006.
Download the entire Evelio Rodriguez, M.D. biography in PDF format here.
Alan Patrick Kypson, M.D.
Associate Professor of Surgery
Work Address: Department of Cardiovascular Sciences
Brody School of Medicine
East Carolina University
Life Science Building, Room #177
Greenville, NC 27834
Telephone: (252) 744-3552
Fax: (252) 744-2687
Email: kypsona@ecu.edu
Spouse: Kristal Anne Kypson, RN, MSN, CPNP
Children: Patrick Manning born October 28, 1999
Caroline Marie born February 21, 2002
EMPLOYMENT
2002-7 Assistant Professor of Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brody
School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
2007-present Associate Professor of Surgery with Permanent Tenure,
Department of Surgery, Brody School of Medicine, East
Carolina University, Greenville, NC
2007-present Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Brody
School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
EDUCATION
1981-5 Great Neck North Senior High School Diploma
Great Neck, NY
1985-9 Columbia College BA, History
New York City, NY
1989-93 Columbia College of Physicians&Surgeons MD
New York City, NY
PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
1984-8 Cardiovascular Surgical Assistant
Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery,
University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
1988-9 Emergency Medical Technician
New York, N.Y.
1988-90 Laboratory Research Assistant
Department of Anesthesiology,
Columbia College of Physicians&Surgeons,
New York, N.Y.
1993-4 Intern
Department of General Surgery,
Duke University Medical Center,
Durham, N.C.
1994-5 Junior Assistant Resident
Department of General Surgery,
Duke University Medical Center,
Durham, N.C.
1995-7 Research Fellow
Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery,
Duke University Medical Center,
Durham, N.C.
1996-7 Instructor in Surgery and Course Director
Physician Assistant Program,
Department of Surgery,
Duke University Medical Center,
Durham, N.C.
1997-9 Senior Assistant Resident
Department of General Surgery,
Duke University Medical Center,
Durham, N.C.
1999-2000 Chief Resident
Department of General Surgery,
Duke University Medical Center,
Durham, N.C.
2000-2 Cardiothoracic Surgery Resident
Division of Thoracic Surgery
Duke University Medical Center,
Durham, N.C.
HONORS and AWARDS
1995-7 NIH National Research Service Award IF32HL09303
“Cardiac Mechanics in Pressure-Overload Heart Failure.”
1998 Pilling Weck Award for Excellence in Clinical and Traditional
Science, “Myocardial Gene Transfer Enhances Function of
the Transplanted Heart.”
2004 American College of Cardiology Foundation/Pfizer Visiting
Professorship in Cardiovascular Medicine for
R.C.J. Chiu, MD, PhD, “Myocardial Stem Cell
Transplantation.”
William E. Laupus Library Faculty Author Recognition Award
Best Drawing Board Invention, “Cell Therapy Infusion Device,”
Tyson, G.H., Muller-Borer, B., Cascio, W, Chitwood, W.R.,
Kypson, A.P. 9th Annual NewEra Cardiac Care Meeting.
2006 William E. Laupus Library Faculty Author Recognition Award
2007 Scientific Research Poster Award, “Beating and arrested
intramyocardial injections are associated with significant
mechanical loss: implications for cardiac cell transplantation,”
Collins MC, Hudson W, deFreitas D, Sun YS, Muller-Borer BJ,
Kypson AP. Department of Internal Medicine, Research Day,
East Carolina University
Download the entire Alan Patrick Kypson, M.D. biography in PDF format here.