Hello! My name is Dr. Allan Stewart and I am a cardiac surgeon having graduated from UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School in 1995.
To date, I have performed approximately 2000 cardiac surgeries, of which 1000 involved heart valve procedures. I regularly perform surgery at hospitals including New York-Presbyterian Hospital (Columbia University Medical Center).
I believe my greatest strength as a surgeon is:
"I am an extremely innovative and creative surgeon who can tailor an operation to fit the patient, rather than making the patient fit into a procedure. I am also a regular guy who takes the time to explain the diagnoses, treatment options, and risks in plain and understandable terms, without arrogance or time constraints. "
Specific to cardiac surgery, my specialties include:
Valve-Sparing Aortic Root Replacement
Complex Aortic Valve Repair/Replacement
Transcatheter Aortic Valve replacement
Relative to heart valve research, I have the following interests:
Aortic Valve Repair
Aortic Root Aneurysms (Marfan's Disease)
Transcatheter Aortic Valve Therapy
I have relationships with each of the following insurance companies:
Oxford
Medicare
United
To help you learn more about me, I have uploaded the video below. To watch the video, simply press the play button and please make sure the volume on your computer is turned up.
Here is what my patients say about me:
"Dr. Allan Stewart is great. He saved my life. Did it with a smile and concern. His team is awesome they were always there and ready to answer any thing that we asked. I did much research and was very thankful to find Dr. Allan Stewart. If you need aortic surgery he is the man."
--Carmine Gualtieri
Aortic Valve, Root Replacement, 06/03/2011
"Three days after, my kidney, liver and lungs went down. I was brought back three times. Doctor Allan Stewart kept my 4 daughters informed at all times. He helped managed their expectations even though they feared the worst. Dr. Stewart assured them it was not uncommon. He was calm and reassuring at all times. I highly recommend him. Dr. Stewart is the best!!!"
"I had valve sparing and aortic root replacement surgery performed by Dr. Allan Stewart in April 2010 and just celebrated the one year anniversary of my surgery last week. I purposely waited a year to write down my thoughts about Dr. Stewart because I did not want to be overly influenced by the post surgical euphoria that most of us who go through this type of surgery feel for simply having survived it. Also, I wanted to be able to look back on the recovery process knowing it was complete, which mine is. With a year of perspective now, if I were to simply say that everything about my surgery and recovery went incredibly well, and that Dr. Stewart was nothing short of fantastic in every regard, it would not be enough to do the man justice. There are two reasons for this. First, I believe that Dr. Stewart’s technical skills are superb but I am the first to say that those of us who are “layman,” and who are not trained in medicine, are not really qualified to properly evaluate a surgeon’s technical skills. Instead, we should look at the fact that Dr. Stewart is Director of Aortic Surgery at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital (one of the best hospitals in the world) and Professor of Aortic Surgery at Columbia University Medical Center (one of the best medical schools in the world) and recognize that this tells us how highly his peer group regards his skills. Equally as important as his technical skill though, Dr. Stewart is a mensch. For those of you who don’t know that word, it means he is a real human being, a man of integrity and honor, a good person, a man you can count on. Dr. Stewart showed so much care for me as a person, that I felt like I was almost a partner to him in approaching my surgery rather than just a patient with a physical condition. He was incredibly generous with his time, always encouraging me to ask questions, always taking the time to answer them fully, always inviting me to call or email him with more questions, never being satisfied himself unless I had all the information I was asking for. In short, Dr. Stewart showed so much concern for my mental health prior to surgery that I know I went into the procedure itself with as much confidence about the outcome as possible. I have no doubt that this contributed to the success of the procedure as well. There are obviously lots of surgeons in New York and I am sure there are many who are very good at what they do. What sets Dr. Stewart apart, in my mind, is his concern for the whole person, body of course but also mind and spirit. He saved my valve, which he was confident he could do prior to surgery, and he thought to send someone out from the operating room to inform my family in the waiting room as soon as he knew that he had. It was little things like this that showed his thoughtfulness throughout the time leading up to my surgery, the procedure itself and my recovery since. I am proud to have had Dr. Stewart as my surgeon and highly recommend him to anyone reading this and considering him as their surgeon as well. The man is a rock star. "
--Bruce Jakubovitz
Aortic Valve, Root Replacement, David Procedure, 04/21/2010
"My experience with Dr. Allan Stewart was fabulous. In a week, I felt back to normal. I then rested for two more weeks. After that, I went back to executive work and feel well. The 36 cardiac rehabilitation treatments during the recovery was helpful."
--Lawrence Sarf
Aortic Valve, Valve Repair, Median Sternotomy, 03/21/2010
"Candid. Confident. Compassionate. It was refreshing to finally find a doctor with these qualities, especially as my anxiety (and my aneurysm) grew with the thought of having to undergo open heart surgery. Unlike other surgeons who surprisingly wavered in deciding what the best course of action to follow would be, Dr. Stewart was not only deliberate in his assessment but simultaneously allayed my concerns. Dr. Allan Stewart's dedication to his patients extends beyond the operating room, and he made it a point to explain my condition to my family before, during, and after the surgery. He truly is an excellent example of what a surgeon should be, and there is no question that he is one of the best- if not the best- in the field. "
--Tom Szymanski
Aortic Valve, David Procedure, 11/05/2009
"Let me be candid. Dr. Allan Stewart is the best Aortic Surgeon in the world. That is not a sentimental compliment. I am a research-a-holic/type-A person who was diagnosed with an Aortic Aneurysm. I spent 8 months researching procedures and doctors and nearly died because it grew to 6.1cm. I can tell you all the doctors I met with and researched, and all of the methods I looked into. Only when I came across Dr. Allan Stewart, and his Valve Sparing procedure was I comfortable with moving forward. Luckily for me I didn't die before having the surgery, but I was NOT about to have a half-assed procedure done, by a mediocre doctor. I had heard that Dr. Stewart was the best in the country before meeting him. I was very impressed with him. He was sharp as hell, young, ambitious, and seemed to live, eat, and breathe his job. He immediately struck me as the Top Gun in his field. He was extremely passionate, yet candid. A great balance of getting his points across, yet accompanied by the RARE good bedside manner that most doctors lack. He was amazing, and his valve sparing procedure made more sense than any of the others I had looked into. Let me be clear, I did so much research on the different procedures, that I pretty much grilled him, and could talk the "lingo" regarding the many different aspects of Aortic heart surgery. His valve sparing method seemed brilliant. Furthermore, there are specific aspects of this method that he puts his own personal touch on and does them "his way". Without getting into details, the procedure is just brilliant. Anyone can email me for more information. To wrap this up; Dr. Stewart is one hell of a guy. He doesn't charge a dime for consultation, he gave me his PERSONAL phone number, he befriended my wife and worked closely with her throughout my surgery and recovery, and most of all; he didn't disappear after he did the surgery. He still touches base with me, and is fully in the loop on my recovery with my family, and with my cardiologist. Dr. Stewart is the closest thing to God. At the very least he is an ambitious, go getter, hard driving, compassionate, young, sharp as hell, good dressing doctor! If you want information contact me and i'll give you a million reasons why he is the best Aortic Surgeon in the world, and I can back it up with research, not just emotion.
Benjamin
benjaminjc@optonline.net
"
--Benjamin Carey
Aortic Valve, Root Replacement, David Procedure, 11/02/2009
"Replaced part of the Aorta. Results were fantastic. All contact with doctor was great."
--Roger Miller
Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, 10/06/2009
"This is our second major surgery with Dr. Stewart. He is a very dedicated surgeon to his patients and works tirelessly to get the best results for them. He is very confident in his ability and from our experience he backs that up with his excellent surgical performance. He takes the time to really listen to patient and families questions and concerns. "
--Phillip Tennant
Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, Root Replacement, David Procedure, 09/28/2009
"I have a vivid imagination and I cannot conceive of having a surgeon in the same league as Dr. Stewart. He is a tightly packed bundle of consummate skill, acuity, empathy and someone who strives (and achieves!) the pinnacle of excellence in his field.
Happy with the outcome? Ecstatic is a better word."
"My family and I did extensive research to identify the best possible surgeon for an aortic valve replacement that my father was undergoing. Dr. Stewart specializes in Aortic valve replacement, has an excellent reputation, and has some of the best statistics of any of the Doctors we considered. He was incredibly patient in answering our questions and ensuring that we understood the procedure. He personally followed up to see how my father was progressing. My father's recovery time period went much faster than I was anticipating based on conversations I had with others who had a similar experience. My father is now back to full strength and feel like he has more energy than before. "
--Barry Hurewitz
Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, 06/10/2009
"This guy is off the charts. Totally competent and gives you all alternatives."
--Richard Curreri
Aortic Valve, Root Replacement, 03/24/2009
"I interviewed surgeons in Boston (Mass General & Brigham & Women's) and New York (Columbia Presbyterian) and opted to travel out of state from MA to NY and entrust my heart to Dr. Stewart. Aside from coming highly recommended from multiple sources, his humility coupled with the pride he takes in his work made it an easy decision. I never once felt like a patient lost in the crowd; he took the time to chat casually with me and took full responsibility for my well-being AND my family's during my recovery. I could not be happier with the results and would strongly recommend consulting with Dr. Stewart because he is highly skilled, professionally renowned, and personally invested in his patients."
--Greg O'Keeffe
Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, Median Sternotomy, Root Replacement, 05/20/2008
"Dr. Allan Stewart is an incredibly caring and skilled surgeon. From the first consultation, I knew I was in excellent hands. His bedside manner is incredibly kind and he encouraged me to work hard to get back to my normal life. I will be forever grateful to Dr. Stewart. He touched my life in many ways."
--Dale Hensley
Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, 03/07/2007
"In a twelve-month period my 74-year-old mother underwent three open-heart surgeries. The first two failed to solve the problem. The third, which was performed by Dr. Allan Stewart, was an extremely long and difficult surgery that replaced her aorta "from stem to stern." It saved my mother's life.
As you might imagine, after the first two less-than-successful surgeries, with my mother's life seemingly in the balance, my family had a lot of questions for Dr. Stewart. He calmly answered them all, always kept my mother up-to-date, and even took time to answer my emails. Just before the surgery, after days of hearing all the medical language, he looked me in the eye and said "She's going to be fixed."
I believed him and he was right. That was three years ago. Today, my mother still lives on her own, travels, and laughs a lot. A few days ago I watched all her smiling grandchildren crowd around her at Christmas and quietly thanked God for Dr. Stewart."
--Bart Erbach
Aortic Valve, Root Replacement, 11/17/2006
Thank you for taking the time to learn more about me and my practice. To contact me about your heart valve disorder, please click here.
