Grenadian national Adam Bierzynski, MD ’11, is making waves in the field of interventional cardiology through the use of robotics in outpatient settings.

As an interventional cardiologist on staff at several hospitals in the Fort Lauderdale, FL area, Dr. Bierzynski performs complex heart procedures on patients in need. In 2020, he was among the team who performed the first-ever outpatient robotic percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) at an ambulatory surgery center.

Dr. Bierzynski spoke to SGU News about why the procedure was groundbreaking, the potential life-saving capabilities of robotics within the field of cardiology, his experience at St. George’s University, and how his medical training set him up for success.

SGU: Did you always want to become a doctor?

Dr. Bierzynski: I wanted to be a doctor for most of my life. My grandfather was the chief medical officer of Grenada for a time, and I was always interested in the sciences and being able to apply knowledge to helping and healing.

SGU: What appealed to you about the field of interventional cardiology?  

Dr. Bierzynski: Cardiology piqued my interest most throughout my clinical rotations. Once within cardiology training, the allure of interventional cardiology was too much to ignore. The ability to place a stent in someone’s artery who is having a heart attack and have them walk out as early as the next day with almost no damage done is truly one of the most rewarding feelings in medicine. The field is also always evolving with new techniques and procedures, so it is difficult for it to ever become mundane.

SGU: Where did you do your training?

Dr. Bierzynski: After being raised and completing high school in Grenada, I attended the University of Ottawa for my undergraduate studies before returning to Grenada to attend SGU. I graduated in 2011 and was fortunate enough to start my internship and residency in internal medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan. I was accepted into the general cardiology fellowship program at Lenox Hill Hospital Heart and Vascular, then did a further subspecialty in interventional cardiology at the same institution, completing my long haul of training in June 2018.

SGU: In 2020, you performed the first-ever outpatient robotic percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) at an ambulatory surgery center. Could you explain what this is and why a patient would need this?

Dr. Bierzynski: The coronary arteries supply blood to the heart muscle. A “heart attack” is when those arteries are blocked and blood flow to the heart muscle stops and that muscle dies. A PCI is the placement of a stent into the coronary artery that opens the blockage and allows for blood to flow through the artery once again. Typically, this is done in a hospital and the performing doctor is standing at the operating table wearing heavy lead shielding to protect from radiation that is used to perform the imaging. A robotic PCI utilizes a mechanical arm that advances the wires, balloons, and stents that we use during the procedure in order to open the blocked arteries. I am able to sit in the adjacent control room and control the robot to perform the procedure instead of having to stand at the procedure table next to the radiation generator.  This has only ever been done inside a hospital until recently.

SGU: What was that experience like for you?

Dr. Bierzynski: Being able to do something that hasn’t been done before was definitely the highlight of my career. My training really helped me to be confident in my ability to execute the procedure safely and address any complications that may arise. Fortunately, that first procedure couldn’t have gone better, and the patient was discharged home hours later. I have continued to perform this procedure robotically whenever feasible.

It is likely that robotic PCI will become more and more commonplace and performing it in the outpatient setting will also become routine, and it will always be awesome for me to look back and think, “but I did it first!”

Adam Bierzynski, MD ’11, is making waves in the field of interventional cardiology through the use of robotics in outpatient settings.

SGU: Why is this an important advancement in cardiac medicine, especially during the COVID pandemic?

Dr. Bierzynski: Cardiology is a fast, ever-changing field. The things we routinely do now were considered impossible or impractical 10-15 years ago.

This was a timely innovation during the pandemic. By performing it as an outpatient at a surgical center, patients could be assured that there were no COVID patients at the facility so that they were at minimal risk. This was important as people were postponing life-saving care, especially early on in the pandemic, due to their desire to avoid exposure to a potentially life-threatening disease. Also, it allowed the performing doctor to minimize his exposure to the patient as well.

SGU: Looking forward, what is the potential for this technology within cardiology?

Dr. Bierzynski: There are many areas within the US that do not have interventional cardiologists nearby. When someone is having a heart attack they are losing heart muscle with every second. Being able to open their artery as quickly as possible makes all the difference to that individual’s life and also their quality of life. In those places where there is no access to providers capable of these interventions, it is possible that there can be staff trained in setting up and initiating the robot, while an interventional cardiologist performs the required intervention from a remote workstation.

On a global level, there are many countries that do not have an interventional cardiologist present to perform the required procedure in those suffering from an acute heart attack. Potentially, one operator could provide coverage to multiple hospitals, or different countries remotely without having to leave his own room.

In addition, interventional cardiologists have high rates of disability from orthopedic injuries due to long careers wearing heavy lead shielding while performing complex procedures.  Using the robot allows the operator to perform the same procedure while sitting down, relieving all the strain on the back and neck that interventional cardiologists have to suffer daily. It also reduces the radiation that we expose ourselves to by an estimated 50 percent and allows for more accurate measurement and stent placement which is better for the patient.

SGU: Describe your SGU experience, especially as someone from Grenada?

Dr. Bierzynski: Attending SGU was a fantastic experience. The campus is state-of-the-art, and uniquely breathtaking in its location. Coupled with a diverse student body and accessible faculty, I can truly say that I thoroughly enjoyed my time at SGU and would recommend it to anyone considering applying.

As a Grenadian, it was surprising how even though you felt at home, it was simultaneously like being in a different country. I had attended university overseas so I was comfortable with the change, but I was aware of the difference you feel when on campus. So even for those who feel they want to have a university experience elsewhere, I can assure you that you are exposed enough to different experiences that you do not feel stifled.

SGU: What insights do you have for other Caribbean students who may be considering medical school?  

Dr. Bierzynski: I sat in the lecture halls at SGU like everyone else, and heard from professors about when we will be doing residency or fellowship, and eventually practice as physicians, and I think everyone at some point has the same thought: “Can and will this really happen for me?” Rest assured, SGU graduates—including those from the Caribbean—can get the residency they want, the specialty they want, and become excellent physicians in their chosen field—if you work hard enough.

— Ray-Donna Peters and Laurie Chartorynsky

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Before Jeremy Bosworth, MD ’13, enrolled at St. George’s University, he was considering a career in law or the FBI. But it was a chance encounter with an old friend who had recently graduated from SGU’s School of Medicine that changed his course forever.

With the encouragement of his friend, Dr. Bosworth applied and was accepted to SGU—and he never looked back. It was while he was on campus in Grenada that he discovered his true passion in life—medicine, particularly surgery, and eventually a love for the very specialized field of plastic surgery.

Dr. Bosworth is currently the chief resident of plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Recently, he was awarded an aesthetic fellowship at North Texas Plastic Surgery (NTPS) in Southlake, TX, which he will begin this summer.

SGU News spoke with Dr. Bosworth to learn what appeals to him about the field of plastic surgery, his path to fellowship, and his advice for students on how to land a competitive residency position.

St. George’s University: What is aesthetic surgery?

Dr. Jeremy Bosworth: There are two parts to plastic surgery training: reconstructive plastic surgery and aesthetic plastic surgery. Reconstructive surgery is a big part of plastic surgery training and involves things like craniofacial surgery, breast reconstruction, and reconstruction after trauma. Aesthetic surgery involves many types of elective procedures to enhance the appearance such as face lifts, tummy tucks, liposuction, and even body contouring after weight loss.  It also includes non-surgical treatments such as Botox and laser treatments.

SGU: What is a typical day like for a chief resident?

Dr. Bosworth: My typical day at UAB—where I am now—will vary from a full day in the operating room to a full day of in-clinic seeing patients or some combination. We work at a major university hospital, a children’s hospital, a VA, some smaller hospitals, as well as with private practice surgeons in the community so the experience is quite broad and varied. At my fellowship next year, most of the training will be at the main office of a private practice with operating rooms right in the office as well as a medical spa.

SGU: Congratulations on your new fellowship at NTPS. What will you be learning during this time?

Dr. Bosworth: Thank you! The fellowship, which is endorsed by The Aesthetics Society, includes advanced training in facial surgery, body enhancement and contouring, and non-surgical treatments, as well as learning some of the business side of private practice plastic surgery. I’ll be working with a number of highly trained plastic surgeons which will enable me to broaden and master my skills. I feel that I owe it to my patients to be as well trained as possible, so the fellowship just made sense to me. I’m very excited.

SGU: Why did you choose a career in medicine?

Dr. Bosworth: I went to undergraduate college at the University of Arizona where I was a political science major. My plan was to apply to the FBI or CIA or even law school. But I slowly realized that wasn’t what I wanted to do. A friend at SGU told me about his wonderful experience studying medicine there and said, “Why don’t you apply?” I quickly discovered that medicine was my passion. And the rest is history.

SGU: What was your path after graduating from SGU?

Dr. Bosworth: I first did a general surgery residency at Nassau University Medical Center in New York. I then went on to start a plastic and reconstructive surgery residency here at UAB. I am graduating this July. This was a three-year residency that required completion of a prior surgical residency to be eligible. UAB was my first choice for plastic surgery because of the amazing medical center and the unrivaled clinical experience and volume in all aspects of plastic surgery that we see here. There are only about 30 one-year fellowships in aesthetic surgery like the one at NTPS. I knew it would be competitive. It required going through an application process, interviews, and then finally a match process.

SGU: How has SGU helped shape your career aspirations? 

Dr. Bosworth: Going to medical school at SGU was an amazing and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The students there had such a family-like mentality. Everyone works to lift each other up. Medical school is hard! I could not have got through it without that encouragement from my peers. And living in Grenada was fantastic. It wasn’t even until I got off the island that I realized how SGU shaped my professional outlook. I did most of my clinical rotations in New Jersey. That’s when it became apparent the SGU students were far-and-above better prepared than the other medical students. We worked harder, were reliable, and motivated, and also grateful for the opportunities. This is all something that SGU engrains in you. I carry that with me today.

SGU: Have you ever encountered any bias or skepticism of your abilities because you had gone to a medical school outside the US?  

Dr. Bosworth: I think that old school bias is slowly disappearing in the field of medicine as a whole, especially for SGU grads. I have always been of the mindset that I am not owed or guaranteed anything, and I always try to just prove myself, regardless of whether I find bias or not. The right mindset, hard work, and of course a little luck always helps.

SGU: What advice would you give to SGU students who want to pursue a specialized area of medicine?

Dr. Bosworth: I think it’s important to really be passionate about the field that you choose. When I was applying for residency, I knew I wanted to do a general surgery residency which is not easy! It requires long hours and lots of information and skills to master. And then there is plastic surgery, which is even more challenging. I always remind medical students who rotate with us that surgery is an amazing field if you love it!

In addition, no matter how hard the day before was, I always come to work the next day with a smile on my face. I believe that attitude is part of what helped me excel. When applying for plastic surgery, I knew it would be a tough road to get a spot as it is a very competitive specialty. I also knew that it was truly what I wanted to do so I was not going to let a challenge deter me.

My final piece of advice is don’t rush into making a decision on your specialty. If you don’t already know, keep an open mind. But when you do find that passion, go after it with everything you’ve got.

— Paul Burch

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