A career in medicine was ingrained in Dr. Stephen Kwan from an early age.
“I was always good at math and the sciences and I knew I'd do something in that field," he said. “When I met my brother-in-law who was a general surgeon, he started taking me around in high school and showing me what medicine was like."
Dr. Kwan then pursued a career in medicine because it helps humanity and gave him a purpose.
“I had an interest in surgery, both for the technical aspect and the challenge of taking care of surgical patients," he said. But ultimately, it was an experience at New York University that helped make his decision.
“During a rotation in heart surgery, I saw Dr. Frank Spencer, who is one of the five founding fathers of heart surgery in this country. I assisted him many times, holding the heart for him. He would tell me about what a fantastic field this is and how fulfilling it was," he said.
Dr. Kwan received his medical degree from New York University. He completed a residency in general surgery and a fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery from Montefiore Hospital/ Albert Einstein School of Medicine in New York. He has over 30 years of clinical experience in his field.
As a cardiothoracic surgeon, he performs all aspects of cardiac, thoracic, vascular and esophageal surgery.
This includes seeing and treating patients for heart conditions and surgeries including coronary artery disease, blockages of blood vessels, coronary bypass surgery, stents, valvular heart disease and aortic aneurysms. He does all aspects of pacemaker, defibrillator and biventricular pacemaker care. He also has expertise in lung surgery for lung cancer, treats emphysema, esophageal cancer and rupture and enlarged lymph nodes.
“My philosophy as a surgeon has always been if the tables were turned, how would I like to be treated? I approach all my patients like how I would want to be approached by a physician and I treat them no different than I would a family member," he said. “I want to understand my patient's individual needs and tailor my care to each patient based on how they want to be treated."
Outside of work, you'll likely find Dr. Kwan grilling out, smoking meats or golfing. He and his wife have three boys.
“My wife was the heart and soul of my practice. I had bought software when I was in private practice and she was great at coding and basically ran my office," he said. “Now, she's retired from that and likes to spend time with our kids."