Henry Spotnitz

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Henry M. Spotnitz, M.D, George H. Humphrey II Professor of Surgery, is chairman of the Columbia University Medical Center Conflict of Interest Committee, co-chair of the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital Information Systems Clinical Advisory Committee, chair of the Information Technology Committee of the Faculty Practice Organization, and Vice-Chair for Research and Information Systems in the Department of Surgery.Supported by NIH funding, Dr. Spotnitz pioneered quantitative echo studies during cardiac surgery. This research has documented substantial improvements in cardiac output among heart surgery patients undergoing biventricular pacing (also known as cardiac resynchronization therapy), which involves installation of pacemakers to fix delays in heart ventricle contractions and keeps the left/right ventricles pumping together (CUMC 2007).

Current Research

Dr. Spotnitz has been awarded a five-year grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to study the effects of biventricular pacing on heart function after cardiac surgery (CUMC 2007). The first of two trials being conducted by Dr. Spotnitz investigates the use of biventricular pacing in patients who develop acute heart failure. The second seeks to maximize the effectiveness of the biventricular pacemaker by altering the location of pacemaker lead wires and the timing of their electrical stimulation (CUMC 2006).

Selected Publications

  • Diastolic properties predict short-term postoperative risk and duration of pleural effusions after the fontan operation. Garofalo CA, Cabreriza SE, Quinn TA, Weinberg AD, Quaegebeur JM, Spotnitz HM, Mosca RS. Circulation. 114(1 Suppl):I56-61. 4 July 2006.
  • Left ventricular pacing site-timing optimization during biventricular pacing using a multielectrode patch. Berberian G, Cabreriza SE, Quinn TA, Garofalo CA, Spotnitz HM. Ann. Th. Surg. 82(6):2292-4. Dec 2006.
  • Surgical Considerations of Pacemakers and Automatic Defibrillators, in Cohn L, Cardiac Surgery in the Adult. Spotnitz HM. 2nd Ed., McGraw-Hill, 2003.


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