Cliff P. Connery, M.D. 

Academic Training:

            College of William and Mary

            Williamsburg, Virginia

                        B.S. - Biology, May 1980

            Eastern Virginia Medical School

            Norfolk, Virginia

                        M.D. - June 1984

Medical Licensure:

1985                                                        State of New York

Postgraduate Training:

            1984 – 1989                State University of New York at Stony Brook

                                                Resident:  General Surgery

            1989 – 1990                University of Rochester, Rochester, New York

                                                American Heart Association - New York Affiliate

                                                Research Fellow: Cardiothoracic Surgery

            1990 – 1992                University of Rochester, Rochester, New York

                                                Resident:  Cardiothoracic Surgery

Board Certification:

            1985                            National Board of Medical Examiners

            1990                            American Board of Surgery

            1993                            American Board of Thoracic Surgery

1994                                                        American Board of Surgery - Critical Care 

2000                            American Board of Surgery - Recertification 

Military Service:

            9/85 – 1/98                  U.S. Army Reserve Medical Corps (Rank: Major) 

Professional Organizations and Societies:

            1982                            American Medical Association

            1985                            American College of Surgeons; 1995 Fellow

            1985 – 1998                Association of Military Surgeons of the United States

            1985 – 1998                Reserve Officers Association

            1991                            American College of Chest Physicians; Fellow  1994

            1992                            Medical Society State of New York

1992                                                        New York County Medical Society

1992                            Earle S. Mahoney Surgical Society

1994                            New York Society for Thoracic Surgery

            1994                            American College of Cardiology; Fellow 1994

            1997                            Southwest Oncology Group

            1998                            Society of Thoracic Surgeons, Fellow 1998

            1998                            Honorary Police Surgeon, City of New York Police Department

            1998                            New York State Thoracic Society

2001                                                         General Thoracic Surgery Club

2003                            American Thoracic Society 

Academic Appointments:

            1984 – 1989                State University of New York at Stony Brook

                                                Clinical Assistant Instructor in Surgery

            1989 – 1992                University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry

                                                Instructor in Cardiothoracic Surgery

            1992 – 1994                St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center

                                                Assistant Chief, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery

            1993 – 1995                Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons

                                                Instructor in Surgery

            1994 – Present             St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center

                                                Associate Chief, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery

            1994 – 1996                St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center

                                                Chief, Thoracic Surgery Service, St. Luke's Site

            1995 – Present             Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons

                                                Assistant Professor of Clinical Surgery

            1996 – 1999                St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center

                                                Associate Director, Open Heart Recovery Room

            1996 – 2001                St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center

                                                Chief Thoracic Surgery Service

            2001 – Present             St. Luke's- Roosevelt Hospital Center

                                                Chief, Division of Thoracic Surgery

            2001 – Present             Beth Israel Medical Center

                                    Chief, Division of Thoracic Surgery

 

2001 – Present             Continuum Health Partners

                                    Director of Program Development Thoracic Oncology

Hospital Appointments:

            1992 – 1995                Assistant Attending Surgeon

                                                St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York, NY

            1995 –  Present            Associate Attending Surgeon

                                                St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York, NY

            1995 – 1997                Attending Surgeon

                                                St. Vincent’s Medical Center of Richmond, Staten Island, NY 

1998–  Present             Attending Surgeon

                                                North General Hospital

            1998–  2001                Attending Surgeon

                                                Harlem Hospital Center  

Scholarships, Awards, Grants and Research:

1976 – 1980                College of William and Mary Full Scholarship

1979                                                    New York University Medical Center - Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine:  Summer Work-Study Fellowship

1989 – 1990                            American Heart Association - New York Affiliate

                                                            Research Fellow Cardiothoracic Surgery

1990                                                    Rochester Eye and Human Parts Bank Research Grant:
"Freezing Preservation of the Myocardium"

1992                                                    Sphinx Pharmaceutical Corporation and Institutional Research Grant:  "Effect of Protein Kinase C Inhibitor on Myocardial Recovery from Ischemia in the Isolated Working Rat Heart"

1993                                                    Outstanding Attending Award; Department of Surgery

                                                            St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center

1993 – 1996                            Implantable Defibrillator protocols. Participant. Dr. J. Steinberg, P.I.

1994                                                    Acadesine Study. Participant, (Multi-institutional trial). Dr. Z. Hillel, P.I.

1994 – 1996                            Intraoperative Left Ventricular Function study. Participant. Dr. Z. Hillel, P.I.

1994 – 1999                            S.H.O.C.K. Multi-institutional Study. Co-investigator. Dr. J. Hochman, P.I

1996 – 1999                            Leukocyte Depletion and Infectious Complications in Cardiac Surgery Patients.  Dr. C.P. Connery, P.I.

1997                                                    Teaching Attending Award; Department of Surgery

                                                            St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center

1997 – 1999                            Transmyocardial Laser Revascularization and Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting,  Eclipse Biomedical.   Dr. C.P. Connery, P.I.

1997 – 2002                           Multi-Institutional Thoracic Oncology Protocols, Participant.

                                                            SWOG (Southwest Oncology Group)

1998 - Present             Honorary Police Surgeon

                                                            City of New York Police Department

1998                                                    New York Magazine

                                                            The Best Doctors in New York

1999, 2000,                             New York Magazine

2001                                                    The Best Doctors in New York – Metro Area

2000-Present                           Intrapleural Analgesia for Videoassisted Thoracic Surgery Patients Principal Investigator

 

2001 – Present             SWOG 5597  Chemoprevention of New Primary Lung Cancers

Using Selenium

Principal Investigator

St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center and Beth Israel Medical Center

 

            2002                            Second Annual Lung Cancer Symposium
                                                Course Co-Director

2002                                                        Medical Board Subcommittee Review

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center
           

2002        – Present         SWOG 9900  Surgery Versus Surgery Plus Preoperative Paclitaxel/Carboplatin in Intermediate stage Lung Cancer
Principal Investigator
St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center

 

2002        – Present         Robotic Assisted Implantation of Radioactive Iodine Brachytherapy Seeds after Limited Lung Resection

Co-Investigator

Original Peer Reviewed Articles:

1.                  Connery CP*, Hicks GL, Wang T. Positive correlation of functional recovery and tissue ATP levels in the hypothermically stored cardiac explant. Surg Forum 41:282-284, 1990.

2.                  Wang T, Connery CP*, Batty PR, Hicks GL, DeWeese JA, Layne JR. Freezing preservation of adult mammalian heart at high sub-zero temperatures. Cryobiology 28:171-176, 1991.

3.                  Connery CP*, DeWeese JA, Eisenberg BK, Moss AJ. Treatment of aortic coarctation in the high risk patient by axillofemoral bypass grafting. Ann Thorac Surg 52:1281-1284, 1991.

4.                  Murphy PJ, Connery CP*, Hicks GL, Blumberg N. Homologous blood transfusion as a risk factor for postoperative infection after coronary artery bypass surgery. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg: 104: 1092-1099, 1992.

5.                  Anagnostopoulos CE, Connery CP, Bilfinger TV, Seifert F, Hartman A, Biancaniello T, Agorogiannis S. Initial clinical experience with anterior rectus sheath grafts in congenital heart defects. J Cardiovasc Surg 36:429-432,  1995.

6.                  Anagnostopoulos CE, Connery CP, Dumont H, Hillel Z, Herring W, Adams L. Pre-clamp cardioprotection by Protein Kinase C (PKC) inhibitor improves left ventricular function following canine normothermic arrest.   J Cardiovasc Surg.; 37:141-4, 1996

7.                  Declerck C, Hillel Z, Shih H, Kuroda M, Connery CP, Thys DM.  A comparison of left ventricular performance indices measured by transesophageal echocardiography with automated border detection. Anesthesiology; 89, 1998; 89: 341-9.

 

8.                  Connery CP*, Azariades M, Prapas SN, Anagnostopoulos CE.  “Band -Aid” Surgery - Upper Sternal Split Incision for Valve Surgery in Adults: A Modified Technique.” J Cardiovasc Surg; 39: 475-7, 1998.

 

9.                  Slater J, Connery CP, Hochman J Cardiogenic Shock Caused by Cardiac Free-wall Rupture or Tamponade After Acute Myocardial Infarction: a Report from the Shock Trial Registry.  JACC 36: SupplA 1117-1122, 2000..

 

10.              Park W, Connery CP*, Hochman J, Tilson MD, Anagnostopoulos CE.  Successful repair of myocardial free wall rupture after thrombolytic therapy for acute infarction.  Ann Thor Surg. 70:1345-1349, 2000.

 

11.              Ioannidis JPA, Connery CP, Galanos O, Swistel DG, Anagnostopoulos CE.  Early Mortality and Morbidity of Bilateral vs. Single internal thoracic artery revascularization: Propensity and risk modeling. JACC: Vol 37, No 2: 521-528, 2001.

 

12.              Kotsis VN, Connery CP, Azariades P,  Prappas S, Galanos O, Drossos G, Anagnostopoulos CE.  Prevention of Aortic Anastomotic Hemorrhage: A simplified Intraoperative Testing Technique.  J.Cardiovasc Surg: Vol 42, Issue 2: 481-4,  Aug 2001.

 

13.              DeRose JJ Jr, Safavi A, Connery C, Swistel D, Ashton RC Jr. Mediastinal mass evaluation using advanced robotic techniques. Ann Thoracic Surg 2002(in press)

14.              Ashton RC Jr, McGinnis K, Connery CP, Swistel DG, Ewing DR, DeRose JJ Jr. Totally endoscopic robotic thymectomy for myasthenia gravis. Ann Thorac Surg, 2002 (in press)

15.              Ashton RC Jr, Connery CP, Swistel DG, DeRose JJ Jr. Robotic-assisted lobectomy. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2002 (in press)

 

16.              Connery C, Knoetgen J, Anagnostopoulos CE, Svitak M,  Median sternotomy for Pneumonectomy in Patients with Pulmonary Complications of Tuberculosis.  Annals of Thoracic Surgery.  Accepted December 2002.  (in press). 

Case Reports:

1.                  Connery CP*, Geller E, Dulchavsky S, Kreis DJ. Paraparesis following emergency room thoracotomy. J Trauma 30:362-363, 1990.

2.                  Connery CP*, Stewart S, Lund N, Papadakos PI. Acute leukocyte reaction and respiratory distress following mitral valve replacement. Cardiovasc Surg 1:195-196, 1993.

3.                  Connery CP*, Descalzi ME, Kirshner R. Inflammatory aneurysms of the ascending aorta. J Cardiovasc Surg 35:33-34, 1994.

4.                  Connery CP*, Dumont H, Hartmann AR, Anagnostopoulos CE. Transmural myocardial infarction with coexisting critical aortic stenosis as an etiology for early myocardial rupture. J Cardiovasc Surg 35:53-56, 1994.

5.                  Connery CP*, Cheeran D. Multiple aneurysms of the internal thoracic artery.  Ann Thorac Surg 59:1561-63, 1995.

6.                  Connery CP*, Khalife ME, Monteleone FA, Schuss AF, Ger R. Concurrent Right Atrial Myxoma and Malignant Lymphoma.   J Cardiovasc Surg 36: 563-5,  1995.

7.                  Gregory AK,  Connery CP, Holgerson LO.   A Case of Massive Thymolipoma.  J of Pediatric Surgery, 32(12): 1780-2, 1997 .

8.                  Gregory AK, Connery CP*, Anagnostopoulos CE.  A Late Complication of Tuberculous Pericarditis:  Cutaneous Sinus Tract Communicating with Residual Pericardium and a Retrosternal Abscess Cavity.  Ann Thorac Surg 65: 542-4, 1998

 

9.                  Blaustein HS, Abed A, Leber R, DiGiacinto G, Connery CP*, Anagnostopoulos CE. “Synchronous intracranial aneurysm clipping and coronary artery bypass grafting in a scleroderma patient with a subarachnoid hemorrhage and an acute myocardial infarction.” J Cardiovasc Surg; 40: 55-7, 1999.

 

10.              Rahman GF, Bhardwaj N, Suster B, Arliss J, Connery CP*  “A Unique Communicating Pancreatic Pulmonary Malformation”  Ann of Thorac Surg;68:2338-9, 1999.

 

11.              Mysore S, Kotsis VN, Galanos O, Connery CP, Drossos G, Hillel Z, Anagnostopoulos CE. Possible Intraaortic Balloon Pump “Function-Related” Mechanism of Embolic Events in Patient with Protruding Atheroma in the Thoracic Aorta.  J.Cardiovasc Surg  Vol 42, Issue:2: 207-10,  Apr 2001.

 

12.              Shibili M, Connery C, Shapiro JM.  Intralobar and extralobar bronchopulmonary sequestration complicated by Nocardia infection. Southern Med J 2003;96:78-80

Chapters:

Castro JM, Connery CP.  Anesthesia for Thoracoscopy.  Textbook of Cardiothoracic Anesthesia Daniel M. Thys, M.D. Editor.  McGraw Hill; Chapter 29:761-771, 2001.                      

Abstracts:

1.                  Wang T, Connery CP, Hicks GL, DeWeese JA, Layne JR. Freezing storage of isolated rat heart at -1.2 and -3 degrees C. FASEB J 4: A280, February, 1990.

2.                  Connery CP*, Hicks GL, DeWeese JA, Wang T. Long term storage of the cardiac explant from rats of different thyroid states. J Mol Cell Cardiol 22: (Supp. V) p.27, July 1990.

3.                  Wang T, Connery CP*, DeWeese JA, Hicks GL. Optimal calcium concentration for a Lithium Chloride based preservation solution. J Mol Cell Cardiol 22: (Supp. V)p. 1, July, 1990.

4.                  Wang T, Connery CP, DeWeese JA, Hicks GL. Oxygenation of bathing solution improves cardiac preservation. J Mol Cell Cardiol 22: (Supp. V) p. 25, July, 1990.

5.                  Connery CP, Layne JR, Batty PR, Hicks GL, Wang T. Freezing preservation of isolated rat heart at high sub-zero temperatures. J Mol Cell Cardiol 22: (Supp. I) p. 25, March, 1990.

6.                  Wang T, Connery CP*, Pearce F. Evaluation of isolated rat heart function during the compensatory and decompensatory phase of hemorrhagic shock. Circ Shock 31: 17-18, 1990.

7.                  Anagnostopoulos CE, Bilfinger TV, Connery CP, Seifert F, Hartman A, Biancaniello T, Agorogiannis S. Initial clinical experience with anterior rectus sheath grafts in congenital heart defects. Proceedings of 6th Annual Current Issues in Cardiac Surgery Conference; St. Thomas, USVI; November 1993.

8.                  Anagnostopoulos CE, Connery CP*, Dumont H, Hillel Z, Herring W, Adams L. Pre-clamp cardioprotection by Protein Kinase C (PKC) inhibitor improves left ventricular function following canine normothermic arrest. Proceedings of 7th Annual Current Issues in Cardiac Surgery Conference; St. Thomas, USVI; November 1994.

9.                  Anagnostopoulos CE, Connery CP, Safavi A, Anagnostopoulos A-M, Imperial J.  Ordinary Risk Stratification does not predict Length of Stay in Acute Aortic Dissections. Proceedings of 1st International Cardiac Surgery Conference. "Cardiac Surgery Today: The State of the Art." Athens, Greece; December 1994 

10.              Anagnostopoulos, CE, Azariadis, M,  Connery CP.,  Papagiannis I,  Apostolopoulu S.,  Kalogris G., Prapas S., Stavrides G., Nicholaidis A.,  Rammos S.  Surgical correction of complex congenital heart disease by use of cryopreserved homografts in 20 patients. National Medical Association Meeting, Athens Greece, May 8, 1996 - Abstract Book.

11.              Anagnostopoulos CE. , Prappas S, Azariades M., Connery CP., Economopoulos G., Palatianos G.,  Michalis A.  Hypothermia and circulatory arrest in 20 operations of the aortic arch. Greek Surgical Society Meeting Abstract Book, Athens, Greece., October 1996.

12.              Connery CP*, Knoetgen J, Islam S, Anagnostopoulos CE.  Median sternotomy for pulmonary resection in patients with pulmonary complications of tuberculosis.  International Congress of Thorax Surgery, Athens Greece, July 1997.

13.              Gregory AK, Connery CP*, Anagnostopoulos CE.  A Late Complication of Tuberculous Pericarditis: Cutaneous Sinus Tract Communicating with Residual Pericardium and a Retrosternal Abscess Cavity.   International Congress of Thorax Surgery, Athens Greece, July 1997.

14.              Connery CP*, Azariades M, Prapas SN, Anagnostopoulos CE.  “Band -Aid” Surgery - Upper Sternal Split Incision for Valve Surgery in Adults: A Modified Technique.  Medical Developments for the New Millennium, Athens, Greece.  August, 1997.

15.              Menon V, Connery CP, Abel J, Dion R, Graham K, Shemin R.  Outcome of Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery During Hospitalization for Cardiogenic Shock (CS) Complicating Acute MI. American Heart Association 70th Annual Scientific Session, Orlando, Florida, November 1997.

 

16.              Park WM, Paturu K, Hochman J, Connery CP*, Anagnostopoulos CE.  Successful repair of myocardial free wall rupture after early thrombolytic therapy for myocardial infarction.  Poster Session: American College of Chest Physicians, Cancun, Mexico, December 1997.

 

17.              Nan Y, Shih H, Connery CP, Hillel Z.  Online LV function by Signal Averaged TEE and ABD. Anesth: 91(3A), 1999.

 

18.              Nan Y, Connery CP, Shih H, Hillel Z.  Improved Diastolic LV Function after CABG. Anesth: 91(3A), 1999.

 

19.              Connery CP*, Rahman F, Abebe L, Hillel Z, Wenz B, Ortolano G, Samatallee Z, Gikakis N, Anagnostopoulos CE.  White Cell Filtration of Transfused Blood and/or Blood Products Reduces Infections in Cardiopulmonary Bypass Patients Undergoing Revascularization.  Chest 118 (Suppl 4) 1435-1445, 2000.

 

20.              Ashton RC, Swistel DG, Connery CP, DeRose JJ.  Robotic Surgery in the Thoracic Cavity.  Chest 122 (Suppl 4) 70S, Nov 6, 2002.

21.              Ashton RC Jr, Swistel DG, Connery CP, DeRose JJ Jr. Robotic surgery in the         thoracic cavity.  CHEST 2002:122 (suppl 4):70S