Download Department of surgery 2004 – 2011

A time of tr ansformation
Department of Surgery
2004 – 2011
Message from the Chairman
Fabrizio Michelassi, MD
Throughout its history, the Department of Surgery has
garnered a worldwide reputation for outstanding and
innovative surgical expertise. This tradition of excellence
continues and, in the past seven years, the Department
has undergone an unprecedented period of growth
and transformation. With 15 new leaders appointed
in our clinical services and education and research
programs, we have broadened the scope and expertise
of the Department with internationally recognized
specialists in their respective fields of surgery.
Between 2004 and 2011, we have developed nine
comprehensive programs to provide a singular focus on
specific areas, including the multidisciplinary Center
for Advanced Digestive Care, the Endocrine Surgical
Oncology Center, the first academic-based Gastrointestinal
Metabolic and Diabetes Surgical Center, a Hepatobiliary
Surgery and Liver Transplantation program, the Pancreas
Center and the Center for Vascular and Endovascular
Surgery. In addition, we have furthered our training
programs with the formation of the Skills Acquisition
and Innovation Laboratory and heightened our efforts in
basic and translational research. Our faculty members
are actively involved in a wide range of federally funded
research initiatives, and their investigative efforts continue
to contribute to the advancement of surgical science
and clinical care. To aid in recruitment, retention and
promotion of women faculty, we also created the position
of Director of Gender Diversity within the Department
of Surgery.
Incorporated into our strategic plan for Department
growth, we have made a major investment in facilities
encompassing some 50,000 square feet – from the
construction and renovation of clinical practice areas
and academic offices, to the building of new research
laboratories and a soon-to-be constructed facility for
the Skills Acquisition and Innovation Laboratory. In
collaboration with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital,
we have celebrated the opening of four technologically
advanced surgical suites and a new surgical inpatient
care facility atop the Greenberg Pavilion.
The Department’s surgical residency and fellowship
training programs are nationally recognized and among
the finest in the country. Many of our distinguished
alumni hold leadership positions or practice in some of
the nation’s highest rated academic medical centers. In
addition to simulation training, the curriculum for our
general surgery residency program now incorporates a
review of clinical outcomes and surgical quality metrics.
The Department of Surgery has expanded geographically
as well. Through Weill Cornell Medical College and
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, we have forged an
important partnership with The Methodist Hospital
in Houston, as well as global affiliations with Weill
Cornell Medical College–Qatar and Weill Bugando
in Mwanza, Tanzania, where faculty and students
participate in clinical service, research and training
activities to help improve healthcare around the world.
In the report that follows, I invite you to learn more
about the Department of Surgery. Building on a rich
legacy of pioneering work in surgical care, teaching and
research, we continue to pursue new and better ways
to improve the lives of our patients and further advance
the field of surgery.
Fabrizio Michelassi, MD
Lewis Atterbury Stimson Professor of Surgery
Chairman, Department of Surgery
Weill Cornell Medical College
Surgeon-in-Chief
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/
Weill Cornell Medical Center
AT A GLANCE
2004
2005
Dr. Fabrizio Michelassi is named
Chairman of the Department of
Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical
College and Surgeon-in-Chief at
NewYork-PresbyterianHospital/
Weill Cornell Medical Center.
NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill
Cornell surgeons are the first
in the tri-state area to perform
minimally invasive islet cell transplants to cure Type I diabetes.
2006
The William Randolph Hearst
Burn Center of NewYorkPresbyterian/Weill Cornell,
under the direction of Dr. Roger
W. Yurt, is recognized as a
comprehensive adult and
pediatric burn center by the
American Burn Association.
Under the direction of
Dr. Alexander J. Swistel, NewYorkPresbyterian/Weill Cornell surgeons
pioneer oncoplastic surgery in
the New York City area. The new
surgical option for breast cancer
patients combines removal of the
cancer with breast enhancement
procedures.
A preliminary study by Dr. Alfons
Pomp and surgeon-scientists
at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill
Cornell finds that the duodenal
switch procedure is more
effective at promoting loss of
body weight and body fat than
gastric bypass.
A team of surgeons from Weill
Cornell Medical College led by
Dr. Thomas J. Fahey, III reports
that they can greatly enhance
the accuracy of thyroid tests by
combining fine-needle aspiration biopsies with an accelerated
genetic microarray technology.
The American College of
Surgeons accredits NewYorkPresbyterian/Weill Cornell as
a Bariatric Surgery Center Network hospital with the highest
possible designation (1A) – a
first for New York State and one
of only seven nationwide.
An international, multicenter
study demonstrates the
effectiveness of side-to-side
isoperistaltic strictureplasty,
a bowel-sparing procedure
for advanced Crohn’s disease,
first developed by Dr. Fabrizio
Michelassi in 1993.
2007
The Department of Surgery
recruits Dr. Francesco Rubino to
lead a new academic section
called Gastrointestinal Metabolic
Surgery, advancing diabetes
surgery as an entirely new surgical
field. NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill
Cornell establishes the first Gastrointestinal Metabolic and Diabetes
Surgery Center.
The kidney transplant program
of NewYork-Presbyterian/
Weill Cornell, under the
direction of Dr. Sandip Kapur,
reaches a major milestone as
its 3,000th patient receives a
lifesaving kidney transplant.
200
08
2009
2010
The Center for Advanced Digestive Care (CADC) is established
at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill
Cornell. With the leadership of
Dr. Jeffrey W. Milsom, the CADC
provides high-quality patient
care, research and education in all
aspects of digestive disease.
The Department of Surgery
hosts the 1st World Congress on
Interventional Therapies for
Type 2 Diabetes, bringing
together leading experts in
diabetes, endocrinology, surgery
and public health.
One of the nation’s first threeway living-donor kidney
transplant chains is initiated at
NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill
Cornell. The innovative approach
– a NEAD (never-ending
altruistic donor) chain – promises
to dramatically improve the
opportunity to find a compatible
donor for patients in need of
kidney transplants.
The Department of Surgery’s
research program is enhanced
with the addition of an authority in regenerative medicine,
Dr. Todd Evans, to lead the
Department’s efforts in basic
and translational research.
The Department of Surgery
celebrates the opening of the
Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley
Surgical Suite, which consists of
four spacious operating rooms
housing state-of-the-art surgical,
endoscopic and imaging technology
tailored for specialty areas,
including vascular, colorectal and
bariatric surgery.
2011
The Division of Pediatric Surgery
expands its expertise in minimally
invasive surgery with the appointment
of Dr. Oliver J. Muensterer, whose
emphasis on pioneering Single Incision
Pediatric Endosurgery offers patients
virtually scarless surgery.
The Department’s newly established
section of Hepatobiliary Surgery
and Liver Transplantation, under
the direction of Dr. Daniel Cherqui,
a world-renowned surgeon who
was the first to use laparoscopic
techniques in living-donor liver
transplantation, performs its first
liver transplant surgery.
The Center for Vascular and
Endovascular Surgery is established,
led by Dr. Darren B. Schneider, one
of the few vascular surgeons formally
trained in both vascular surgery and
interventional radiology.
The Department of Surgery hosts
the 2nd World Congress on Interventional Therapies for Type 2 Diabetes,
a comprehensive, multidisciplinary
forum of worldwide specialists, to
craft an agenda of research priorities
and health policy for advancing the
treament of diabetes. The Congress
builds significantly on insights gained
at the 1st Congress, held in 2008.
Contents
Message from the Chairman
Inside Front Cover
A Legacy of Surgical Excellence and Leadership
1
Leadership Appointments
3
New Comprehensive Programs and Initiatives
13
Clinical Services
19
Education
37
Research
45
International Outreach
67
Faculty Members
71
Department Highlights
79
A Legacy of Surgical Excellence and Leadership
On July 12, 1771, King George III
granted a royal charter to create
the Society of the Hospital in the
City of New York, thus forming the
second hospital in the American
colonies. The name would be changed
in 1810 to The Society of the
New York Hospital. In July 1776,
Dr. Samuel Drowne performed the
first known surgical operation – an
arm amputation – on the future site
of The New York Hospital while
the grounds were under the control
of the Continental Army. The first
hospital facility did not open until
1791, having been delayed by the
start of the Revolutionary War.
Leading a long list of notable contributors to surgical history at The
New York Hospital is Dr. Wright
Post, appointed in 1792, who
developed state-of-the-art surgical
techniques for the treatment of
aneurysms. In 1796, he was the first
surgeon in America to ligate the
femoral artery for the treatment
of a popliteal aneurysm.
A pioneer in vascular surgery,
Dr. Valentine Mott treated 138
aneurysms by ligation and was also
the first surgeon to use ligation of
the innominate artery in 1818.
In the first half of the 19th century,
surgery was limited mostly to
amputations and emergency
trauma; anesthetics available were
opium and alcohol. The operating
environment began
to change in 1846
when ether anesthesia
was used by Dr. John
Rodgers at The New
York Hospital.
Courtesy of Medical Center Archives of NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell
Outstanding surgical achievements and exceptional leaders and teachers
characterize the history of the Department of Surgery. From the first
operation on the hospital grounds in 1776 until the present day, the
surgeons of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical
Center have provided the highest quality patient care, outstanding
surgical training and leadership in surgical research and innovation.
A surgery amphitheatre circa 1880s housed in the second
hospital building of The New York Hospital
Dr. Lewis Atterbury
Stimson demonstrated the first
antiseptic operation in the
United States in 1878 at The New
York Hospital. An expert on fractures
and dislocations, Dr. Stimson
introduced molded plastic splints for
fractures.
Dr. William Stewart Halsted,
considered to be the father of
modern surgical technique and
surgical training, was mentored by
Dr. Henry Sands as a resident physician at The New York Hospital,
and while a visiting surgeon here,
Dr. Halsted introduced the first
bedside patient chart.
An Emphasis on Education
Dr. Stimson worked closely with
Dr. H.P. Loomis and other doctors
along with his close friend Colonel
Oliver Hazard Payne, to establish a
new medical college. Colonel Payne
donated $1.5 million to Cornell
University for a medical college
and, in 1898, Dr. Stimson wrote
the charter for the new Cornell
University Medical College. With its
establishment came the creation of
the Department of Surgery.
During Dr. Stimson’s tenure as the
first Chairman of Surgery, academic
standards for admission to the
medical school were raised and
students were first required to have
a college degree for admission to the
program.
Dr. Stimson, along with George
Baker, Sr., a governor and benefactor
of The New York Hospital, led the
way toward the creation of a new
medical center, binding the academic
standards and training needs of
Cornell University Medical College
with the patient care and training
opportunities of The New York
Hospital. In 1912, Cornell University
Medical College and The Society of
The New York Hospital signed an
affiliation agreement that gave both
institutions the right to nominate
surgeons and other physicians and
to use the surgical and medical
facilities for medical student training.
A further agreement was signed in
1927 to build new facilities resulting
in the subsequent opening of the
New York Hospital-Cornell Medical
Center in 1932. The Department of
Surgery was one of five major clinical
Department of Surgery
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Department Chairs, 1898 to Present
Dr. Lewis Atterbury Stimson
1898-1917
Dr. Charles L. Gibson
1917-1931 Dr. George J. Heuer
1932-1947 Dr. Frank Glenn
1947-1967 1967-1970 Dr. C. Walton Lillehei
1970-1971 Dr. Preston A. Wade
(acting)
1971-1974 Dr. Paul A. Ebert
1974-1975 Dr. Bjorn Thorbjarnarson
(acting)
1975-1991 Dr. G. Thomas Shires
1991-1993 Dr. Roger W. Yurt
(acting)
1993-2002 Dr. John M. Daly
2002-2004 Dr. William T. Stubenbord
(acting)
2004 - Present Dr. Fabrizio Michelassi
departments at the new Medical
Center, which was now poised to
strengthen surgical training via
residency, to fully utilize the
experienced senior staff through
assignments in surgical services and
to place a new emphasis on research.
Dr. George J. Heuer was appointed
Professor of Surgery and established
a modern surgical residency program
that included both operative and
administrative duties.
Dr. Heuer trained more than
100 notable surgeons, including
Dr. Bronson Ray who became Chief
of Neurosurgery, Dr. Victor Marshall
who became Chief of Urology, and
Dr. Herbert Conway who was named
Chief of Plastic Surgery and who,
in turn, trained Dr. Joseph Murray,
a 1990 Nobel Prize recipient for
medicine in the area of organ and
cell transplantation. Dr. Heuer also
trained Dr. Preston A. Wade, a noted
trauma specialist and a leader in
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Department of Surgery
accident prevention, who cared for
many of the burn victims from the
Hindenburg disaster.
In 1947, Dr. Frank Glenn, who
completed his residency under
Dr. Heuer, became Chairman of
Surgery and the first Lewis Atterbury
Stimson Professor of Surgery.
Dr. Glenn, an expert in biliary and
cardiovascular surgery, led the
Department for two decades.
His leadership was continued by
Dr. C. Walton Lillehei who became
Chairman in 1967.
During the 1960s, transplantation
was emerging as a surgical specialization. The Medical Center
saw its first kidney transplant in
1963 performed by Dr. Edward
Goldsmith. In 1968, Dr. Lillehei
performed the Medical Center’s
first cardiac transplant. A year
later, surgeons performed the largest
multi-transplant operation in the
country involving six organs. The
Department of Surgery established
the first pancreas transplant program in the tri-state area in 1996.
Dr. Paul A. Ebert, a cardiovascular
surgeon, succeeded Dr. Lillehei and
later went on to become Director of
the American College of Surgeons.
In 1975, Dr. G. Thomas Shires, a
noted shock and trauma researcher,
became the next Chairman and
Surgeon-in-Chief. Under his leadership, the most comprehensive burn
center in the New York region was
established.
In 1993, Dr. John M. Daly
succeeded Dr. Shires and under
his leadership the Department
was reorganized, defining a set of
sections under General Surgery
that included Breast Surgery, Burn
Surgery, Endocrine Surgery and
Surgical Oncology, and the subspecialty divisions of Neurosurgery,
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery,
Pediatric Surgery, Plastic Surgery,
Transplantation, Trauma and
Critical Care and Vascular Surgery.
Cardiothoracic Surgery and Urology
became their own departments in
1993, as did Neurosurgery in 2000.
Leading Surgical Advances
In 2004, Dr. Fabrizio Michelassi
was appointed the Lewis Atterbury
Stimson Professor of Surgery and
Chairman of Surgery at Weill Cornell
Medical College and Surgeon-inChief at NewYork-Presbyterian/
Weill Cornell. During the past
seven years, the Department has
continued to flourish and, indeed,
transform. The next sections of this
report will detail this growth and
transformation, which has led to the
formation of four new subspecialty
sections – Colon and Rectal Surgery,
Laparoscopic and Bariatric Surgery,
Gastrointestinal Metabolic Surgery
and, most recently, Hepatobiliary
Surgery and Liver Transplantation.
Built on a rich and illustrious
history, the Department of Surgery
is a source of many of the surgical
advances that have helped to shape
the field of surgery. With nationally
and internationally renowned
surgeons organized to innovate
and train in their areas of expertise,
an ongoing emphasis on quality
patient care, a world-class education
program dedicated to developing
tomorrow’s surgical leaders, and
major initiatives in basic, translational and clinical research, the
Department is poised to continue to
influence the future of surgery.
Leadership Appointments
Oliver J. Muensterer, MD, PhD
4
Daniel Cherqui, MD
4
Gregory F. Dakin, MD
5
Soumitra R. Eachempati, MD
5
Darren B. Schneider, MD
6
Rache M. Simmons, MD
6
Roger W. Yurt, MD
7
Todd R. Evans, PhD
7
Alfons Pomp, MD
8
Bakr M. Nour, MD
9
Francesco Rubino, MD
9
Robert T. Grant, MD
10
Nitsana A. Spigland, MD
10
Sandip Kapur, MD
11
Palmer Q. Bessey, MD
11
Department of Surgery
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Leadership Appointments
Over the past seven years, the Department of Surgery has appointed 15 faculty members to leadership positions. The
following section describes their appointments in reverse chronological order.
Oliver J. Muensterer, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Surgery
Director, General Pediatric Endosurgery
Education Director, Skills Acquisition
and Innovation Laboratory
In February 2011, the Department
of Surgery welcomed Dr. Oliver J.
Muensterer as Director of General
Pediatric Endosurgery in the
Division of Pediatric Surgery.
Dr. Muensterer’s exceptional experience in minimally invasive pediatric
surgery, with an emphasis on Single
Incision Pediatric Endosurgery,
expands and enhances pediatric
surgical care with the latest
laparoscopic and thoracoscopic
procedures. With specialty training
in both pediatrics and pediatric
surgery, Dr. Muensterer also provides
expertise in prenatal counseling for
congenital anomalies, surgery in
neonates, gastrointestinal pediatric
surgery, minimally invasive oncologic
surgery in children and pediatric
trauma. His basic science pursuits
Dr. Oliver J. Muensterer
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Department of Surgery
focus on fetal lung development
and the prenatal treatment of
congenital diaphragmatic hernia.
Throughout his career, Dr. Muensterer
has played a leadership role in
teaching medical students, residents
and fellows. He has been involved
in numerous educational programs
on case simulation, virtual reality and
team training. Taking advantage of
this expertise, recently Dr. Muensterer
has been named Education Director
of the Department of Surgery’s Skills
Acquisition and Innovation Laboratory.
Before joining NewYork-Presbyterian/
Weill Cornell, Dr. Muensterer
was Director of Pediatric Trauma
and Burns, Children’s Hospital of
Alabama, and Director of Pediatric
Visceral and Minimal-Invasive
Surgery at the University of Leipzig
in Germany. Dr. Muensterer obtained
his medical degrees at both the
University of Munich in Germany
and at the University of Alicante
Dr. Daniel Cherqui
in Spain. He completed a general
surgery internship at Washington
Hospital Center, Washington, D.C.;
a general surgery residency and
pediatric surgery residency at the
University of Munich; pediatric
residency training at Duke University
Medical Center in North Carolina;
and a fellowship in pediatric endosurgery at the University of Alabama.
Daniel Cherqui, MD
Professor of Surgery
Chief, Hepatobiliary Surgery
and Liver Transplantation
Dr. Daniel Cherqui is a worldrenowned liver surgeon who has
performed over 2,000 complex
hepatobiliary and liver transplant
surgeries during the past two decades.
In September 2010, Dr. Cherqui
was named Chief of the newly
created Section of Hepatobiliary
Surgery and Liver Transplantation
at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill
Cornell and Professor of Surgery
|
at Weill Cornell Medical College.
In this role, Dr. Cherqui oversees a
comprehensive surgery program for
liver and bile duct conditions, both
malignant and nonmalignant. His
appointment marks the expansion
of the successful liver transplant
program at NewYork-Presbyterian/
Columbia to NewYork-Presbyterian/
Weill Cornell.
transplantation. Dr. Cherqui
pioneered minimally invasive liver
surgery and was the first to use a
totally laparoscopic approach in
living donor liver transplantation.
Dr. Cherqui previously served as
Chief of Hepatobiliary Surgery
and Liver Transplantation and
Chief of Surgery at Henri Mondor
Hospital in Paris and Professor
of Surgery at the University of
Paris. He received his medical
degree from the University of Paris
and completed his residency at
Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de
Paris followed by fellowships at
Paul-Brousse Hospital, Villejuif,
France, and the University of Chicago.
In April 2010, Dr. Gregory F. Dakin
was named Director of the Surgery
Clerkship. An Associate Professor
of Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical
College, Dr. Dakin specializes in
laparoscopic abdominal surgery. In
addition to his clinical interest in
obesity surgery, his practice includes
minimally invasive treatment of
a wide variety of gastrointestinal
and abdominal disorders. He serves
as Director of the Minimally Invasive
Surgical Training Animate Lab.
A principal or co-principal investigator in more than 50 research
studies, Dr. Cherqui has over 160
peer-reviewed publications and 44
book chapters and reviews. His
research focuses on hepatobiliarypancreatic cancers and liver
Devoting considerable time to
teaching and the development of
physicians in training, Dr. Dakin
has been presented with a number
of teaching awards, including
the Humanism and Excellence in
Teaching Award and the Medical
Dr. Gregory F. Dakin
Gregory F. Dakin, MD
Associate Professor of Surgery
Director, Surgery Clerkship
Director, Minimally Invasive Surgical
Training Animate Laboratory
Leadership Appointments
Student Teaching Award in Surgery.
Most recently, he received the
Excellence in Teaching Award from
Weill Cornell Medical College.
His interest in clinical and basic
science research focuses on various
aspects of bariatric surgery, including
its effects on bone metabolism; on
reproductive function in obese women;
and on gene expression and metabolic
profile of weight loss of patients
following gastric bypass surgery.
Dr. Dakin obtained his medical degree
from the New York University
School of Medicine and completed
his general surgery residency at the
Mount Sinai School of Medicine,
including a dedicated research
fellowship in laparoscopy. He
continued at Mount Sinai for a
clinical fellowship in minimally
invasive surgery.
Soumitra R. Eachempati, MD
Professor of Surgery and
Professor of Public Health
Director, Surgical Intensive Care Unit
Dr. Soumitra R. Eachempati, a
member of the Department of
Surgery since 1998, was appointed
Dr. Soumitra R. Eachempati
Department of Surgery
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Leadership Appointments
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Director of the Surgical Intensive
Care Unit in 2010. In addition to his
clinical practice, Dr. Eachempati,
who is board certified in both
general surgery and surgical critical
care, pursues multiple research
interests in topics pertinent to
abdominal surgery, critical care and
trauma, with a particular focus on
clinical management of emergently
and critically ill surgical patients.
Dr. Eachempati received his MD
degree from Northwestern
University in Chicago, Illinois,
completing his general surgery
internship and residency at Wayne
State University in Detroit,
Michigan. As a resident, he received
multiple awards for teaching excellence, and was selected to participate
in an educational project in Hanoi,
Vietnam, teaching Vietnamese
surgeons new techniques in laparoscopic surgery. Dr. Eachempati then
completed a fellowship in surgical
critical care at Duke University
Hospital, publishing multiple studies
in critical care and trauma surgery.
He remained at Duke for another
year on the faculty before joining
NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell.
He was promoted to a full Professor
in Surgery and Public Health in
2010 in the Department of Surgery.
He is currently the President of
the New York Chapter of the
American College of Surgeons.
Vascular and Endovascular Surgery
at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill
Cornell. Dr. Schneider, Associate
Professor of Surgery at Weill Cornell
Medical College, is one of a select
group of vascular surgeons also
trained in interventional radiology.
His background in both surgery and
radiology has enabled him to be a
leader in the application of advanced
minimally invasive endovascular
procedures for the treatment of
aortic aneurysms and dissections,
carotid artery disease and peripheral
artery disease. Dr. Schneider also
has a particular interest in developing new endovascular techniques
for treatment of complex aortic
aneurysms and for limb preservation for patients with advanced
lower extremity vascular disease.
Dr. Schneider joined NewYorkPresbyterian/Weill Cornell from
the University of California, San
Francisco, where he served as
Associate Professor in both the
Departments of Surgery and
Radiology. He received his medical
degree from the University of
California, San Diego, and completed
his general surgery residency training
at the University of California, San
Francisco. He was also a postdoctoral fellow at Gladstone Institute
of Cardiovascular Disease, and
completed additional clinical
fellowships in interventional
radiology and vascular surgery at
the University of California, San
Francisco. While on the faculty at
the University of California, San
Francisco, Dr. Schneider was an
investigator on a number of clinical
trials studying new fenestrated and
branched stent graft devices for less
invasive endovascular treatment of
thoracic, thoracoabdominal and
juxtarenal aortic aneurysms. He also
was the recipient of a grant from the
National Institutes of Health for the
development of cell therapy for limbthreatening lower extremity vascular
disease (critical limb ischemia).
Rache M. Simmons, MD
Anne K. and Edwin C. Weiskopf
Professor of Surgical Oncology and
Professor of Surgery, Breast Surgery
Director, Gender Diversity
Weill Cornell Medical College
In 2010, Dr. Rache M. Simmons,
a nationally renowned breast
cancer surgeon recognized for her
Darren B. Schneider, MD
Associate Professor of Surgery
Chief, Vascular and
Endovascular Surgery
Director, Center for Vascular and
Endovascular Surgery
In August 2010, Dr. Darren B.
Schneider was appointed Chief of
Vascular and Endovascular Surgery
and Director of the Center for
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Department of Surgery
Dr. Darren B. Schneider
Dr. Rache M. Simmons
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innovations and contributions
in the field of minimally invasive
breast cancer surgery, was named
Director of Gender Diversity in
the Office of Faculty Diversity
in Medicine and Science of Weill
Cornell Medical College and
Director of Gender Diversity in
the Department of Surgery.
Dr. Simmons is a graduate of Duke
University and Duke University
Medical School. Following surgical
training, she completed a breast
oncology fellowship at NewYorkPresbyterian/Weill Cornell, where
she then was recruited to join the
surgical faculty. In 2008, Dr. Simmons
attended the ELAM program, a leadership skill development program
for female faculty members.
A prolific speaker on the treatment
of breast cancer with less invasive
and more cosmetically desirable
techniques, Dr. Simmons has
done extensive research in ways
to provide minimally invasive and
cosmetically advantageous surgery
to her patients. She is a pioneer in
the area of skin-sparing mastectomy and in the use of laser and
cryoablation for benign breast
tumors and small breast cancers.
Roger W. Yurt, MD
Johnson and Johnson Distinguished
Professor of Surgery
Vice Chair
Chief, Burns, Critical Care and Trauma
Director, William Randolph Hearst
Burn Center
In her additional role as Director of
Gender Diversity, Dr. Simmons is
leading the initiative to ensure gender
balance in terms of consideration for
academic promotions, appointments
to leadership positions and faculty
retention. Her initiatives include the
development of institution-wide
policies on child care and parental leave.
Dr. Roger W. Yurt, a prolific researcher,
dedicated teacher and an internationally regarded expert in the treatment of burns and wound healing,
was appointed Chief of the newly
merged Division of Burns, Critical
Care and Trauma in 2010. The Vice
Chairman of the Department of
Surgery and the Johnson and Johnson
Distinguished Professor of Surgery
at Weill Cornell Medical College,
Dr. Yurt has devoted his 35-year
career at NewYork-Presbyterian/
Leadership Appointments
Weill Cornell to improve the quality
of life of burn victims and to pursue
research in trauma, burns and
technology related to the treatment
of burns.
Dr. Yurt received his medical degree
in 1972 from the University of Miami
School of Medicine, followed by an
internship and residency in surgery
at Parkland Memorial Hospital,
University of Texas-Southwestern in
Dallas. He pursued his postdoctoral
fellowship in medicine at the Robert
B. Brigham Hospital and Harvard
Medical School, before becoming
chief resident in surgery at New York
Hospital-Cornell Medical Center.
Three years of military service as a
surgeon in the Burn Unit at Brooke
Army Medical Center in San Antonio
helped to solidify Dr. Yurt’s calling to
the field of burns and critical care.
Dr. Yurt is a member of numerous
prestigious medical and scientific
societies, including the American
Burn Association, where he served
as Second Vice President and on the
Board of Trustees. He is widely
published and has written over 130
peer-reviewed manuscripts and book
chapters. He is the co-principal
investigator for a grant from the
Federal Health Resources and Services
Administration for Disaster Planning
for Burn Injury in New York City.
Todd R. Evans, PhD
Professor of Cell and
Developmental Biology in Surgery
Vice Chair, Research
Dr. Roger W. Yurt
Dr. Todd R. Evans
In 2009, Dr. Todd R. Evans was
appointed Vice Chair for Research
in the Department of Surgery and
Professor of Cell and Developmental
Biology in Surgery, Weill Cornell
Medical College. A noted biological
research scientist, Dr. Evans earned
his doctoral degree in molecular
Department of Surgery
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Leadership Appointments
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biology at Columbia University in
1987, followed by a postdoctoral
residency and fellowships at the
National Institutes of Health,
Bethesda, Maryland. From 1990
to 2009, Dr. Evans held teaching
and research positions in the
Department of Biological Sciences
at the University of Pittsburgh and
the Department of Developmental
and Molecular Biology at Albert
Einstein College of Medicine.
Dr. Evans and his laboratory team
focus on understanding the molecular regulation of normal organ
development during embryogenesis,
thereby revealing the underlying
genetic programs that, when
deregulated, cause developmental
defects and organ-based disease.
With particular emphasis on
hematopoietic and cardiovascular
programs, the team is also studying
other organ systems, including the
liver, gut and pancreas. Their goal
is to use a developmental biology
perspective to develop genetic,
pharmacological or cellular therapies
to impact diseases such as heart
failure, liver disease and cancer.
During the early 1990s, Dr. Pomp
established a national reputation in
advanced laparoscopic techniques
and was a co-author on important
contributions to the surgical literature
on laparoscopic hernia repair, splenectomies, adrenalectomies and
surgical robotics. Prior to joining
NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell
in 2003, Dr. Pomp was at the Mount
Observed Rate: 0.18%
Expected Rate: 0.83%
O/E Ratio: 0.22
Status: Exemplary
NYP/
WC
Exemplary
|
Department of Surgery
Needs Improvement
* Includes General and Vascular Surgery Cases
In the most recent report released by the American College of Surgeons NSQIP, the Department of Surgery
at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell, when compared to other participating peer medical centers nationwide,
achieved Exemplary status, with an overall mortality rate that is one of the lowest in the country.
Leon C. Hirsch Professor of Surgery
Chief, Laparoscopic and
Bariatric Surgery
Vice Chair, Quality and
Patient Safety
8
In 2005, Dr. Pomp was named
Vice Chair for Quality and Patient
Safety for the Department of
Surgery. The Department participates in the American College of
Surgeons National Surgical Quality
American College of Surgeons
National Surgical Quality Improvement Program
Overall* Mortality
Alfons Pomp, MD
In 2008, Dr. Alfons Pomp was
named Chief of Laparoscopic and
Bariatric Surgery. Dr. Pomp is an
international authority on advanced
laparoscopic surgical techniques and
has long been a leader in developing
unique ways to increase the safety
and effectiveness of bariatric surgery.
His primary clinical interests
include minimally invasive bariatric,
foregut and solid organ surgery.
Sinai School of Medicine, where he
helped establish one of the world’s
first programs for minimally
invasive weight-loss surgery.
Dr. Alfons Pomp
|
Improvement Program (NSQIP),
a data-driven, risk-adjusted,
outcomes-based surgical quality
improvement plan. The appointment of Dr. Pomp as Vice Chair of
Quality and Patient Safety underscored the Department’s commitment to monitor performance.
Over the past six years, Dr. Pomp
and his team have identified systemwide quality targets, which have
resulted in a dramatic improvement
of patient care. The NSQIP has
recently defined our performance
as exemplary.
Bakr M. Nour, MD
Professor of Surgery
Vice Chair
Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs
Director, Surgery Medical
Student Clerkship
Weill Cornell Medical College–Qatar
Dr. Bakr M. Nour joined Weill
Cornell Medical College in
Qatar (WCMC-Q) in January
2007 as Professor of Surgery and
Vice Chair of the Department
of Surgery and Director of the
Surgery Medical Student Clerkship
at WCMC-Q. In 2009, he was
Dr. Bakr M. Nour
appointed Associate Dean of
Clinical Affairs at WCMC-Q.
A solid organ transplant surgeon,
Dr. Nour also serves as a consultant
in general and transplant surgery
for Hamad Medical Corporation,
where he has started a HepatoPancreatico-Biliary Surgical Service
and a Liver Transplant Clinic.
Dr. Nour is involved in the design
and development of the Qatar
Foundation’s state-of-the-art Sidra
Medical and Research Center, set to
open in 2012. Together, WCMC-Q
and Sidra will form an academic
medical center of world-class
standards within Education City in
Doha, Qatar.
Dr. Nour has held academic
positions at the University
of Alexandria, the University
of Pittsburgh and Oklahoma
University College of Medicine.
Prior to joining WCMC-Q, he was
Chairman of the Department of
Transplant at INTEGRIS Baptist
Medical Center and Director
of the INTEGRIS Nazih Zuhdi
Transplant Institute in Oklahoma
City, Oklahoma. While there, he
Leadership Appointments
also served as Chief of Pediatric
Liver Transplant and Chief of
Abdominal Organ Transplantation.
Dr. Nour received his medical
degree from the University of
Alexandria, Egypt, completing
clinical research fellowships in
pediatric surgery at Children’s
Hospital of Pittsburgh and a fellowship in abdominal organ transplant surgery at the University
of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Francesco Rubino, MD
Associate Professor of Surgery
Chief, Gastrointestinal
Metabolic Surgery
Director, Gastrointestinal Metabolic
and Diabetes Surgery Center
As a leader in the emerging specialty
of metabolic surgery, Dr. Francesco
Rubino, Associate Professor of
Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical
College, has been instrumental in
bringing international attention to
the new role of surgery in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes and other
metabolic diseases. Dr. Rubino
joined the Department of Surgery in
2007 as Chief of Gastrointestinal
Metabolic Surgery and Director of
Dr. Francesco Rubino
Department of Surgery
|
9
Leadership Appointments
|
the Gastrointestinal Metabolic and
Diabetes Surgery Center at NewYorkPresbyterian/Weill Cornell.
Dr. Rubino was the principal
organizer of an international Diabetes
Surgery Summit that helped to
establish the field of diabetes surgery,
and was program director and
organizer of the First and Second
World Congress on Interventional
Therapies for Type 2 Diabetes.
Dr. Rubino provides clinical expertise in a wide range of traditional
laparoscopic techniques for metabolic and weight-loss surgery,
including Roux-en-Y gastric bypass,
gastric banding, sleeve gastrectomy
and laparoscopic digestive surgery.
He has developed a novel procedure for treating Type 2 diabetes
that departs from the standard
approach of restricting the stomach
by rerouting the small intestine,
leaving the stomach intact. This
procedure, which now bears his
name, can lead to the remission of
diabetes independent of weight loss.
Dr. Rubino completed his medical
degree and residency at the
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
Dr. Robert T. Grant
10
|
Department of Surgery
in Rome and fellowships in laparoscopic surgery at the Cleveland
Clinic Foundation, Mount Sinai
Medical Center in New York, and the
European Institute of Telesurgery
in Strasbourg, France.
Robert T. Grant, MD
Adjunct Associate Professor of
Clinical Surgery
Chief, Plastic and
Reconstructive Surgery
Dr. Robert T. Grant was named
Chief of the combined Division of
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
for NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
in 2006. He holds appointments
as Adjunct Associate Professor of
Clinical Surgery at Weill Cornell
Medical College and Associate
Clinical Professor of Surgery at
Columbia University College of
Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Grant
has a long-established relationship with Weill Cornell, having
completed his general surgery and
plastic surgery residencies here
after earning his medical degree at
Albany Medical College. He has
particular expertise in plastic and
reconstructive surgery; cosmetic
surgery; breast reconstruction,
Dr. Nitsana A. Spigland
augmentation and reduction; and
abdominal plastic surgery. With a
major interest in wound healing, Dr.
Grant has published numerous peerreviewed articles and has recently
co-authored Cosmetic Surgery, a book
that calls on the collective experience of many of the experts in
the Division of Plastic Surgery.
Dr. Grant has received numerous
awards, including the American
Cancer Society’s Glenn H. Leak
Memorial Fellowship and Albany
Medical College’s Alden March
Award. He is active in many professional organizations, including the
American Society of Plastic Surgeons,
the New York Regional Society
of Plastic Surgeons, the American
Association of Plastic Surgeons
and the American Society for
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.
Nitsana A. Spigland, MD
Associate Professor of Clinical Surgery
Chief, Pediatric Surgery
Dr. Nitsana A. Spigland was named
Chief of Pediatric Surgery at
NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell
in 2006. Dr. Spigland, an Associate
Professor of Clinical Surgery at Weill
|
Cornell Medical College, is a skilled
and experienced pediatric surgeon
with more than 22 years of experience in the full spectrum of
pediatric surgical procedures. Her
areas of clinical interest are repair
of complex neonatal congenital
malformations with a special focus
on esophageal atresia, anorectal and
cloacal malformations, pediatric
thoracic surgery, pediatric surgical
oncology and advanced minimal
access surgery. Dr. Spigland has
authored numerous publications in
peer-reviewed journals and serves as
a reviewer for the American Journal
of Perinatology, Journal of Pediatric
Surgery and Annals of Thoracic
Surgery. In addition, throughout
her tenure, she has been actively
involved in medical education,
holding positions that have
included Associate Director of
Medical Student Education in
the Department of Surgery,
faculty advisor, member of the
Postgraduate Education Advisory
Committee and mentor for
medical students and residents.
Dr. Spigland received her medical
degree from New York Medical
Dr. Sandip Kapur
College. She completed her general
surgery residency at Lenox Hill
Hospital in New York and pediatric
surgical fellowship at St. Justine
Children’s Hospital in Montreal.
Sandip Kapur, MD
Associate Professor of Surgery
G. Tom Shires, MD Faculty Scholar
in Surgery
Chief, Transplantation Surgery
Director, Kidney and Pancreas
Transplant Programs
Dr. Sandip Kapur, Director of
Kidney and Pancreas Transplant
Programs at NewYork-Presbyterian/
Weill Cornell, was named Chief of
Transplantation Surgery in 2005.
An Associate Professor of Surgery at
Weill Cornell Medical College,
Dr. Kapur is the G. Tom Shires, MD
Faculty Scholar in Surgery.
An internationally recognized
transplant surgeon, Dr. Kapur’s
clinical expertise focuses on adult
and pediatric kidney transplantation
and whole organ pancreas and islet
cell transplantation. Dr. Kapur
has developed novel strategies and
advanced therapeutic modalities
that allow transplants to be
Dr. Palmer Q. Bessey
Leadership Appointments
performed in situations where
transplants might be contraindicated
at most other transplant centers. In
2004, Dr. Kapur performed the first
pancreatic islet cell transplant in the
tri-state area. In 2008, he led the Weill
Cornell team that performed one
of the nation’s first living donor
kidney transplant surgery chains.
Dr. Kapur earned his medical
degree from Weill Cornell Medical
College in 1990 and completed
his internship and residency in
general surgery at NewYorkPresbyterian/Weill Cornell. He
was a research fellow in transplant immunology at Weill Cornell
Medical College and The Rogosin
Institute before pursuing a fellowship in multi-organ transplantation at the University of Pittsburgh
Medical Center Thomas E. Starzl
Transplantation Institute. He
joined the faculty of Weill Cornell
Medical College in 1998 as an
Assistant Professor of Surgery.
Palmer Q. Bessey, MD
Professor of Surgery, Burns,
Critical Care and Trauma
Physician Leader, Compliance Program
More than a decade ago, the
Department of Surgery established
a comprehensive surgical compliance program to ensure adherence
to federal and state regulatory
requirements for diagnoses and
treatment, documentation, coding
and billing practices. Dr. Palmer Q.
Bessey, Professor of Surgery, Weill
Cornell Medical College, was
appointed physician leader of the
compliance program of the
Department of Surgery in 2004. In
addition, Dr. Bessey is a member of
the Division of Burns, Critical Care
and Trauma, specializing in the
care of critically ill burn patients.
Department of Surgery
|
11
New Comprehensive Programs
and Initiatives
Center for Advanced Digestive Care
14
Endocrine Surgical Oncology Center
15
Gastrointestinal Metabolic and
Diabetes Surgery Center
15
Hepatobiliary Surgery and
Liver Transplantation
16
The Pancreas Center
16
Center for Vascular and
Endovascular Surgery
17
Skills Acquisition and
Innovation Laboratory
17
Basic and Translational Research
18
Office of Faculty Diversity in
Medicine and Science
18
New Comprehensive Programs and Initiatives
During the past seven years, the Department of Surgery has developed nine new comprehensive programs and initiatives,
which are detailed in the following section.
surgeons; medical, radiation and
surgical oncologists; diagnostic
and interventional radiologists;
pathologists; specialized nurses;
nutritionists; stoma therapists; genetic
counselors; and social workers.
Dr. Jeffrey W. Milsom, Executive Director, Center for Advanced Digestive Care
Center for Advanced
Digestive Care
gastrointestinal endocrine; weightloss surgery, metabolic conditions
and diabetes surgery; and colorectal
surgery.
Launched in January 2010, the
Center for Advanced Digestive
Care provides multidisciplinary
diagnosis and treatment, pursues
research and offers education in all
aspects of digestive diseases, with
a particular focus on major clinical
areas, including esophageal; gastric;
hepatobiliary, liver and pancreas;
Comprehensive, state-of-the-art
patient care is provided by a multidisciplinary team that includes
renowned gastroenterologists;
gastrointestinal, liver, pancreas,
endocrine, colorectal and pediatric
Digestive Disease Care
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
Ranking by U.S.News & World Report
2004 - 2011
0
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Overall Ranking
5
9
10
13
16
15
20
25
2010
2011
8
12
14
24
29
NewYork-Presbyterian
Data Source: U.S.News & World Report
14
|
Department of Surgery
Dr. Jeffrey W. Milsom, Jerome J.
DeCosse Professor of Surgery and
Chief of Colon and Rectal Surgery,
is the Executive Director of the
Center. Under his leadership, the
Center for Advanced Digestive
Care offers a supportive environment that emphasizes the needs
of patients and their families. It is
one of the first top tier digestive
programs in the United States to
implement a patient-centric care
model. Nurse coordinators and patient navigators guide patients and
facilitate the referral process among
the digestive care team. Patients are
hospitalized in single-bed rooms on
a recently built unit. State-of-theart operating rooms – the “ORs of
the future” – are equipped with the
most comprehensive visualization
and communications technologies.
A team of nurse practitioners and
physician assistants helps patients
recover postoperatively.
Since 2004, the Hospital’s digestive
disease programs have steadily
risen in national rankings according
to the U.S.News & World Report’s
Best Hospitals survey. Reflecting
efforts to enhance patient care
and the increased incorporation
of sophisticated technology to
maximize treatment outcomes, the
Hospital’s ranking in the specialty
|
of gastroenterolgy has followed
a fast-paced trajectory that now
places NewYork-Presbyterian’s
digestive disease programs at #8
in overall rankings – up from a
position of #29 in 2004. (See graph
on page 14.)
Long-standing clinical outcomes
research is now joined by basic
research efforts by clinician-scientists
at Weill Cornell to identify the
etiology of digestive diseases at the
molecular level. These joint endeavors allow the Center to develop
leading edge therapies and refine
surgical approaches. In the last
year, a biobank to archive colorectal
cancer tissue has been established,
and the development of a similar
storage facility for inflammatory
bowel disease is underway. The
biobank will become a repository of
tissue and data that can be accessed
by scientists throughout the world,
helping to facilitate research into
new therapies and identify risk
factors for patients.
In addition, the recent establishment of the Minimally Invasive
New Technologies (MINT)
program, a partnership of NewYorkPresbyterian Hospital and Weill
Cornell Medical College, sees
surgeons and engineers working
together to develop technologies
that advance the field of minimally
invasive surgery. The MINT
program, co-led by Dr. Milsom, has
several projects in development,
including endoscopic surgical
devices and endovascular devices.
Frank Glenn Faculty Scholar in
Surgery and Chief of the Section of
Endocrine Surgery, brings together
multiple specialists in the treatment
of thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal
tumors, as well as endocrine tumors
of the gastrointestinal tract and
pancreas. As these malignancies tend
to have very complicated issues that
require a coordinated effort on the
part of many physicians and specialists, regular group conferences are
held with surgeons, radiologists,
oncologists and endocrinologists, as
well as gastrointestinal specialists.
With this multidisciplinary perspective, patients are able to be treated
with a holistic approach rarely
available in other centers.
With specialists from the Section’s
Adrenal Disease Center, the
Carcinoid and Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor Center and the
Thyroid Disease Center, the
Endocrine Surgical Oncology
Center is in the vanguard of new
methods for diagnosing and treating
endocrine-related cancers.
New Comprehensive Programs and Initiatives
With the increasing prevalence of
thyroid cancer, the Section’s
researchers have been developing
new techniques for differentiating
benign thyroid nodules from
thyroid cancer without surgery.
While most thyroid cancers are
diagnosed preoperatively by obtaining a biopsy of the thyroid using
fine needle aspiration, a significant
portion of these biopsies are difficult
to interpret. Recently, members of
the Endocrine Surgical Oncology
Center have identified a molecular
test for differentiating benign from
malignant thyroid nodules. Based on
these initial studies, the Center will
soon begin clinical trials to verify
the discrimination value of this test
in patients with thyroid nodules.
Gastrointestinal Metabolic
and Diabetes Surgery Center
With the establishment of the
Gastrointestinal Metabolic and
Diabetes Surgery Center in 2007,
NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell
became one of the first academic
medical programs in the country
Endocrine Surgical
Oncology Center
The Endocrine Surgical Oncology
Center, directed by Dr. Thomas
J. Fahey, III, Professor of Surgery,
Dr. Thomas J. Fahey, III, Endocrine Surgical Oncology Center
Department of Surgery
|
15
New Comprehensive Programs and Initiatives
|
Dr. Francesco Rubino, Gastrointestinal Metabolic and Diabetes Surgery Center
dedicated to the surgical treatment of
Type 2 diabetes. The use of metabolic
gastrointestinal surgical techniques
has the potential to help millions
with this life-threatening disease.
The Center is under the direction
of Dr. Francesco Rubino, Associate
Professor of Surgery and Chief of
Gastrointestinal Metabolic Surgery,
who is a pioneering authority in this
emerging specialty. Dr. Rubino has
advanced gastrointestinal metabolic
surgery as a new surgical field, one
in which gastrointestinal operations
can be performed to directly treat
metabolic gastrointestinal disorders
and, in particular, diabetes.
Through the Center, medical therapies
and surgical interventions are integrated in the care of patients with
Type 2 diabetes, as well as patients
with metabolic complications,
including obesity, sleep apnea,
hypertension and hyperlipidemia.
A multidisciplinary team, including
surgeons, endocrinologists and nutritionists, focuses on the individual
nature of the patient’s disease. Surgical
procedures are chosen to target the
remission of the disease and may
16
|
Department of Surgery
Dr. Daniel Cherqui (right), Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation
include laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, gastric banding, sleeve
gastrectomy or digestive surgery.
Attention to the role of surgery in
the treatment of Type 2 diabetes
is propelling the field toward new
insights into the disease and the
role of the gastrointestinal tract.
The Gastrointestinal Metabolic and
Diabetes Surgery Center serves as
a leader for clinical research and
education in this pioneering area of
metabolic surgery.
Hepatobiliary Surgery and
Liver Transplantation
The Hepatobiliary Surgery and
Liver Transplantation program
is undergoing a period of intense
growth with the 2010 appointment
of Dr. Daniel Cherqui, Professor of
Surgery and Chief of the Section
of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver
Transplantation. The program spans
the comprehensive surgical management of benign and malignant
diseases of the liver and biliary tract,
from localized ablations and limited
resections to extensive procedures
and liver transplantation.
Dr. Cherqui brings to the new
program his pioneering work in
minimally invasive laparoscopic
liver resection. He was the first to
use laparoscopy in living donor liver
transplantation and has contributed
innovative techniques for major
resections that require open abdominal surgery. This includes resections of large tumors, multi-stage
resections and resections that bridge
patients to liver transplantation.
Patients receive a state-of-the-art,
personalized, multidisciplinary
approach to their liver disease by a
team of experts that includes radiologists, pathologists, oncologists
and hepatologists. Individualized
treatment plans are developed
during multidisciplinary conferences where each case is thoroughly
discussed to determine the best available options to maximize survival
and quality of life.
The Pancreas Center
The new Pancreas Center, led by
Dr. Michael D. Lieberman,
Associate Professor of Clinical
Surgery, brings together a multidisciplinary group of surgeons,
|
Dr. Michael D. Lieberman (left), The Pancreas Center
gastroenterologists, pathologists and
other related specialists to manage
both benign and malignant pancreatic diseases, providing endoscopic,
surgical or laparoscopic treatment
as appropriate. With this multispecialty model and the ability to
offer a wide range of treatment
options, the Center provides patients
with seamless clinical care. This is
particularly important for patients
with difficult disease whose cases
often require the skills and expertise
of many specialists. In addition to
the clinical component, the Center
houses research initiatives and
education programs.
Center for Vascular and
Endovascular Surgery
Led by Dr. Darren B. Schneider,
Associate Professor of Surgery and
Chief of the Division of Vascular
and Endovascular Surgery, a
team of skilled and experienced
vascular surgeons at the Center
for Vascular and Endovascular
Surgery provides the entire
spectrum of medical, endovascular
and surgical therapies for peripheral
vascular disease, with an emphasis
on less-invasive treatments.
New Comprehensive Programs and Initiatives
Dr. Darren B. Schneider, Center for Vascular and Endovascular Surgery
The Division’s Vascular Diagnostic
Laboratory, which is accredited
by the Intersocietal Commission
for the Accreditation of Vascular
Laboratories (ICAVL), has been
providing high quality, non-invasive
diagnostic, preventive and screening
services for more than a decade.
Utilizing the newest equipment
with advanced B-mode and Doppler
capabilities, a highly trained team of
vascular technicians offers patients
the full range of vascular studies and
testing. The adjacent outpatient
clinic space is also equipped with
two state-of-the-art procedure
rooms that are currently used for
minimally invasive ambulatory
treatment of varicose and spider
veins and venous insufficiency.
Patients benefit from a state-ofthe-art endovascular OR suite
utilizing robotics and 3-D imaging.
Vascular disorders treated include
aortic aneurysms and dissections,
carotid artery disease, peripheral
artery disease (PAD), and venous
disorders, such as deep vein thrombosis, varicose veins and venous
insufficiency.
Calling on established surgical
techniques and cutting-edge
therapies, the Center’s surgeons
have been able to prevent strokes
and death from aneurysm rupture
and preserve limbs. Weill Cornell
vascular surgeons have helped
pioneer minimally invasive procedures for the treatment of vascular
disorders, including endovascular
stent repair of thoracic, abdominal,
and thoracoabdominal aortic
aneurysms. Minimally invasive
endovascular stent grafting allows
aortic aneurysms to be repaired
through a small groin incision,
often under local anesthesia, making the procedure safer and easier to
recover from than traditional open
surgical repair.
Skills Acquisition and
Innovation Laboratory
The Department of Surgery
founded the Skills Acquisition
and Innovation Laboratory
(SAIL) in 2008. Under the directorship of Elliott L. Silverman, PA-C,
and the newly appointed Education
Director, Dr. Oliver J. Muensterer,
Associate Professor of Surgery,
Department of Surgery
|
17
New Comprehensive Programs and Initiatives
|
SAIL further enhances training for
medical students, residents, fellows
and surgeons within a state-of-theart surgical teaching and research
laboratory that is open 24 hours a
day, seven days a week.
With developments in the field of
surgery occurring at a rapid pace,
SAIL provides a critical training
component, enabling new and
seasoned surgeons to become
acquainted with new technologies
and maintain their surgical skill set.
Residents and fellows can practice
and perfect many surgical techniques
prior to their operative experience,
and practice and pass simulation
tests that are now required for
them to become eligible for Board
certification in General Surgery.
Finally, medical students practice
basic skills prior to their clinical
rotations in order to be prepared to
be integral and safe members of the
healthcare team.
Basic and
Translational Research
The Department of Surgery has
entered a new era of basic and
Elliott L. Silverman, PA-C (right), Skills Acquisition
and Innovation Laboratory
18
|
Department of Surgery
translational research under the
direction of Dr. Todd R. Evans,
Professor of Cell and Developmental
Biology in Surgery and Vice Chair of
Research. Under Dr. Evans’ leadership, the Department’s research
program centers on the development
and translation of basic science
breakthroughs, fostering a true integration of basic science and clinical
expertise. A major goal of this work
is to define potential targets for
treating debilitating human diseases,
including cancer, heart disease, liver
disease, diabetes and asthma.
Cross-disciplinary approaches
help in meeting the challenges
of developing novel therapies.
Scientists are combining their
expertise in the molecular genetics of cell and organ development
and function with expertise in the
surgical sciences to further clinical
progress. Investigators are engaged
in many collaborative efforts at
Weill Cornell, Cornell University
and across the tri-institutional
community, including Memorial
Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and
The Rockefeller University.
Dr. Todd R. Evans, Basic and
Translational Research
Office of Faculty Diversity
in Medicine and Science
The Office of Faculty Diversity was
established to aid in the recruitment,
retention and promotion of women
faculty in the Department of Surgery.
The Office is led by Dr. Rache M.
Simmons, Anne K. and Edwin C.
Weiskopf Professor of Surgical
Oncology, Professor of Surgery and
Director of Gender Diversity for
the Medical College. Dr. Simmons is
working with Dr. Debra G.B. Leonard,
Chief Diversity Officer, and Dr. Carla
Boutin-Foster, Director of Cultural
Diversity, in the Office of Faculty
Diversity in Medicine and Science
of Weill Cornell Medical College.
In consideration that 50 percent of our
graduating medical school students
and 30 percent of our graduating chief
residents are women, the Department
has embarked on a multi-year effort
to increase female representation
among our faculty. With 20 percent
of our female faculty at the professional level and 40 percent at the
associate and assistant level, respectively, our efforts will focus on retention, mentoring and promotion.
Dr. Rache M. Simmons (right), Office of
Faculty Diversity in Medicine and Science
Diabetes Center
|
Comprehensive Programs and Initiatives
Clinical Services
Breast Surgery
20
Burns, Critical Care and Trauma
22
Colon and Rectal Surgery
24
Endocrine Surgery
26
Gastrointestinal Metabolic Surgery
27
Laparoscopic and Bariatric Surgery
26
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
and Dentistry
28
Pediatric Surgery
29
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
30
Surgical Oncology
31
Transplantation Surgery
32
Vascular and Endovascular Surgery
35
Department of Surgery
|
19
Breast Surgery
Throughout the past seven years, the Department of Surgery’s 12 clinical services have realized significant accomplishments, including innovative surgical approaches and multidisciplinary collaborations in each of their specialties,
supporting the Department’s mission to provide the highest quality patient care and achieve the best possible outcomes.
The Breast Surgery Section at
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/
Weill Cornell Medical Center, led by
Dr. Alexander J. Swistel, has made
its mission to support and guide
patients through the necessary
treatment for breast cancer and to
help them through complete emotional healing, going past cure and
survival. With the visionary work
being done in the Section’s programs today, it is hard to imagine
that just 15 years ago a dedicated
breast surgery section and service
did not exist.
Alexander J. Swistel, MD
Chief
Peter I. Pressman, MD
Rache M. Simmons, MD
Eleni A. Tousimis, MD
There are a number of techniques
that the Section’s surgeons have
pioneered. Dr. Swistel and his
colleagues were among the first
physicians in New York to perform
a sentinel lymph node biopsy in
which tracer compounds pinpoint
the first “filtering” lymph node,
eliminating the need to surgically
remove multiple lymph nodes to
study the involvement of axillary
lymph nodes. This procedure is
now part of the standard treatment
for breast cancer patients.
The Section’s surgeons are also
among the few worldwide who
perform bone marrow examination
at the time of surgery to rule out
micrometastatic disease. Other
innovations include the use of new
intraoperative devices that use
radiofrequency spectroscopy to
evaluate operative margins. Weill
Cornell surgeons were also among
the first to offer MammoSite partial
breast irradiation – a brachytherapy
technique that reduces duration
20
|
Department of Surgery
of radiotherapy to the affected
breast tissue to 10 days. At the
forefront of ablating tumors with
extreme temperatures, the Section’s
surgeons were the first in the New
York metropolitan area to evaluate
the use of laser and cryoablation to
destroy both benign breast tumors
and breast cancers. Because of
this research, this technology has
become an accepted option for the
treatment of fibroadenomas. The
Section’s surgeons are currently
leading a national, multicenter
National Institutes of Health trial
to evaluate ablation therapy for the
treatment of small breast cancers.
As chemotherapy and radiotherapy
play such an important role in
the treatment of breast cancer,
Weill Cornell surgeons are part
of a multidisciplinary team that
evaluates patients for neoadjuvant,
adjuvant and hormonal therapy in
association with surgical therapy.
In addition, as the understanding of
the role of genetics in breast cancer
has advanced, the Section has established the Genetic Risk Assessment
Program to assess an individual’s
risk and provide genetic counseling
for both breast and ovarian cancer.
As part of this program, researchers
are actively pursuing tools such as
tumor genetic profiling along with
assessments of blood and bone
marrow to better predict a breast
cancer patient’s risk for recurrence.
Yet, cure is only one of the goals our
breast surgeons strive to achieve;
maintenance of body image and
psychosocial rehabilitation are
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additional and equally important
goals. NewYork-Presbyterian/
Weill Cornell surgeons play major
roles in advancing techniques in
surgery that provide effective removal
of tumors with reconstructive techniques without visible scars. They
were among the first nationally
to perform the skin-sparing
mastectomy technique, revolutionizing radical mastectomy to
a more cosmetic outcome. That
was followed by areola- and then
nipple-sparing techniques. All these
techniques soon became the basis of
oncoplasty, a multidisciplinary
approach incorporating state-of-theart techniques for tumor removal
with reconstructive and cosmetic
options provided by a specialized
team of breast cancer surgeons and
plastic and reconstructive surgeons.
NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill
Cornell was the first to establish a
Center of Oncoplastic Surgery;
this was complemented in 2010 by
the establishment of the Brightpath
program – a unique program to
promote emotional healing.
Professional and community education has grown with several fully
functioning programs in recent
years. An outreach program that
includes lectures on updates for
breast cancer techniques has been
instituted for the wider community.
The goal is to educate patients
about the latest treatment options
available through the Weill Cornell
Breast Center. The Center has also
joined forces with Women at Risk,
or “WAR,” a proactive group of
women who are at risk for developing breast cancer. The Center offers
a risk-reduction strategies program
through this collaboration.
Clinical Services
“By bringing together a multidisciplinary team composed of breast
and plastic surgeons, medical and
radiation oncologists, radiologists,
pathologists, researchers and
specialists from the Departments
of Genetics, Nursing and Social
Work,” says Dr. Swistel, “we are well
positioned to deliver the best care to
our patients, the best education to
our students, residents and community, and the best chance for future
advancements through clinical and
laboratory investigation.”
In 2011, the National Accreditation
Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC)
named the Weill Cornell Breast
Center an accredited Breast Center
– one of only two in New York City.
Dr. Rache M. Simmons spearheaded
the process leading to the Breast
Center’s accreditation.
Dr. Eleni A. Tousimis
Dr. Peter I. Pressman
Dr. Rache M. Simmons
Department of Surgery
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21
Burns, Critical Care and Trauma
The Division of Burns, Critical Care
and Trauma offers unique expertise
and experience in caring for
critically ill burn patients and those
severely injured through multisystem trauma. The Division was
created in 2010 when the Section
of Burn Surgery and the Division
of Trauma and Critical Care were
combined under the leadership of
Dr. Roger W. Yurt.
Roger W. Yurt, MD
Chief
Philip S. Barie, MD
Palmer Q. Bessey, MD
Soumitra R. Eachempati, MD
James J. Gallagher, MD
Jian Shou, MD
The Burn Center
Under the leadership of Dr. Yurt, the
William Randolph Hearst Burn
Center has treated some 35,000
burn victims, including those
injured in 9/11, over the last 35 years.
From 2004 through January 2011
alone, the Center cared for 6,000
inpatients and provided more than
21,000 outpatient visits.
The technologically advanced and
specifically designed Burn Center
has 20 Intensive Care Unit beds
and 20 step-down beds.The unit
includes oversized rooms to accommodate specialized monitoring
equipment and heat shields suspended over beds to maintain body
temperature; two hyperbaric oxygen chambers for wound healing
and treatment of carbon monoxide
poisoning and smoke inhalation;
and a hydrotherapy room for daily
washing and dressing changes.
In addition, the Burn Center’s
rehabilitation facility has the latest
Wii technology games to help burn
patients gain greater dexterity.
The Burn Center is staffed by
nationally and internationally
known general surgeons with
specialty training in the care of the
burn injured patient. Due to the
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Department of Surgery
need to care for acutely ill patients,
two of the surgeons have added
qualifications in critical care medicine.
The 150-member team includes
physicians, nurses, physical and
occupational therapists, social
workers, nutritionists, psychiatrists,
chaplains, aides and volunteers.
“One of the things I’m most proud of
is the team that we have developed
whose members have worked so well
together over the years,” says
Dr. Yurt. “Each of them is equipped to
handle the physical and emotional
challenges of caring for victims of
burn injury, survivors and their
loved ones. The years of service of
many of our team members really
underscore their dedication.”
The Center’s clinical expertise
includes medical and surgical treatment – critical care, burn surgery
and burn reconstruction; specialized
nursing care with hydrotherapy,
dressing changes and fluid and pain
management; and rehabilitation
with evaluation and interventions,
such as therapeutic exercise,
functional training, gait training,
splinting, scar management and
patient education.
Maintaining a long-standing, close
and unique partnership with the
New York City Fire Department,
the Burn Center also works with
the New York Firefighters Burn
Center Foundation to provide burn
safety training to all probationary
members and to educate the public
on fire hazards and prevention
through its extensive community
outreach program. The Burn Center
is affiliated with the New York
Firefighters Skin Bank, the only
comprehensive skin bank in
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New York State, providing allograft
skin grafts and enabling autologous
transplantation for patients throughout the region. “Our interaction with
the New York Firefighters has earned
us the unofficial name of the ‘firefighters’ burn center,’” says Dr. Yurt.
The Burn Center’s nationally recognized, comprehensive community
education and outreach program
has taught hundreds of thousands
of people about burn care, prevention and fire safety over the years.
In 2010, the Burn Center’s outreach
program was one of three programs
selected by Cornell University that
helped Cornell earn the distinction
of being named to President Obama’s
Higher Education Community
Service Honor Roll – the highest
federal recognition a university
can receive for its commitment to
volunteering, service-learning and
civic engagement.
Trauma and Critical Care
Under the direction of Dr. Soumitra
R. Eachempati, Director of Trauma
and the Surgical Intensive Care Unit,
the Level 1 Trauma Center at
NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell
continues to be the busiest in New
York City. The Division’s trauma
and critical care surgeons stand ready
around the clock to answer the
call for patients in need of expert
critical care and acute care, including many critically ill patients who
are transferred here from other
hospitals. “The trauma and critical
care surgeons are prepared every day
to deal with virtually any emergency situation, such as a call to the
Emergency Department to evaluate
a victim of a motor vehicle collision, a
Clinical Services
construction worker who has fallen
from a scaffold, or a patient with a
perforated appendix,” says Dr. Yurt.
“Our surgeons are specially trained
to address multiple organ system
injuries, but also have clinical expertise in acute and elective surgical
conditions, ranging from gastrointestinal and pancreato-biliary
emergencies to complex abdominal
wall reconstructions and hernia
repairs in high-risk patients.”
The 14-bed Surgical Intensive Care
Unit (SICU) is staffed by highly
experienced surgical intensivists and
nurses, complemented by skilled
respiratory therapists and other
healthcare professionals. The unit
follows the most stringent infection
control policies and is equipped to
provide patients with state-of-the-art
therapies at the bedside, including
continuous renal replacement and
percutaneous insertion of tracheostomies and feeding tubes. “The
synergy between our professional
expertise and the use of best practices
in our SICU allows for clinical outcomes and results that are among
the best in the nation,” says Dr. Yurt.
“Our first priority is to save lives,”
explains Dr. Yurt. “Our philosophy
is to provide total care of the patient
and to always be available when
needed. We not only perform surgery,
but we also follow our patients
throughout their hospitalization
and recovery, providing a seamless
continuity of care. At the same
time, however, we also recognize
that particularly at a time of
crisis, patients and their families
need compassion, sensitivity
to their concerns and ongoing
communication.”
Dr. Soumitra R. Eachempati (seated) and Dr. Jian Shou
Dr. Philip S. Barie
Dr. Palmer Q. Bessey and Dr. James J. Gallagher
Department of Surgery
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23
Colon and Rectal Surgery
Jeffrey W. Milsom, MD
Chief
Kelly A. Garrett, MD
Daniel H. Hunt, MD
Sang W. Lee, MD
Fabrizio Michelassi, MD
Govind Nandakumar, MD
Toyooki Sonoda, MD
The Colon and Rectal Surgery
Section, under the leadership of
Dr. Jeffrey W. Milsom, has earned
national and international recognition for its pioneering efforts and
extensive experience in minimally
invasive surgery and state-of-the-art
laparoscopic technologies for colon
and rectal cancer, Crohn’s disease
and ulcerative colitis, and other intestinal diseases. “We are unique in
that we employ minimally invasive
or laparoscopic surgery in as many
as 80 to 90 percent of patients undergoing major intestinal surgery,”
says Dr. Milsom. “We are devoted to
treating patients with the least
invasive approach in order to
accelerate their recoveries.”
Besides having played an instrumental role in the development of
laparoscopic techniques, in the past
few years Dr. Milsom and his team
of surgeons have been at the forefront of single incision, endolumenal
and natural orifice translumenal
endoscopic surgery (NOTES). “The
field of endolumenal surgery is
moving rapidly because of the availability of new advanced scopes and
Dr. Toyooki Sonoda and Dr. Sang W. Lee
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Department of Surgery
tools that are expanding what we can
perform in a minimally invasive
approach,” says Dr. Milsom. “NOTES
is the next evolution of minimally
invasive, scarless gastrointestinal
surgery and has the potential to
make recovery from the surgical
procedures even easier than current
laparoscopic techniques.”
The Section’s surgeons have also
been leading efforts to refine
minimally invasive rectal cancer
resections with procedures such as
transanal endoscopic microsurgery
(TEMS).
Weill Cornell surgeons, working
with gastroenterologists, have also
pioneered a technique that combines carbon dioxide colonoscopy
with laparoscopy to treat benign
colon conditions. These hybrid
endoscopic/laparoscopic approaches
enable surgeons to remove large
bowel polyps and benign colonic
lesions that are inaccessible with a
colonoscopic approach. “This is an
example of an important fusion of
technologies that permits lesions
to be treated from the inside of
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Clinical Services
Dr. Fabrizio Michelassi (second from left)
the bowel with backup support
from the abdominal cavity using
minimally invasive or laparoscopic
techniques,” says Dr. Milsom.
The Section is also renowned for
treatment of ulcerative colitis with
preservation of anal sphincter
function and treatment of Crohn’s
disease with intestinal preservation.
Preservation of bowel is critical
in Crohn’s disease due to the recurrent nature of this condition
and the lifelong risk of short bowel.
This is done nowadays through the
use of bowel-sparing techniques,
also known as strictureplasties.
Many different strictureplasty techniques have been described; one of
these, the side-to-side isoperistaltic
strictureplasty (SSIS), was developed by Dr. Fabrizio Michelassi and
has since been adopted by centers
of excellence for the surgical treatment of Crohn’s disease around the
world. The procedure has proved
to be highly effective for avoiding
extensive small-bowel resections
in patients with disease of the
jejunum and ileum, or with recurrent neoterminal ileitis. Research
suggests that SSIS induces quiescence of acute disease at the site of
the strictureplasty and a return to
normal bowel function.
Dr. Govind Nandakumar
Looking to the future of colorectal
surgery, Dr. Milsom says, “The
world of intestinal surgery will
undergo a huge change in the future.
I believe that, one day, most of the
procedures will be performed from
inside the channel of the intestine
without the need for general
anesthesia and long postoperative
hospital stays.”
Dr. Daniel H. Hunt and Dr. Kelly A. Garrett
Department of Surgery
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25
Endocrine Surgery
Thomas J. Fahey, III, MD
Chief
Rasa Zarnegar, MD
The Endocrine Surgery Section and
Endocrine Surgical Oncology
Center, directed by Dr. Thomas J.
Fahey, III, provides comprehensive
treatment approaches to a full range
of thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal
diseases, as well as endocrine tumors
of the gastrointestinal tract and
pancreas. The Section’s surgeons,
together with endocrinologists,
pathologists, nuclear medicine
physicians and radiologists, cardiologists, medical and radiation
oncologists and professional support staff, provide personalized and
individualized care for each patient
– from the first visit, through surgery
and follow up. Dr. Fahey and his colleagues have placed great emphasis
Dr. Rasa Zarnegar
on minimally invasive techniques
in the last few years. “Our program
offers treatment modalities using
novel, state-of-the-art approaches
Laparoscopic and Bariatric Surgery
The Section of Laparoscopic and
Bariatric Surgery is led by Dr. Alfons
Pomp. Dr. Pomp is a worldwide
authority on advanced laparoscopic
surgical techniques and has made
significant contributions to the field
of obesity and minimally invasive
surgery.
Alfons Pomp, MD
Chief
Gregory F. Dakin, MD
Gladys W. Strain, PhD
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Department of Surgery
Through innovation, research and
education, Dr. Pomp and his team
have earned an international
reputation for expertise in the
field of bariatric surgery, as well
as laparoscopic procedures for a
broad range of digestive disorders.
“In fact, surgeons from all over the
world travel to Weill Cornell to
train under our direction,” notes
Dr. Pomp, who has led the Section
since 2008. As further testament
to the skill and expertise of the
Section’s surgeons, the American
College of Surgeons (ACS) accredited
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital as
a Level 1A Center of Excellence
in Bariatric Surgery – the first
program to be so named in New
York State and one of only seven
nationwide. As leaders in their field,
the Section’s bariatric surgeons
are also called on to help the ACS
evaluate other institutions.
About 90 percent of the bariatric
weight-loss surgeries performed by
the Section’s surgeons are laparoscopic and include laparoscopic
Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, laparoscopic adjustable gastric band,
laparoscopic duodenal switch and
the laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.
Gastrointestinal Metabolic Surgery
that reduce recovery time,” says
Dr. Fahey. “Using minimally
invasive techniques in parathyroid
and thyroid surgery, we are able
to reduce the size and appearance
of neck scars. Also adrenal and
pancreatic surgery is routinely
approached laparoscopically, allowing most patients to have a shorter
recovery and a quicker return to
normal activity.” These techniques
include laparoscopic adrenalectomy,
which is used to treat a variety
of conditions, including primary
hyperaldosteronism – one of the
most common curable causes of
hypertension, Cushing’s syndrome,
pheochromocytoma and nonfunctioning adrenal tumors.
Pioneered by the Section’s surgeons,
laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy is
used for patients at highest risk for
surgery and can reduce the stomach
to less than half of its original size.
The Section’s surgeons perform
90 percent of all surgeries using
laparoscopic methods that avoid
the need for large incisions, reduce
trauma to the body, scarring, blood
loss and potential for infection, and
result in faster patient recoveries.
The Gastroesophageal Motility
Disorders Laboratory collaborates with gastroenterologists for
the study of upper gut motility.
The multidisciplinary team offers
significant expertise in minimal
access surgery for esophageal
Francesco Rubino, MD
Chief
disorders, including achalasia,
tumors and paraesophageal hernia,
and stomach disorders, including
gastroesophageal reflux disease,
hiatal hernia, peptic ulcer disease
and stomach tumors.
The Gastrointestinal Metabolic Surgery
Section, led by Dr. Francesco Rubino,
is revolutionizing the way diabetes
and other metabolic conditions are
viewed and treated. The Section’s
Gastrointestinal Metabolic and
Diabetes Surgery Center is one
of the first centers worldwide that
offers a highly specialized surgical
approach to treat Type 2 diabetes.
A multidisciplinary team of surgical
and nonsurgical specialists, including
endocrinologists and nutritionists,
collaborate on the preoperative
planning, operative procedure and
postoperative follow-up plan for
patients. “The concept that surgery
can be employed to treat diabetes is
foreign to conventional thinking,”
notes Dr. Rubino, “yet improvements
in diabetes and even remission were
noted years ago following surgery for
obesity, even before significant weight
loss occurred.” This led Dr. Rubino to
speculate that intestinal surgery may
be indicated to treat diabetes when
medical treatment has failed to control
it. Dr. Rubino developed a procedure
called duodenal-jejunal bypass, which
leaves the stomach intact while
rerouting nutrients away from the
duodenum and the first part of the
jejunum. The results published in the
Annals of Surgery in 2004 by Dr. Rubino
and colleagues showed remission of
diabetes. These exciting outcomes
introduced a new field of research on
the pathogenesis of diabetes.
Dr. Gregory F. Dakin
Department of Surgery
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27
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Dentistry
The Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Dentistry,
under the leadership of Dr. David A.
Behrman, provides a comprehensive
program of care for healthy and
medically compromised adults and
children that ranges from general
dentistry to advanced surgical and
reconstructive procedures – with
some 10,000 patient visits a year.
David A. Behrman, DMD
Chief
General Dentistry
Marsha E. Rubin, DDS
Heidi Jes Hansen, DMD
Erik J. Marzano, DDS
Pediatric Dentistry
Abhinav N. Sinha, DMD
Oral and Maxillofacial
Medicine and Pathology
Paul D. Freedman, DDS
Renee F. Reich, DDS
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
David A. Behrman, DMD
Joel M. Friedman, DDS
Howard A. Israel, DDS
Edward A. Rosenbaum, DMD
General Dentistry
The Division has expertise in all
aspects of dentistry, including
restorative and special-needs dentistry,
endodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics, dental management of
oncology patients, and treatment for
temporomandibular joint dysfunction.
The Division also offers a dental
center specializing in the care of children and adults with HIV disease.
Pediatric dentistry has emerged as a
significant portion of the Division’s
practice. “The Division’s Phyllis and
David Komansky Children’s
Dental Health Center offers
specialized and comprehensive oral
healthcare for infants, children and
adolescents,” notes Dr. Behrman, a
nationally known oral and maxillo-
facial surgeon. “The pediatric team
is particularly skilled in complex
oral rehabilitation while under
general anesthesia.”
Surgical Expertise
The Division’s oral and maxillofacial
surgeons have extensive experience
in a full range of surgical procedures,
including extractions of erupted and
impacted teeth, placement of dental
implants with and without bone
grafting, management of benign
cysts and tumors, and treatment
of oral and facial skeletal traumatic
injuries. They regularly work with
members of Head and Neck Surgery,
Otorhinolaryngology and Plastic
and Reconstructive Surgery in the
management of malignant disease
of the oral and maxillofacial region.
They have unique expertise in
temporomandibular joint surgical
care, including advanced minimally
invasive arthroscopic techniques,
and major reconstructive and
prosthetic total joint replacement
surgery. They are also recognized as
one of the leading orthognathic and
maxillofacial skeletal reconstruction
centers, performing over 100 such
surgeries yearly.
(From left) Dr. Joel M. Friedman, Dr. David A. Behrman, Dr. Marsha E. Rubin and
Dr. Abhinav N. Sinha
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Department of Surgery
Pediatric Surgery
The Division of Pediatric Surgery,
led by Dr. Nitsana A. Spigland, is
a major referral center for complex
and rare disorders in infants, children
and adolescents, offering surgical
expertise in pediatric surgical
oncology, neonatal anomalies,
pediatric thoracic and abdominal
surgery, pediatric head and neck
surgery and pediatric trauma.
The Division works closely with
the Perinatal Center at NewYorkPresbyterian/Weill Cornell to counsel
and plan the operative correction of
the full spectrum of neonatal
congenital anomalies. The pediatric
surgical team also works closely with
neonatologists in the 50-bed Neonatal
Intensive Care Unit and critical care
specialists in the Peter and Mary
Kalikow Pediatric Critical Care Unit.
By integrating the expertise of perinatologists, neonatologists, pediatric
critical care specialists, pediatric
gastroenterologists, radiologists and
anesthesiologists, the team has
successfully performed surgical procedures on infants with esophageal
atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula,
intestinal atresias, choledochal cysts,
necrotizing enterocolitis and biliary
atresia. Utilizing a multimodality
approach, the Division calls on
the skills of pediatric urologists,
pediatric neurosurgeons, pediatric
orthopedists and pediatric cardiac
surgeons to ensure complete and
comprehensive care of complex and
challenging problems.
The Division has particular expertise in the correction of complex
anorectal malformations, drawing
referrals from around the world.
Surgeons perform the posterior sagittal anorectoplasty procedure for
imperforate anus and for primary
repair of persistent cloacas, primary
pull-throughs and transanal pullthrough for Hirschsprung’s disease
eliminating the need for temporary
diverting colostomies. Active members in the Children’s Oncology
Group, the Pediatric Surgery team
also treats children with a variety of
gastrointestinal, hepatic and biliary
malignancies.
In January 2011, the Division
welcomed Dr. Oliver J. Muensterer
who has particular expertise in
minimally invasive pediatric surgery,
Nitsana A. Spigland, MD
Chief
Oliver J. Muensterer, MD, PhD
with an emphasis on Single Incision
Pediatric Endosurgery (SIPES). This
approach enables virtually scarless
surgery. Dr. Muensterer, who serves
as Director of General Pediatric
Endosurgery, is also skilled in laparoscopic techniques for complex
neonatal and pediatric gastrointestinal, esophageal and hepatobiliary
conditions.
The Division is an integral part of
the NewYork-Presbyterian Phyllis
and David Komansky Center for
Children’s Health, which was
named to U.S.News & World Report’s
2011 “America’s Best Children’s
Hospitals.” A warm and welcoming
pediatric floor, Child Life program
and child-friendly operating rooms
help alleviate the child’s anxiety
derived by a stay in the hospital.
Dr. Oliver J. Muensterer
Department of Surgery
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29
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
The Division of Plastic and
Reconstructive Surgery, under the
leadership of Dr. Robert T. Grant,
Chief of the combined Divisions
of Plastic Surgery at NewYorkPresbyterian Hospital, provides
treatment for conditions and
deformities related to trauma, cancer
and congenital defects, and offers
a wide range of elective cosmetic
procedures.
Robert T. Grant, MD
Chief
David Otterburn, MD
Jason A. Spector, MD
Mia Talmor, MD
Dr. David Otterburn
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Department of Surgery
The Division’s broad surgical expertise includes procedures for breast
reconstruction after a mastectomy
or lumpectomy, abdominal wall
reconstruction, otoplasty and hand
surgery. Patients who have undergone significant weight loss through
bariatric surgery are helped with
body-contouring procedures, including abdominoplasty, brachioplasty,
mastopexy and gynecomastia. A
range of elective aesthetic procedures
includes breast reduction and
Dr. Jason A. Spector
augmentation, facial rejuvenation,
liposuction and nasal rhinoplasty.
The Division’s team performs
surgical treatments for congenital
hemangioma and port wine stains,
and reconstructive surgery of
deformities resulting from removal
of skin cancers and benign or
malignant tumors of the head, neck
and aerodigestive tract.
The Division’s surgeons have
pioneered or helped to develop many
of the advanced surgical techniques
employed today, including microsurgery and microvascular free
flap reconstructions. As part of its
commitment to providing patientfocused care, reconstructive procedures are preceded by evaluation of
defects and potential results with
3-D imaging systems as to better
understand the extent of tissue
defects and to visualize what can
be achieved with surgery.
Dr. Mia Talmor
Surgical Oncology
With a specific focus on the surgical
management of cancer, the Surgical
Oncology Group provides expertise
in gastrointestinal cancer, including
cancer of the stomach, pancreas, liver,
biliary tract, small bowel, colon and
rectum, as well as stromal tumors,
sarcomas and melanoma. The
surgical oncology team employs the
latest state-of-the-art diagnostic and
treatment procedures and draws on
the expertise and resources of a wide
range of non-surgical specialists.
These include gastroenterologists,
pathologists, radiologists, medical
and radiation oncologists, as well as
support staff, including social
workers, nutritionists, stoma therapists and geneticists, to develop and
implement an optimal therapeutic
plan and to deliver it through individualized, seamless, comprehensive
and compassionate care.
Patients with early-stage gastric
cancer are treated with gastric
resections that include appropriate
lymph node dissections, often
through a laparoscopic approach.
Patients with more advanced-stage
disease undergo preoperative
chemotherapy followed by surgical
resection of their gastric cancer.
Using a protocol developed at
NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell,
patients with carcinomatosis are
treated with surgery to remove as
much of the tumor as possible, followed by continuous heated chemotherapy to treat any residual disease.
The Group’s surgeons have vast
experience with the surgical management of pancreatic cancer, performing a large volume of pancreatico-
duodenectomy (Whipple) procedures
yearly. When appropriate, aggressive
chemotherapy and radiation are
used to downstage tumors prior
to surgical resection. By utilizing
state-of-the-art perioperative and
intraoperative management, mortality rates for pancreatectomies are
among the lowest in the nation. In
conjunction with colleagues in gastroenterology, surgical oncologists
are working to develop non-surgical
therapeutic options for premalignant
cystic lesions of the pancreas and
techniques to more accurately
diagnose pancreatic cystic lesions
that may go on to malignancy or
already harbor malignant changes.
With the arrival of Dr. Daniel Cherqui
in 2010, the Surgical Oncology Group
has gained unparalleled expertise
with major liver resections and
complex biliary tract surgery. Along
with traditional resection for liver
tumors, the surgical oncology team
has developed an innovative program
in minimally invasive liver resection
and new protocols for neoadjuvant
therapy of primary and secondary
liver cancers. For liver tumors that
cannot be removed with surgery,
surgeons utilize tumor ablation
techniques and work closely with
radiation oncologists to use sophisticated treatment technology, including intraoperative brachytherapy
in which temporary or permanent
radioactive sources are implanted
at the time of surgery. Patients with
liver tumors that can no longer be
managed with traditional medical
and surgical treatments may be
evaluated for liver transplantation.
Dr. Michael D. Lieberman
Daniel Cherqui, MD
Thomas J. Fahey, III, MD
Michael D. Kluger, MD
Michael D. Lieberman, MD
Fabrizio Michelassi, MD
Govind Nandakumar, MD
Rasa Zarnegar, MD
Dr. Cherqui and Dr. Michael D.
Kluger, working in collaboration
with breast, endocrine and colorectal
specialists, have also developed a
special program for patients with
primary breast, gastrointestinal
endocrine and colorectal cancers
with synchronous or metachronous
liver metastases. One-fourth of all
liver resections and many gastric and
pancreatic resections are performed
laparoscopically to reduce the side
effects of surgical procedures, to
keep hospital stays to a minimum
and to facilitate postsurgical recovery.
Department of Surgery
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Transplantation Surgery
The Division of Transplantation
Surgery is comprised of two
sections: Kidney and Pancreas
Transplantation and Hepatobiliary
Surgery and Liver Transplantation.
The clinical expertise of the
Division’s transplant surgeons
includes kidney, pancreas and liver
transplantation, dialysis access
surgery, islet cell transplantation,
laparoscopy and minimally invasive
surgery, laser surgery and living
donor nephrectomy.
Kidney and Pancreas
Transplantation Section
Sandip Kapur, MD
Chief, Transplantation Surgery
Sandip Kapur, MD
Chief
David B. Leeser, MD
Established almost 50 years ago, the
kidney transplant program is the
oldest in New York State, and with
nearly 4,000 kidney transplants
performed to date, the program has
one of the highest volumes in the
country. “Ours is the only transplant center serving the New York
metropolitan area with patient
and graft survival rates that are
Dr. David B. Leeser
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Department of Surgery
significantly higher compared to the
expected outcomes calculated by
the Scientific Registry of Transplant
Recipients,” says Dr. Sandip Kapur.
“And our excellent outcomes have
been achieved in the setting of high
transplant volumes in a diverse
and often complicated patient
population.”
Dr. Kapur and his team have
furthered the very latest transplant
management protocols, including
crossmatch and blood type incompatible programs for living donor
kidney transplantation, significantly expanding opportunities for
transplantation. In February 2008,
the Weill Cornell team performed
one of the country’s first never-ending altruistic donor (NEAD) “chain”
renal transplants. These chains
have the potential to revolutionize
the organ transplant process in the
United States and dramatically
improve the opportunity for patients in need of kidney transplants
to find a compatible donor. “In the
process of a NEAD-type transplant,
|
an altruistic donor initiates a chain
of transplants and the potential
donor from the last transplant
serves as a bridge donor to initiate
another chain of transplants,” says
Dr. Kapur, who coordinated the
successful triple transplant procedure.
A dedicated team of transplant surgeons, physicians and researchers
is responsible for many significant
advances made over the past
decade in transplantation and the
maintenance of healthy organs.
The transplant team has been at the
forefront of developing and improving minimally invasive surgery for
living donors, non-invasive methods to detect transplant rejection,
strategies to increase opportunities
for living donor transplantation,
islet cell transplantation and antirejection medication combinations.
For the first time in the history of
kidney transplantation, the Weill
Cornell team is able to individualize
the anti-rejection medication
regimen and reduce exposure to
these medications through molecular tools they developed. Since
2001, approximately 75 percent
of NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill
Cornell kidney transplant recipients
have received a steroid-sparing
medication regimen, and more
than 1,000 transplanted patients
are completely off steroids.
Our surgeons are also leading the
way in pediatric kidney transplantation in New York, offering care
for complex pediatric cases, as well
as innovative immune therapy,
Clinical Services
particularly the steroid-sparing
regimen utilized in the majority
of pediatric kidney transplant
recipients. The multidisciplinary
pediatric kidney transplant
program, in partnership with the
Center for Pediatric Transplant
and Advanced Kidney and
Urologic Diseases at the Phyllis
and David Komansky Center for
Children’s Health, crosses several
specialties, including transplant
surgery, pediatric nephrology and
pediatric urology. Collaborating
members include pediatricians,
psychiatrists, nutritionists, social
workers and pharmacists, who
provide continuity of care to patients
and their families throughout the
length of the child’s illness and
treatment, before and after surgery.
Kidney Transplant Team
Department of Surgery
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33
Clinical Services
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In addition, our surgeons perform
minimally invasive human islet
cell transplantation in which the
pancreatic cells that produce insulin
are isolated and infused into the
liver in order to improve control
and reduce complications of Type 1
diabetes mellitus.
In 2010, the kidney transplant
program at NewYork-Presbyterian/
Weill Cornell was one of only 11
programs in a group of 199 kidney
transplant programs in the United
States to receive the HealthGrades
Kidney Transplant Excellence Award
for having the best track record for
survival and chances of receiving a
donor organ. HealthGrades annual
evaluation of the nation’s topperforming hospitals in organ transplantation includes clinical quality
data based on patient outcomes.
Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver
Transplantation Section
Daniel Cherqui, MD
Chief
Michael D. Kluger, MD
In 2010 the Department of Surgery
established the Hepatobiliary
Surgery and Liver Transplantation
Section, welcoming one of the
world’s leading liver surgeons,
Dr. Daniel Cherqui, to direct
the new program. In October,
one month after joining the
Department, Dr. Cherqui
and his team successfully performed the first liver transplant
34
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Department of Surgery
Transplant team for first liver transplant patient at Weill Cornell, including Dr. Daniel Cherqui (seated left)
and Dr. Michael D. Kluger (standing third from left)
at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill
Cornell, and the stage was set for a
growing liver transplant program.
Dr. Cherqui heads the Liver Center
at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill
Cornell and oversees a comprehensive surgery program for the liver,
pancreas and bile ducts, including
surgeries for malignant and nonmalignant conditions.
Dr. Cherqui has contributed major
advances to the field, including
pioneering work on minimally
invasive liver surgery for living
donors and innovative techniques
for liver transplantation.
Vascular and Endovascular Surgery
The Division of Vascular and
Endovascular Surgery provides
comprehensive care for the full
range of vascular diseases, including
diseases of the carotid, aortic, renal
and mesenteric arteries, and lower
extremity circulation and venous
disorders. Dr. Darren B. Schneider,
Chief of Vascular and Endovascular
Surgery and Director, Center
for Vascular and Endovascular
Surgery, provides strong leadership for one of the highest volume
programs in New York State, with
over 500 vascular and endovascular
procedures performed annually.
Dr. Schneider has been working to
further expand and enhance the
Division’s services and expertise.
“We want to achieve excellence
in all phases – staying on the
cutting edge of technologies and
procedures, providing outstanding
patient care, pursuing important
vascular research and maintaining
quality education programs to train
future leaders in vascular surgery,”
says Dr. Schneider. A renowned
expert in vascular surgery, endovascular surgery and interventional
radiology, Dr. Schneider is well
equipped to bring this vision to
fruition. Among the Division’s
recent endeavors is the creation of
two new multidisciplinary programs:
one to address the dialysis access
needs of renal failure patients, and
another program to prevent limb
amputation in patients with severe
lower extremity vascular disease.
In collaboration with transplant
surgeons and interventional radiologists from NewYork-Presbyterian/
Weill Cornell, the Division is creating
a multidisciplinary Dialysis
Access Center to meet all the
access needs for patients on dialysis.
Dialysis patients require surgically
created shunts or central venous
catheters that serve as vascular
access to receive hemodialysis.
The new multidisciplinary program
will offer comprehensive dialysis access
creation and maintenance services.
Darren B. Schneider, MD
Chief
Vascular and Endovascular Surgery
Director
Center for Vascular and
Endovascular Surgery
Harry L. Bush, Jr., MD
Peter H. Connolly, MD
John K. Karwowski, MD
Michael F. Silane, MD
Dr. Harry L. Bush, Jr.
Department of Surgery
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35
Clinical Services
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By bringing together experts in vascular surgery, endovascular surgery
and interventional radiology under
a single umbrella, the Center can
address and coordinate all the access
needs for dialysis patients, develop
standardized care pathways and
optimize patient outcomes. “Although
we have overlapping skills, we also
have unique areas of clinical and
technical expertise, and when we
assemble the whole group together,
that expertise is as broad as you can
get,” explains Dr. Schneider. “We
hope that this will translate into
the best possible care for patients
on dialysis and create a true center
of excellence in dialysis access care.”
Patients with severe peripheral
artery disease (PAD), many of
whom also have diabetes, may
have such poor circulation to the
lower extremities that they face
amputation. Vascular surgeons
at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill
Cornell have treated patients with
critical limb ischemia with procedures to improve their circulation
and, in an effort to further reduce
the risk of amputation and improve
these outcomes of patients with
critical limb ischemia, the Division
has established a multidisciplinary
Limb Preservation Center. “Early
and aggressive vascular treatment
appears to significantly reduce
the risk of amputation in patients
with inadequate circulation in the
affected limb,” says Dr. Schneider.
The Center’s cross-disciplinary
approach focuses on early diagnosis,
education, intervention and wound
care provided by a team of vascular surgery, podiatry and plastic
surgery experts. Advanced endovascular and surgical limb revascularization techniques combined with
medical and wound care will be
used to preserve limbs and quality
of life in patients with severe PAD.
The Center will also offer new bone
marrow and stem cell therapies as
part of clinical trials to develop new
treatments for patients with critical
limb ischemia.
for their vascular problems, onethird die within two years due to
their other medical problems. We
want to improve these outcomes
by assembling a team of physicians
and health professionals who can
address all the vascular, wound and
health issues in these patients.”
Looking ahead, Dr. Schneider
emphasizes the Division’s continued
role as a leader in the field of vascular and endovascular surgery. “We
have the facilities and resources to
help us to innovate and create new
minimally invasive techniques to
treat vascular disease.”
“The Limb Preservation Center
will be able to address the multiple
health issues, such as diabetes,
kidney failure and heart problems, which patients with limb
ischemia frequently have,” adds
Dr. Schneider. “Even among those
patients with critical limb ischemia
who are being cared for aggressively
Dr. John K. Karwowski
Dr. Peter H. Connolly
36
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Department of Surgery
Dr. Michael F. Silane
Education
Residency Programs
38
Fellowship Programs
40
Surgery Medical Student Clerkship
40
Surgery Medical Student Clerkship,
WCMC-Q
41
Skills Acquisition and
Innovation Laboratory
42
Selected Honors and Awards
43
Department of Surgery
|
37
Education
The Department of Surgery’s surgical training program, encompassing both residency and fellowship programs, is nationally
recognized for graduating exceptionally qualified surgeons with the skills and ability to function at the highest level. The
director of each residency and fellowship program and a large full-time and volunteer faculty seek to train each resident
and fellow to become a knowledgeable and technically proficient surgeon with the clinical judgment to render complete,
state-of-the-art, personalized, compassionate care to the surgical patient.
Residency Programs
General Surgery
Residency Program
Thomas J. Fahey, III, MD
Program Director
The General Surgery Residency
Program at NewYork-Presbyterian/
Weill Cornell is a five-year ACGMEaccredited program and provides a
broad exposure to all areas of general surgery to ensure development
of adequate clinical knowledge.
The program is divided into three
clinical stages of training.
During the PGY-1 and 2 junior
surgical residency years, emphasis
is on the primary care of the
surgical patient. Residents are
directly responsible for preoperative and postoperative care. Junior
residents become familiar with
the physiological and metabolic
problems that face surgical patients.
Progressive operative experience is
obtained under the direct supervision of senior residents and attending surgeons in an atmosphere that
fosters learning from experienced
surgical personnel.
The focus on the third year is on
the development of advanced surgical judgment in the inpatient and
the outpatient setting. Operating
skills are refined with participation
in advanced and complex surgical
procedures, both elective and
emergent. The transition from
junior resident to senior resident
is facilitated as the senior resident
assumes major responsibility for the
Dr. Thomas J. Fahey, III (third from right) conducts rounds with surgical residents.
38
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Department of Surgery
day-to-day activities of the surgical
inpatients, directly supervising the
junior resident staff.
The chief resident hones his or her
surgical judgment and skills during
the PGY-4 and 5 years, gaining
experience in more complex surgeries and assuming other responsibilities that include supervising junior
and senior surgical residents in the
overall care of surgical patients and
the direct instruction of medical
students and physician assistants.
NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill
Cornell serves as the primary
teaching facility offering training
opportunities in primary, secondary and tertiary surgical medicine.
Additional experience in surgical
oncology is obtained at Memorial
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Education
Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center;
Jamaica Hospital provides training in acute trauma and elective
general surgery in an underserved
urban environment; while New
York Downtown Hospital provides
exposure to community elective
surgery. Didactic instruction is an
integral component of the training
program and is provided through
both departmental and interdepartmental teaching conferences.
Combined Plastic
and Reconstructive
Surgery Residency Program
Robert T. Grant, MD
Program Director
The Combined Plastic and
Reconstructive Surgery Residency
Program at NewYork-Presbyterian
Hospital offers a fully ACGMEaccredited Independent Plastic
Surgery Residency Program of three
years. The goal of the program is to
attract and produce exceptionally
skilled surgeons who will become
leaders in the field of plastic surgery.
The residency program, which
accepts three residents each year
for a total complement of nine
residents, provides experience
in all of the core subject areas of
plastic and reconstructive surgery,
including cosmetic, hand, pediatric
and craniofacial surgery, as well as
microsurgery.
Participating institutions include
both NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill
Cornell and NewYork-Presbyterian/
Columbia. Residents also rotate
through Memorial Sloan-Kettering
Cancer Center, Hospital for Special
Surgery, Harlem Hospital Center,
Lenox Hill Hospital and Manhattan
Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital. Each
Surgery residents with Dr. Faith A. Menken (second from right), Dr. Kevin P. Morrissey (third
from right), and Dr. Eugene J. Nowak (fourth from right), alumni of the NewYork-Presbyterian/
Weill Cornell surgery residency program and now voluntary faculty in the Department of
Surgery, who dedicate their time to assist in resident training
of these outstanding facilities exposes
the resident to the diverse nature
of clinical disorders managed by
plastic surgeons, ranging from complex tertiary care reconstructions to
aesthetic surgery, burn care, trauma
and cancer care. Full-time faculty at
each institution directly supervise
the resident’s experience. In addition,
a large voluntary faculty, including
practitioners from related disciplines, also participate in training.
A scheduled elective period allows
for rotations in Dermatology, ENT
and Orthopedics, or can be used for
trips to perform volunteer surgery
as part of outreach missions. Over
the past decade, graduates have
either pursued career pathways
in academic plastic surgery, taken
additional fellowship training in
craniofacial surgery, microsurgery
or hand surgery, or have entered
private practice. All resident graduates participate in the certification
process offered by the American
Board of Plastic Surgery.
General Dentistry
Residency Program
Marsha E. Rubin, DDS
Program Director
The General Dentistry Residency
Program accepts seven PGY-1
residents who receive clinical and
didactic training in a one-year program, and one PGY-2 resident who
receives advanced education and
training in areas such as implant
dentistry, pediatric dentistry and
others based on their own desires.
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Residency Program
David A. Behrman, DMD
Program Director
The Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Residency Program currently
admits two residents per year to
a six-year integrated MD program
with Weill Cornell Medical College.
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
residents also gain experience
providing coverage to New York
Hospital Queens.
Department of Surgery
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39
Education
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Fellowship Programs
The Department of Surgery offers
an array of fellowship programs
that provides specialized surgical
training in the following areas:
Burn Surgery Fellowship
Roger W. Yurt, MD
Program Director
Burn Surgery offers two fellowship positions each academic year.
Fellows enter the program following a minimum of three years of
General Surgery Residency. Their
responsibilities include the surgical
treatment of burns, the care of all
burn-injured patients, inclusive of
critical care and rehabilitation, and
participating in clinical research
protocols. Fellows also supervise
medical student and resident education while on the Burn Surgery
rotation.
Combined Colon and Rectal
Surgery Fellowship
Toyooki Sonoda, MD
Program Director
The Colon and Rectal Surgery
Fellowship is a combined program
of NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill
Cornell and NewYork-Presbyterian/
Columbia. An ACGME-accredited
program, the fellowship accepts
one candidate per year at the PGY-6
level. The fellow spends equal time
at each campus and at Memorial
Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
The program encompasses clinical,
educational and research aspects of
the full range of diseases related to
the large and small intestine,
focusing on patients with colon
and rectal cancer, ulcerative colitis,
Crohn’s disease and complex
anorectal problems. Emphasis is
40
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Department of Surgery
placed on sphincter-sparing techniques for treating rectal cancer
and inflammatory bowel disease.
In particular, fellows are trained
in laparoscopic techniques, bowelsparing techniques, stoma therapy,
endorectal ultrasound, management
of pelvic floor disorders and therapeutic colonoscopy.
Minimal Invasive Surgery/
Bariatric Fellowship
Combined Vascular Surgery
Fellowship
The Minimal Invasive Surgery/
Bariatric Fellowship is a nonACGME-accredited fellowship
program designed to train academic
surgeons who wish to focus their
careers on minimal access surgery.
Two fellows spend six months at
each Hospital campus: NewYorkPresbyterian/Weill Cornell and
James F. McKinsey, MD
Program Director
The Combined Vascular
Surgery Fellowship at NewYorkPresbyterian/Weill Cornell and
NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia
is a two-year, ACGME-accredited
program that accepts two fellows
per year. The PGY-6 year is primarily
devoted to pursuing clinical research
projects with faculty members, and
developing clinical and technical
experience in noninvasive vascular
testing methods and endovascular
procedures. The PGY-7 year involves
in-depth experience with all forms
of vascular surgical and endovascular
procedures, including carotid, aortic
and lower extremity circulation
operations, and the Division’s carotid
stenting and endovascular thoracoabdominal aneurysm repair program.
The program provides a training
environment that facilitates the
development of the technical and
cognitive skills required to provide
comprehensive treatment of noncardiac vascular disease. A weekly
vascular surgery educational conference presents didactic instruction
in topics such as vascular pathophysiology and interpretation of
vascular diagnostic testing.
Alfons Pomp, MD
Program Director
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/
Weill Cornell Medical Center
Marc Bessler, MD
Program Director
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/
Columbia University Medical Center
NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia.
The fellowship provides strong
clinical training, as well as significant
training in the educational and
research aspects of being an academic surgeon, and offers a broad
experience in all aspects of minimally invasive abdominal surgery at
two leading academic departments
of surgery. Significant experience in
minimally invasive foregut, bariatric
and solid organ surgery, as well as
flexible endoscopy makes this
fellowship experience diverse. Each
fellow also has resident training
responsibilities in the training
labs and in the operating room. To
round out the experience, fellows
are expected to complete at least
two projects for presentation and/
or publication.
Surgery Medical Student
Clerkship
Gregory F. Dakin, MD
Director
Through the Surgery Clerkship
at Weill Cornell Medical College,
third-year medical students learn
firsthand what it means to be a
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Medical students observe Dr. Gregory F. Dakin in an operating room.
surgeon. The comprehensive educational program exposes students
to all facets of surgery, and irrespective of the area of medicine they
choose for a career, students learn
to diagnose and plan for the care of
patients who require surgery.
The 12-week clerkship includes
learning the physiology of an acutely
injured patient and identifying the
basic principles governing wound
care, suturing and management of
tissue infections. Students also
Stimson Surgical Society
The Stimson Surgical Society is
a student-run organization for
medical students with an interest
in pursuing a surgical discipline.
The Stimson Surgical Society,
named after the first Chairman
of Surgery at Weill Cornell,
Dr. Lewis Atterbury Stimson,
is focused on providing medical
students support through mentoring programs, networking
and shadowing opportunities.
As one of its goals, the Society
fosters the recruitment of
women to the field of surgery.
Education
Dr. Bakr M. Nour performs a physical exam as a medical student looks on.
learn to perform a history and
physical examination on patients
hospitalized for surgical illnesses,
assess an acute abdomen and how
to function as a member of the
surgical team. “They are at the
operating table with us,” says
Dr. Dakin. “In doing so, they get
a surgeon’s perspective on the
procedure that we’re performing.”
Students attend weekly classroom sessions and a weekly case
conference with the Department
Chairman. They also participate in
workshops in the Skills Acquisition
and Innovation Laboratory (SAIL).
“SAIL is a great experience for
students. Here they learn procedural aspects of surgery in a
comfortable, inanimate setting
with a lot of hands-on instruction,”
says Dr. Dakin. In SAIL, students
attend modules on insertion of
central line catheters and urinary
catheters, securing airways, use of
ultrasound, suturing and tying.
Surgery Medical Student
Clerkship, WCMC-Q
Bakr M. Nour, MD
Director
In 2007 the Department of Surgery
established the Surgery Clerkship
at Weill Cornell Medical College in
Qatar (WCMC-Q). The 12-week
clerkship, which is conducted at
Hamad Medical Corporation in
Doha, mirrors the program offered
at Weill Cornell Medical College
in New York. “We follow the same
curriculum as at WCMC,” notes
Dr. Nour. “Our students spend
eight weeks in general surgery,
three weeks in special surgery and
one week in anesthesia.”
Since taking on this role, Dr. Nour
has worked tirelessly to foster interest
in surgery in the WCMC-Q medical
students. “I do my best to make all
of my students love surgery,” says
Dr. Nour. “Even if they don’t become
surgeons, at least they will have good
memories of their surgical experience
during their clerkship.” Medical
students who are interested in a
surgical career can pursue electives in
general or special surgery during
Department of Surgery
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41
Education
|
Elliott L. Silverman, PA-C, Director, instructs surgical residents in the Skills Acquisition and Innovation Laboratory.
their fourth year. Of the 10
graduating students who have
chosen surgery, seven have entered
residency programs in the United
States, including NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell, Johns Hopkins
Hospital and the University of
Minnesota.
While the main teaching hospital
is currently the Hamad Medical
Corporation, the Sidra Medical
and Research Center is scheduled
to open in 2012 and will be among
the finest and most technologically
advanced in the world. Together
with WCMC-Q, Sidra will form an
academic medical center of worldclass standards within Education
City in Doha. Now under construction on a site to the north of the
Medical College, Sidra will feature
robotics and computer-aided surgery
and diagnostics, advanced digital
imaging and integrated patient
information systems. WCMC-Q
faculty will combine teaching at
the Medical College with clinical
practice and research at Sidra.
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Department of Surgery
Skills Acquisition and
Innovation Laboratory
Oliver J. Muensterer, MD
Education Director
Elliott L. Silverman, PA-C
Director
In 2008, the Department of Surgery
established the Skills Acquisition
and Innovation Laboratory
(SAIL). Providing simulation training to medical students, residents,
fellows and attending surgeons,
SAIL’s mission is to better prepare
surgical clinicians in the care of
patients at bedside, in the operating
room and in outpatient practice.
“Simulations allow participants
to acquire knowledge in new
equipment, to gain proficiency in
procedures and to facilitate team
training and improved communication among members of the team,”
says Mr. Silverman, who completed
his training at Weill Cornell Medical
College. “SAIL is also focused on
developing innovative novel methods to advance simulation science.”
To date, SAIL has trained over 250
clinicians, including Weill Cornell
medical students, NewYorkPresbyterian/Weill Cornell surgical
residents, attending surgeons and
surgeons from outside institutions.
The need to educate and prepare
current and future surgeons in
the use of core surgical techniques
has never been more pressing. The
complexity of surgical practice has
increased due to significant
advances in surgical technology,
instrumentation and methodology.
In its first year of operation, SAIL
became a Regional Testing
Center for the American College
of Surgeons/Society of American
Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic
Surgeons (SAGES) Fundamentals
of Laparoscopic Surgery – the first
simulation exam required by the
American Board of Surgery to become eligible for Board certification
in General Surgery. SAIL trains and
certifies surgeons from NewYorkPresbyterian/Weill Cornell, as well
as surgeons from other hospitals
and academic medical centers.
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Selected Honors and Awards
Resident Awards
Fabrizio Michelassi, MD
Chief Resident Award
2007 - Scott T. Hollenbeck, MD
2008 - Todd D. Francone, MD
2009 - Fredric M. Pieracci, MD, MPH
2010 - Nicholas W. Clavin, MD
2011 - Cenk Cayci, MD
Hassan Naama, MB, BCh
Resident Teaching Award
2004 - Daniel J. Boffa, MD
2005 - Hersh S. Maniar, MD
2006 - Amit R.T. Joshi, MD
2007 - Daniel N. Holena, MD
2008 - Carrie C. Lubitz, MD
2009 - Govind Nandakumar, MD
2010 - Stephen R. Broderick, MD
2011 - Christopher W. Towe, MD
William T. Stubenbord, MD
Resident Award
2006 - Patrick L. Wagner, MD
2007 - Cameron T. Stock, MD
2008 - Elliot L. Servais, MD
2009 - Barrie S. Rich, MD
2010 - Harma K. Turbendian, MD
2011 - Samuel T. Sultan, MD
Chief Resident Outstanding
Intern Award
2007 - Vinod P. Balachandran, MD
2008 - Barrie S. Rich, MD
2009 - Douglas Jones, MD
2010 - Christopher J. Agrusa, MD
2011 - Brendan Finnerty, MD
Dr. Fabrizio Michelassi presents Dr. Amit Joshi
with the 2006 Hassan A. Naama, MB, BCh,
Resident Teaching Award.
Resident Student Teacher Award
2009 - Matthew J. Bott, MD
2010 - Elliott L. Servais, MD
2011 - Barrie S. Rich, MD
Alpha Omega Alpha Resident
Teaching Award
Weill Cornell Medical College
Govind Nandakumar, MD
Distinguished Housestaff Award
NewYork Weill Cornell Medical Center
Alumni Council
2007
Kevin J. Cross, MD
(Plastic Surgery)
Carrie C. Lubitz, MD
(Surgery)
Jason E. Portnof, DMD, MD
(Dentistry)
2008
Keith J. Lustman, DDS
(Dentistry)
Fredric M. Pieracci, MD, MPH
(Surgery)
Graham Schwarz, MD
(Plastic Surgery)
2009
Brian D. Cohen, MD
(Plastic Surgery)
Patrick L. Wagner, MD
(Surgery)
David Yang, DDS
(Dentistry)
2010
Benjamin J. Golas, MD
(Surgery)
Tara Lynn Huston, MD
(Plastic Surgery)
Jonathan Shum, DDS, MD
(Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
and Dentistry)
Faculty Teaching Awards
Excellence in Teaching Award
Weill Cornell Medical College
2004 - Eleni A. Tousimis, MD
2008 - B
akr M. Nour, MD
(WCMC-Q)
2009 - B
akr M. Nour, MD
(WCMC-Q)
2011 - Elliott L. Silverman, PA-C
Education
Chief Resident
Faculty Teaching Award
2004 - Kenneth R. Fretwell, MD
2005 - Hersh S. Maniar, MD
2006 - Thomas J. Fahey, III, MD
2007 - Philip S. Barie, MD
2008 - Sang W. Lee, MD
2009 - Michael D. Lieberman, MD
2010 - Jeffrey Chan, MD
2011 - David B. Leeser, MD
Golden Apple Award
2010 - Elliott L. Silverman, PA-C
2011 - P atricia A. Sullivan-Jakubauskas
Humanism and Excellence in
Teaching Award
Arnold P. Gold Foundation
Michael D. Kluger, MD, MPH
Plastic Surgery Mentorship Award
Plastic Surgery Teaching Award
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
Mia Talmor, MD
Residents Research Funding Awards
The following three sections include only
those awards received in 2010-2011.
Ethicon Scholarship Grant Award
Society for University Surgeons
Vinod P. Balanchadran, MD
Shirling Tsai, MD
Glorney-Raisbeck Fellowship in
Cardiovascular Diseases
The New York Academy of Medicine
Harma K. Turbendian, MD
KL2 Postdoctoral Research
Training Award
National Institutes of Health/Clinical and
Translational Science Awards Consortium
Elaine Cheng, MD
KL2 Postdoctoral Scholar Award
Clinical and Translational Science Center/
National Institutes of Health/National
Center for Research Resources
Harma K. Turbendian, MD
Loan Repayment Grant
National Institutes of Health
Matthew J. Bott, MD
Department of Surgery
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43
Education
|
Pediatric Loan Repayment
Program Award – National Center
for Research Resources
National Institutes of Health/
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Harma K. Turbendian, MD
Residents Papers and
Presentation Awards
Best Abstract by a Young Investigator
European Renal Association/European
Dialysis and Transplantation Association
Cheguevara Afaneh, MD
R-25 Education Grant
National Institutes of Health
Duncan Hughes, MD
Best Basic Science Research
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Vinod Balanchadran, MD
R-25 Grant Award
National Institutes of Health
Ronald Brooks, MD
Best Clinical Paper Award
Vascular Fellows Meeting
Elliot B. Sambol, MD
Research Fellowship Award
Thoracic Surgery Foundation for
Research and Education
David Anderson, MD
Best Podium Awards (2) and a
Best Poster Award
New York Society of Colon and
Rectal Surgeons
Vanessa P. Ho, MD
Resident Research Award
Association for Academic Surgery
Sebastian D. Schubl, MD
Resident Research Scholarship
American College of Surgeons
Stefan S. Kachala, MD
Wyeth Evaluative Research
Fellowship Award
Surgical Infection Society Foundation
Vanessa P. Ho, MD
Young Investigator Award
American Transplant Congress
Elaine Cheng, MD
Young Investigator Award
Astellas/The Transplantation Society
Cheguevara Afaneh, MD
Best Poster Award
New York Society of Colon and
Rectal Surgeons
David Liska, MD
Best Resident Paper
American College of Surgeons,
New York State Chapter
Meredith Kato, MD
Finalist, Resident Night
Presentation Competition
New York Regional Society of
Plastic Surgeons
Peter W. Henderson, MD
M. Judah Folkman Award for
Outstanding Research Presentation
American Pediatric Surgical Association
Barrie S. Rich, MD
Residents Honors and
Recognition Awards
Associate Contributing Editor
Science Translational Medicine
Elaine Cheng, MD
Best Basic Science Research Award
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Vinod P. Balanchadran, MD
Breast Cancer Achievement Award
12th Annual Lynn Sage
Breast Cancer Symposium
Nimmi Arora, MD
Chief Research Fellow Award
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Stacy Ugras, MD
Excellence in Research Award
American College of Surgeons
Vanessa P. Ho, MD
Falcon Award
NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell
Cheguevara Afaneh, MD
David Kleiman, MD
Peter McWhorter, MD
Barrie S. Rich, MD
Samuel Sultan, MD
Looking to the Future Scholarship
Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Antonio Coppolino, MD
Benjamin J. Golas, MD
Louis Wade Sullivan, MD Resident/
Fellow Award for Excellence in
Public Health Advocacy
Office of Faculty Diversity in
Science and Medicine
Weill Cornell Medical College
Katrina B. Mitchell, MD
Research Citation Award
Society of Critical Care Medicine
Vanessa P. Ho, MD
Scholarship Award for Residents
as Teachers and Leaders
American College of Surgeons
Katrina B. Mitchell, MD
Shining Star Award
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
Lily Wang, MD
The 2011 Louis Wade Sullivan, MD Resident/Fellow Award for Excellence in Public Health
Advocacy is presented to Dr. Katrina B. Mitchell (left), pictured here with (left to right)
Dr. Sullivan, Dr. Rache M. Simmons and Dr. Fabrizio Michelassi.
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Department of Surgery
Research
Basic and Translational Research
46
Surgery-Biomedical Engineering
Research Collaborations
50
Simulation Research
50
Clinical Research
50
Research Awards
55
Selected Publications 2004 - 2011
57
Department of Surgery
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45
Research
The Department of Surgery has emerged as a major contributor to basic, translational and clinical research in areas that influence the practice of surgery. By furthering its state-of-the-art programs in the surgical sciences, the Department will continue to
bring scientific discoveries into the patient care arena, improving therapeutics and strategies for treating organ-based disease.
Todd R. Evans, PhD
Vice Chair
Research
After an extensive renovation of the
laboratory facilities, the Department
of Surgery appointed molecular
biologist Dr. Todd R. Evans,
Professor of Molecular and Cell
Biology in Surgery, to the position
of Vice Chair of Research for the
Department of Surgery. Trained as a
basic scientist, Dr. Evans, a recipient
of the prestigious MERIT Award of
the National Institutes of Health, is
dedicated to full-time research. Since
his arrival two years ago, Dr. Evans
has recruited three independent
investigators who have a record
of success in cancer biology, stem
cell biology and chemical biology. In
addition, Dr. Evans has provided
support and guidance to the research
programs currently underway by
the Department’s clinical faculty,
and developed enhanced research
opportunities for surgery residents.
With this new fabric, the Department is creating working groups
that involve surgeons, basic
scientists and clinicians coalescing
their different expertise and
perspectives to build translational
research programs. The following
section describes the current efforts
in basic, translational, clinical, intercampus and simulation research.
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Department of Surgery
Basic and Translational
Research
Organogenesis
Todd R. Evans, PhD
Dr. Evans’ own research is in
organogenesis – how organs develop
during embryogenesis. “By understanding that process, we can bring
a perspective to understanding how
organs fail, what can go wrong,
and how we can regenerate organs
or facilitate the ability of organs to
heal,” says Dr. Evans, who collaborates with Weill Cornell Medical
College’s major stem cell research
scientists to investigate cellular
therapy to regenerate failed organs,
especially in organs that have poor
regenerative capacity.
The Evans laboratory is pursuing
projects that will elucidate molecular regulation of normal organ
development during embryogenesis,
revealing the underlying genetic
programs that, when deregulated,
cause developmental defects and
organ-based disease. Researchers
focus primarily on hematopoietic
and cardiovascular programs, but
also work on other organ systems,
including the liver, gut and pancreas, with the goal of developing
genetic, pharmacological or cellular
therapies to impact disease. Projects
involve the study of various stem
cell and animal models to understand how cell types, tissues and
organs form; why this process can
fail during embryogenesis and
throughout life; and how regenera-
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tive processes might be reemployed
to treat debilitating diseases.
Funded by the National Institutes
of Health to study hematopoiesis,
Dr. Evans’ group is investigating
the emergence of the first hematopoietic stem cells in a developing
embryo. “If we can understand that
process, we may be able to understand how to promote hematopoiesis and regulate hematopoietic stem
cells and others types of blood cells
throughout life,” says Dr. Evans.
“We believe that the same genetic
pathways that control this process
are and can be effective in certain
diseases such as thalassemia or
leukemia.”
Dr. Evans’ lab is also funded by
the State of New York through its
stem cell initiative called NYSTEM,
a project focused on discovering
mechanisms by which stem and
progenitor cells limit disease. “In
this project, we’re trying to understand why some people, even as
they get much older, are resistant to
Dr. Yariv J. Houvras
diseases that are common in aging,
such as neurodegenerative disorders
and cardiovascular disease,” explains
Dr. Evans. “Organs that rely on
stem cell populations in these
fortunate people have the ability to
resist aging-based diseases because
of enhanced stem cell or regenerative
properties.”
Cancer Genetics
Yariv J. Houvras, MD, PhD
The laboratory of Dr. Yariv J. Houvras,
a physician-scientist with a scientific focus on cancer genetics and a
clinical practice in endocrine oncology, is studying the genetic and
epigenetic basis of human cancer
using zebrafish as a model organism
to engineer specific malignancies
and test the interactions of genes
and pathways. Dr. Houvras and his
colleagues have developed a genetic
system in which candidate genes
can be screened for their ability to
accelerate BRAF-V600E dependent
melanoma in zebrafish. This work
has led to the identification of a
Research
novel oncogene, SETDB1, which
promotes the growth of melanoma
and may play a role in up to 70
percent of malignant melanomas.
“We hope our discovery will
ultimately lead to better therapeutic strategies for patients with
melanoma,” says study co-first
author Dr. Houvras. “SETDB1 is
an enzyme, so it may be a good
drug target. It is still amazing to
me that the same genes that cause
cancer in humans also cause cancer
in fish. The zebrafish enables us to
do complex genetic studies because
it has many of the same organs and
tissues that humans have.”
Surgical Endocrinology
Thomas J. Fahey, III, MD
Dr. Thomas J. Fahey’s research
focuses on the molecular signature
of thyroid tumors and the identification of mutations as a way to
differentiate benign from malignant
nodules in cases where histopathologic examination alone may not
be sufficient. By using microarray
Dr. Rasa Zarnegar (second from left) and Dr. Thomas J. Fahey, III (second from right)
Department of Surgery
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47
Research
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Dr. Marco Seandel
technology, the accuracy of fineneedle aspirates to identify malignant lesions is increased. His work
on mutation analysis has received
widespread positive feedback by
the scientific community and has
been heralded as original and highly
significant.
Stem Cells Microenvironment
Marco Seandel, MD, PhD
In the laboratory of Dr. Marco
Seandel, models of adult stem cell
plasticity, including the spermatogonial stem cells of the testis, are
used to study the role that the
microenvironment plays in determining whether stem cells will
continue to self-renew or otherwise
differentiate in a lineage-specific
manner. “Microenvironmental
signals are thought to dramatically
influence the fate of adult stem cells
and cancer cells,” says Dr. Seandel.
“However, it has been challenging
to characterize and harness these
forces in order to control the
differentiation of normal stem
cells in the regenerative medicine
setting. Similarly, in the setting of
clinical cancer progression, it has
been nearly impossible to eradicate
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Department of Surgery
Dr. Shuibing Chen
residual tumor cells present after
optimal surgical or medical therapy,
likely due in part to non-cell
autonomous signals.”
Nanomedicine and Nanoimaging
Rasa Zarnegar, MD
Dr. Rasa Zarnegar is developing a
revolutionary approach to target
poorly differentiated thyroid tumors
utilizing a custom-made self-assembled nanoparticle. This project aims
at delivering siRNA, targeting BRAF
V600E mutation, which is responsible for the down-regulation of the
sodium-iodine symporter, as a first
step to subsequent administration
of radioactive iodine for imaging and
therapeutic purposes. Preliminary
data using this technology in cell
lines have proved in-vitro targeting.
Dr. Zarnegar’s project is now moving
into the in-vivo model for tumor
targeting in nude mice. This model
will allow studying biodistribution
and efficacy of nanoparticles for
imaging and targeting of thyroid
cancer. This work is done in collaboration with Dr. Moonsoo Jin from
Cornell University, who is an expert
in designing highly selective particles.
Stem Cells Manipulation
Shuibing Chen, MS, PhD
In the laboratory of Dr. Shuibing
Chen, scientists are looking at
manipulating stem cell fate using
chemical and biological approaches
and generating functional tissues
and organs that can be used for
translational research. The current
focus is on human pluripotent
stem cells (PSC), including human
embryonic stem cells, and induced
pluripotent stem cells. “We combine
our knowledge of stem cell biology,
developmental biology, chemical
biology, medicine chemistry and tissue engineering to derive functional
cells, tissues and organs from human
pluripotent stem cells,” explains
Dr. Chen. “Our long-term goal is to
apply patient specific PSC-derived
tissues or organs for replacement
therapy and build up ‘disease in a
dish’ platforms for drug discovery.”
In 2010, Dr. Chen was named the
Robertson Investigator by the New
York Stem Cell Foundation, which
is providing up to $1.5 million
over the next five years to expand
her laboratory, train scientists
and foster innovative high-risk/
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high-reward research to explore the
therapeutic potential of stem cells
derived from humans and model
organisms.
Bioregenerative Medicine
Jason A. Spector, MD
Dr. Jason A. Spector is the principal
investigator of the Laboratory for
Bioregenerative Medicine and
Surgery, the research arm of the
Division of Plastic and Reconstructive
Surgery. Tissue engineering has
been limited by the inability to
build a construct with an inherent
vascular network. Dr. Spector and
a multidisciplinary team of experts
in the fields of chemistry, bioengineering, physics and reconstructive
surgery have created a unique
construct containing a network of
macro- and micro-channels that
mimic the vascular tree, crucial for
the survival of every living tissue in
the human body.
Dr. Spector uses cotton candy fibers
that are coated with a thicker,
stronger substance made from
silicone, which is biocompatible
but not biodegradable. “When this
structure is placed into water, the
cotton candy melts away, leaving
an intricate, fine, three-dimensionally enmeshed architecture of
microchannels that is similar to
blood vessels in the body’s tissue,”
says Dr. Spector. Importantly, this
technique is readily scalable to clinically relevant sizes, and although
only a first step, the far-reaching
implications represent a significant
step forward towards the development of a completely vascularized
artificial tissue replacement.
Tumor Biology
Todd R. Evans, PhD
Thomas J. Fahey, III, MD
Marco Seandel, MD, PhD
A consortium of three laboratories
is studying the biology of carcinoid
Research
tumors. Supported by a $1 million
gift over four years from The
Sackler Foundation, the project
seeks to better understand the
biology of these tumors.
Dr. Evans’ laboratory seeks to
understand these neuroendocrine
cells by looking at progenitor stem
cells. Dr. Fahey’s laboratory is
elucidating the molecular signature
of carcinoid tumors by studying a
large number of bio-banked tissue
samples. Dr. Seandel, a third collaborator on the project, is trying
to develop cell lines that could be
studied and controlled in mouse
models of these tumors. “This is a
proof of principle where we hope
to show that by bringing together
basic scientists, clinical scientists
and physicians, important clinical
problems can be addressed more
expeditiously than if worked on
separately,” adds Dr. Evans.
Dr. Jason A. Spector (right)
Department of Surgery
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49
Research
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operating room environment.
Ultimately we hope it will not only
be valuable for training purposes,
but also for evaluating processes
that will improve patient care,
patient safety and team dynamics.”
Participants in the first Surgery-Biomedical Engineering Research Retreat
Surgery-Biomedical
Engineering Research
Collaborations
In July 2006, the Department
of Surgery at Weill Cornell and
the Department of Biomedical
Engineering (BME) at Cornell
University started to collaborate
on research projects that help
address medical challenges facing
patients with conditions commonly
treated with surgical procedures.
To date, four retreats have been
held on both campuses where
participants engage in networking,
development of potential research
initiatives and informative sessions
on strategies for obtaining research
funding.
Projects are facilitated initially
by joint seed grants by the
Departments of Surgery and
Biomedical Engineering that allow
faculty collaborators to generate the
foundation and data to prepare
proposals worthy of federal funding.
The Surgery-BME collaboration has
so far provided nearly $1 million in
seed grant funding through a
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Department of Surgery
series of competitive Requests for
Proposals. Areas of collaborative
research include new materials, drug
delivery, imaging, biosensors, tissue
engineering, tissue monitoring and
wound healing.
Simulation Research
The Department of Surgery, in
collaboration with Lockheed Martin
– a global security and information
technology company – is taking
surgical training to a new level with
the integration of virtual reality
simulation into the Department’s
surgical training program.
“The project revolves around
creating a virtual reality platform
for surgical team training, with
the goal of improving the current
simulation systems, which utilize
expensive hardware and equipment,” says Dr. Gregory F. Dakin,
Associate Professor of Surgery and
Director of the Surgery Clerkship.
“It will allow us to train the various
members of the operating room
team, including housestaff, nurses
and OR technicians in a virtual
The virtual operating room provides
the opportunity to create scenarios
to match a multitude of desired
training goals. Virtual environments
can give participants an authentic
experience without involving actual
patients or expensive equipment
and machinery. As the technology progresses, virtual reality
systems will incorporate complex
surgical skills training with realistic
computer-generated anatomic
structures, eliminating the need for
animate training models.
Clinical Research
The clinical expertise found within
the Department of Surgery is
further enhanced by extensive
and innovative research programs
focused on the development of
important new techniques and
therapies that promote better
outcomes and can improve quality
of life for patients following surgery.
The Department’s surgeons
continue to be involved in groundbreaking clinical trials and other
clinical research that are expanding the boundaries of surgical
care. Between 2004 and 2011, the
Department of Surgery has housed
91 clinical trials, with 30 trials
currently in progress as of 2011.
Breast Surgery Section
As principal or co-investigators in
numerous multicenter clinical trials,
faculty members of the Section of
Breast Surgery continue to investigate the field of chemoprevention of
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breast cancer in high-risk women;
the indications for drug therapy
in postmenopausal women with
ductal carcinoma in situ; the use of
digital infrared imaging to enhance
breast cancer detection; the role of
intraoperative radiation therapy;
and the efficacy of pre- and posttreatment imaging to determine
residual disease in patients with
invasive breast carcinoma undergoing cryoablation. In addition, they
have studied devices that aid in
precision targeting for partial breast
radiation therapy and conducted a
feasibility study on breast specific
gamma imaging to improve positive
predictive value in patients with
mammographic and/or sonographic
abnormalities requiring breast biopsy.
Division of Burns, Critical Care
and Trauma
Clinical research is an integral
component of the Division of
Burns, Critical Care and Trauma.
Following a retrospective study of
the Burn Center’s admissions that
revealed worse outcomes among
diabetic patients, including
increased infection rates, graft
complications and increased length
of hospital stay, the Division’s Burn
faculty members have designed
a prospective study to carefully
assess wound repair and recovery
of diabetic and non-diabetic burn
patients. Currently underway,
the project’s long-term aim is
to determine the characteristics
of the wound milieu along with
global responses to injury that
may predict poor outcomes among
diabetic patients. The Division’s
faculty members are also pursuing a
number of wound healing projects,
including the use of biological
skin substitutes. Since 2003, the
Division has served as co-principal
investigator on a disaster planning grant for burn injury in New
York City funded by the Federal
Health Resources and Services
Administration.
Clinical management for the
emergently ill and critically ill
surgical patient is a focus of the
Division’s Critical Care and Trauma
faculty members. Studies focus
on a variety of topics related to
prognosis and outcomes, including
the value of different laboratory
markers in improving the degree of
resuscitation; how gender affects
outcomes in sepsis; epidemiology of
critical surgical illness and multiple
organ dysfunction syndrome;
nosocomial infections in critically ill
patients; and metabolic response to
injury. Additional areas of interest
include the development of improved treatment strategies for the
management of emergent surgical
conditions such as pancreatitis
and appendicitis, and the study of
factors most important in affecting
end-of-life decision-making in critically ill patients. In collaboration
with the Emergency Department,
the Division is researching the
optimal management of the acute
abdomen in terms of the necessity
of radiographic procedures versus
expedient operative care.
Colon and Rectal Surgery Section
The faculty members of the Section
of Colon and Rectal Surgery pursue
clinical research in minimally invasive
surgical techniques and the development of technology that will
improve surgical outcomes. Over the
years, studies have included the role
of robotics in colorectal surgery, handassisted laparoscopic surgery, CO2
Research
laparoendoscopic surgery, innovative
endoscopy and accelerated recovery
pathways.
A seven-year prospective study
conducted by the faculty of the
Section of Colon and Rectal Surgery
determined that the results
obtained with laparoscopic or
hand-assisted laparoscopic rectal
resections compared favorably with
open surgery in the treatment of
patients with cancers of the rectum.
The study has now expanded to
multiple sites, with Weill Cornell
colorectal surgeons collaborating
with the American College
of Surgeons Oncology Group
(ACOSOG) on a national study and
leading a second study involving
several medical centers across the
country.
The colorectal surgeons continue to
be at the forefront of device innovation, designing new instruments
and equipment for minimally
invasive procedures. The Section’s
innovations have precipitated the
establishment of the Minimally
Invasive New Technologies (MINT)
program, an innovative collaboration between NewYork-Presbyterian
Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical
College. The MINT program, co-led
by Dr. Jeffrey W. Milsom, taps into
the experience and innovative skills
of our colorectal surgeons, who,
working together with engineers,
develop technologies, devices
and tools to advance the field of
minimally invasive surgery. In the
last two years, the program has
submitted over 35 patents for new
devices, with many more currently
in various stages of development.
Department of Surgery
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Research
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Endocrine Surgery Section
Faculty members in the Section of
Endocrine Surgery pursue clinical
research that involves thyroid,
parathyroid, adrenal and gastrointestinal neuroendocrine disease,
as well as benign and malignant
foregut disease. Projects continue
on the development of technology
for tumor localization; evaluation
of regional versus general anesthesia
for patients undergoing thyroidectomy; preoperative localization for
patients with hyperparathyroidism;
laparoscopic approaches to treating
conditions of the adrenal glands;
and molecular analysis of thyroid
biopsies to differentiate benign and
malignant thyroid nodules.
The Section is also involved in
multiple clinical studies focused
on improved diagnosis and management of numerous endocrine
disorders. Many of these studies are
multicenter, involving other prominent centers for the management
of endocrine disorders worldwide.
A recent study has focused on
surgery as an effective treatment
for Type 1 gastric carcinoid tumors.
While these tumors are rarely
malignant, patients may experience
pain, diarrhea and other abdominal
complaints. Treatment options
vary, but the study showed that
surgery using a minimally invasive
approach with laparoscopic gastric
resection may provide a long-term
durable cure.
Gastrointestinal Metabolic
Surgery Section
Gastrointestinal Metabolic Surgery
has become the subject of much
interest in recent years. At Weill
Cornell, numerous clinical investigations are underway, helping to
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Department of Surgery
Dr. Francesco Rubino
Gastrointestinal Metabolic Surgery
provide insight into the physiology
of the GI tract and its role in both
the cause and the cure for diabetes,
obesity and other metabolic disorders.
The goal of research is to uncover
how surgery can help identify new
targets for drug development and to
determine if the effects of surgery
may, one day, be replicated by
medications. One such clinical
study based at Weill Cornell and
initiated in 2010, is investigating
whether gastric bypass surgery can
reverse Type 2 diabetes. Other
studies are comparing gastric bypass
surgery versus intensive medical
management in achieving glycemic
control in diabetic patients with a
BMI of <35 and a comparison of
caloric restriction and gastric bypass
on glucose homeostasis.
Laparoscopic and
Bariatric Surgery Section
A vigorous clinical research program
is underway by faculty members
in the Section of Laparoscopic
and Bariatric Surgery, which has
established a patient registry with
outcome data on complications,
quality-of-life issues and body
Dr. Gladys W. Strain
Laparoscopic and Bariatric Surgery
composition prior to and following
the various bariatric surgical options available. With support from
the National Institutes of Health
and National Institute of Diabetes
and Digestive and Kidney Diseases,
surgical investigators are leading a
number of clinical trials with a goal
of augmenting treatment options
for obesity. These include developing
and evaluating new instrumentation
and studying the clinical and pathophysiologic consequences of bariatric
surgery.
Weill Cornell’s bariatric faculty
members are also participating
in an NIH multimillion-dollar
Bariatric Surgery Clinical Research
Consortium of only six centers
nationwide, which is conducting a
longitudinal assessment of bariatric
surgery (LABS) in order to evaluate
the long-term effects of weight loss
on health, gender issues, behavioral
factors, work and leisure activities;
as well as a longitudinal study
of obese patients prior to gastric
bypass surgery and interval follow
up of changes in gene expression
and metabolic changes after the
resultant weight loss.
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Dr. Nitsana A. Spigland
Pediatric Surgery
Division of Oral and Maxillofacial
Surgery and Dentistry
Clinical research has been focused
on total prosthetic reconstruction
of the temporomandibular joint
(TMJ) and temporomandibular
joint arthroscopy. The Division
recently completed a study that
determined the outcomes of
arthroscopic surgery in patients
with inflammatory/degenerative
TMJ disease who underwent early
surgical intervention were better
than those who had late surgical
intervention, and that arthroscopic
surgery should be considered early
in the management of patients
with TMJ disease. This research
was published in the Journal of Oral
& Maxillofacial Surgery. Another
clinical investigation comparing arthroscopic TMJ surgery
performed in the operating room
under general anesthesia versus in
the Division’s outpatient facility
under intravenous sedation showed
successful outcomes in both groups
with no significant differences,
demonstrating that successful TMJ
arthroscopy can be performed in an
outpatient office setting.
Research
Dr. Daniel Cherqui, Dr. Fabrizio Michelassi and Dr. Michael D. Kluger
Surgical Oncology
Division of Pediatric Surgery
In the Division of Pediatric
Surgery, current clinical research
initiatives include studies that
evaluate the outcomes of infants
and children undergoing surgical
therapy for esophageal atresia and
tracheoesophageal fistula, evaluation of neonates who present with
intestinal strictures associated with
necrotizing enterocolitis, studies on
intestinal dysmotility disorders in
children with Russell-Silver syndrome, risk factors associated with
the development of pan-necrosis in
neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis
and surgical sequelae of congenital
pancreatico-biliary anomalies.
The Division’s esophageal atresia
registry is one of the largest in the
country with over 250 active
patients being followed. The
Division is also evaluating minimally invasive pediatric surgery,
with an emphasis on further developing and refining single incision
pediatric endosurgery.
Division of Plastic and
Reconstructive Surgery
Plastic surgeons are studying
different treatment options for
the management of hemangiomas
and vascular malformations and
exploring treatments for keloids and
other abnormal scar conditions for
patients undergoing breast reconstruction after radiation therapy
and for sternal reconstruction after
postoperative infection or wound
reopening. They are also evaluating
hydrogen sulfide as a means to
locally reduce overall tissue oxygen
needs during surgery, thereby
reducing complications resulting
from ischemia and reperfusion.
Ultrasound is being examined
as a therapeutic tool for wound
healing and its potential role in
localizing the effect of medications.
The Division has also undertaken
an analysis of the socioeconomic
outcomes of plastic surgery incorporating factors not often considered as
surgical outcomes, such as self-esteem
and career success.
Surgical Oncology Group
Weill Cornell’s surgical oncologists
are at the forefront of clinical
research, investigating laparoscopic
techniques for removing tumors in
patients with adenocarcinoma of
the stomach; evaluating different
Department of Surgery
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53
Research
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chemotherapeutic agents for treatment in patients with pancreatic
cancer and mucinous neoplasms
of the pancreas; and surgical
debulking associated with the use
of hyperthermic chemotherapy
for patients with carcinomatosis.
Ongoing studies focus on colorectal
cancer prevention and the impact
of Polyphenon E, a natural extract
from green tea, on the progression
of Barrett’s esophagus to esophageal
cancer. The surgical oncologists also
participate in a number of national
oncology study groups, including
the American College of Surgeons
Oncology Group and the Eastern
Cooperative Oncology Group,
registering patients in a variety of
ongoing clinical trials for pancreatic,
gastric and colorectal cancers.
Division of Transplantation Surgery
The Division of Transplantation
Surgery has 15 ongoing research
studies, including four investigatorinitiated clinical trials studying
immunosuppression minimization,
gene expression in allograft biopsies,
and comparison of surgical techniques
used for living kidney donors. Seven
Dr. Sandip Kapur, Transplantation Surgery
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Department of Surgery
industry-sponsored trials of pharmaceutical agents are underway,
investigating novel pharmaceutical
agents for immunosuppression, ischemia-reperfusion injury, and maturation of arterio-venous fistulas and
grafts. There are also several retrospective database studies looking at
outcomes in transplantation, living
donation, immunosuppressive protocols and dialysis access procedures.
Weill Cornell’s surgical and medical
transplant specialists have also
developed a noninvasive test utilizing molecular signatures to more
accurately predict organ rejection.
Under molecular guidance, the transplant team hopes to be able to finetune medications for patients, minimizing their exposure to immunosuppression. Based on the tests
developed at Weill Cornell, an NIHsponsored multicenter study further
tested the sensitivity and specificity
of measuring RNA for key immune
cell regulators in renal transplant
patients, hopefully providing
transplant physicians with tools for
a more complete appraisal of graft
function and risk of organ rejection.
Our hepatobiliary and liver transplant faculty members seek answers
to challenging clinical questions
in the areas of living donor liver
transplantation, laparoscopic liver
resection, primary and secondary
liver cancers, pancreatic surgery and
complex biliary surgery.
Division of Vascular and
Endovascular Surgery
The Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery participates in a
number of clinical trials investigating new devices and treatments for
vascular diseases. Research projects
include studies of carotid stenting
for those at high risk for traditional
carotid artery surgery. NewYorkPresbyterian Hospital was a major
participant in CREST (Carotid
Revascularization Endarterectomy
Versus Stent Trial), a National
Institutes of Health-sponsored study
where symptomatic and asymptomatic patients were randomized to
stent placement or surgery. Other
research includes the evaluation of
new devices for endovascular repair
of aortic aneurysms as an alternative to traditional open surgery, as
well as long-term clinical outcome
studies of minimally invasive treatments for carotid, aortic and lower
extremity arterial disease.
The Division has initiated a bone
marrow cell therapy trial for
treatment of patients with limb
threatening lower extremity vascular disease. Current clinical trials
include branched stent grafts for
treatment of iliac artery aneurysms,
fenestrated stent grafts for treatment of complex aortic aneurysms
involving the arteries to the
abdominal organs, carotid artery
stents, and cell therapy for limbthreatening lower extremity PAD.
Research Awards
The basic and translational research projects led by faculty in the Department of Surgery are funded by numerous federal,
state and foundation awards. Between 2004 and 2011, grants totaled more than $26 million. In addition, the Department
has housed 91 clinical trials in this same time period. The dates below indicate the year in which the grant was awarded.
Research Grants
American Association for
Cancer Research
Marco Seandel, MD, PhD
Blocking endothelial trophic support
of chemoresistant genitourinary
tumors | 2010
American Association of Plastic Surgeons
Jason A. Spector, MD
Academic Scholar Award | 2009
Clinical and Translational
Science Center (CTSC)
David B. Leeser, MD
Mathematical modeling of microRNA
profiles in renal transplant biopsy
specimens | 2010
Suzanne B. Schwartz, MD
Curcumin in Type 2 diabetes:
Study of its amelioratory effects on
wound repair | 2010
Marco Seandel, MD, PhD
CTSC Seed Funding - Pilot
Award | 2010
Cornell University – Ithaca
Bo Liu, PhD
Novel biodegradable scaffolds for
tissue engineering of blood
vessels | 2008
National Cancer Institute
Marco Seandel, MD, PhD
Center on the microenvironment
and metastasis, Pilot Project I | 2010
Meena S. Katdare, PhD
APC mutation and breast cancer,
prevention by curcumin | 2006
Thomas J. Fahey, III, MD
Selenium supplementation decreases
thyroid cancer growth in humans
through up-regulation of cell cycle
arrest genes | 2005
K. Craig Kent, MD
Surgical Oncology Research
Training Program | 2004
K. Craig Kent, MD
A prospective study of the prognostic
significance of microsatellite
instability in patients with early age of
onset colorectal cancer | 2004
National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases
Lynda M. Pierini, MS, PhD
Screening for inhibitors of
F. tularensis virulence | 2004
National Heart, Lung
and Blood Institute
Todd R. Evans, PhD
Regulation of embryonic erythropoieses
by BMP signaling | 2010
National Institute of Arthritis and
Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Bo Lui, PhD
The role of protein kinase c-delta
in regulation of extracellular
matrix protein production and
musculoskeletal tissues | 2008
Todd R. Evans, PhD
Function of GATA factors
in cardiogenesis | 2009
K. Craig Kent, MD
Clinical Summer Immersion Program
for Biomedical Engineering PhD
Students | 2008
Shirling Tsai, MD
TGF Beta through SMAD family
signaling stabilizes abdominal aortic
aneurysms | 2007
K. Craig Kent, MD
PKC delta in intimal hyperplasia after
vascular bypass | 2006
K. Craig Kent, MD
Multidisciplinary vascular surgery
research training program | 2006
Peter L. Faries, MD
Measuring the efficacy of endovascular
treatment of abdominal aortic
aneurysm | 2004
K. Craig Kent, MD
TGF beta in intimal hyperplasia
after vascular bypass | 2004
K. Craig Kent, MD
Prevention of vein graft spasm | 2004
National Institute of Aging
K. Craig Kent, MD
Doxycycline treatment of
abdominal aortic aneurysm clinical
trial planning | 2008
National Institute of Diabetes and
Digestive and Kidney Disease
Yariv J. Houvras, MD, PhD
Hematopoietic stem cell development
in zebrafish | 2011
Alfons Pomp, MD
Clinical and pathological consequences
of bariatric surgery | 2011
Alfons Pomp, MD
Bariatric surgery outcomes and impact
on pathophysiology | 2008
Alfons Pomp, MD
Body composition and REE
responses to bariatric surgeries | 2007
Gladys W. Strain, PhD
Body composition and resting
energy expenditure (REE) responses
to bariatric surgeries | 2006
Michel Gagner, MD
Bariatric surgery outcomes and
impact on pathophysiology | 2004
National Institute of
General Medical Sciences
Meena S. Katdare, PhD
Cultured epidermal grafts for
burn patients | 2007
K. Craig Kent, MD
Trauma and injury biology research
training program | 2006
Suzanne B. Schwartz, MD
Impact of diabetes upon
burn injury | 2005
Department of Surgery
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55
Research
|
National Institutes of Health
Gladys W. Strain, PhD
Extended effects of bariatric surgery
on cognitive function | 2010
New York Stem Cell Foundation
Shuibing Chen, MD, PhD
Deriving functional human islets
from pluripotent stem cells using
chemical approaches | 2011
Todd R. Evans, PhD
Stem cell activity and human
longevity | 2010
Marco Seandel, MD, PhD
Alternative pathways to multipotency:
Adult spermatogonial-derived stem cells
and their vascular derivatives | 2010
Plastic Surgery Education Foundation
Jason A. Spector, MD
National Endowment Award | 2011
Jason A. Spector, MD
Hydrogen sulfide as pre- and postischemic cytoprotectant in vivo | 2010
Jason A. Spector, MD
A novel approach for improving
flap tolerance to ischemia | 2009
Research Foundation for
Mental Hygiene, Inc.
Gladys W. Strain, PhD
Cognitive effects of bariatric surgery/
ancillary studies to obesity related
clinical trials | 2008
Gladys W. Strain, PhD
Cognitive effects of bariatric surgery/
ancillary studies to obesity related
clinical trials | 2006
Raymond and Beverly Sackler
Foundation
Todd R. Evans, PhD
Thomas J. Fahey, III, MD
Marco Seandel, MD, PhD
Targeted carcinoid tumors | 2011
56
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Weill Cornell Medical College
Department of Surgery/
Morgan Seed Award
David B. Leeser, MD
Estimating prognostic transplantation
biomarker: Modeling and analysis of
the molecular networks involved in
renal allograft survival | 2010
Franco-American
Scientific Collaboration
Michael D. Kluger, MD, MPH
Philippe Foundation Award
Jason A. Spector, MD
A novel approach for the prevention
of postoperative seroma: Electrospun
polymeric bioadhesives | 2009
International Postgraduate
Organization for Knowledgetransfer,
Research and Teaching Excellent
Students (IPOKRaTES)
Oliver J. Muensterer, MD, PhD
Young Investigator Award
Weill Cornell Medical College/Ithaca
Surgery Seed Awards
David B. Leeser, MD
Mathematical modeling of microRNA
profiles in renal transplant biopsy
specimens | 2010
Samuel Rhee, MD
Image guided tissue engineering
for ear reconstruction of pediatric
microtia | 2010
Rasa Zarnegar, MD
Nanoparticle targeted therapy
for metastatic papillary thyroid
cancer | 2010
Jason A. Spector, MD
A novel approach for the prevention
of postoperative seroma | 2009
Faculty Recognition
Research Awards
American Association for
Cancer Research
Marco Seandel, MD, PhD
Judah Folkman Career Development
Award for Anti-Angiogenesis Research
American Society of
Clinical Oncology
Yariv J. Houvras, MD, PhD
Marco Seandel, MD, PhD
Young Investigator Award
St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center
Gladys W. Strain, PhD
Body composition and (REE)
responses to bariatric surgeries | 2008
Beta Cell Biology Consortium
Investigator Retreat
Shuibing Chen, MS, PhD
Domestic Scholarship Award
Tanita Healthy Weight
Community Trust
Gladys W. Strain, PhD
A comparison of weight loss
and body composition changes with
four surgical procedures | 2007
European Society of Organ
Transplantation
Michael D. Kluger, MD, MPH
Short Stay and Travel Grant
Department of Surgery
Genentech
Marco Seandel, MD, PhD
BioOncology Fellowship
for Cancer Research on Angiogenesis
Irma T. Hirschl Trust
Todd R. Evans, PhD
Career Scientist Award
Juvenile Diabetes Research
Foundation International
Shuibing Chen, MS, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellowship
Kiwanis International
Francesco Rubino, MD
“We Build” for Worldwide Recognized
Achievements in Biomedical Research
National Institutes of Health
Todd R. Evans, PhD
Merit Award
New York Stem Cell Foundation
Shuibing Chen, MS, PhD
Robertson Investigator
Marco Seandel, MD, PhD
Stanley and Fiona Druckenmiller
Fellowship
The Scripps Research Institute
Shuibing Chen, MS, PhD
Norton B. Giula Graduate Student
Fellowship
Society of Critical Care Medicine
Philip S. Barie, MD, MBA
Mentor to Lynn J. Hydo, MBA, RN
Nursing Section Research
Scholarship Award
Weill Cornell Medical College
Soumitra R. Eachempati, MD
Samuels Foundation Faculty Associates
Award for the Study of Medical Ethics
Selected Publications 2004 – 2011
Over the past seven years, Department of Surgery faculty, residents and fellows have published extensively in peer-reviewed
journals with high impact factors. Following is a list of publications in journals with an impact factor higher than 2.5.
The names of the Department of Surgery faculty, residents and fellows have been highlighted in bold.
American Journal of
Transplantation
Segev DL, Veale JL, Berger JC, Hiller
JM, Hanto RL, Leeser DB, et al.
Transporting live donor kidneys for
kidney paired donation: initial
national results. American Journal of
Transplantation. 2011 Feb;11(2):
356-60.
Butt FK, Gritsch HA, Schulam P,
Danovitch GM, Wilkinson A, Del
Pizzo J, Kapur S, Serur D, et al.
Asynchronous, out-of-sequence,
transcontinental chain kidney
transplantation: a novel concept.
American Journal of Transplantation.
2009 Sep;9(9):2180-5.
Tang AL, Bingaman AW, Kadavil EA,
Leeser DB, Farber DL. Generation
and functional capacity of polyclonal
alloantigen-specific memory CD4 T
cells. American Journal of Transplantation.
2006 Jun;6(6):1275-84.
Ames SA, Krol M, Nettar K,
Goldman JP, Quinn TM, Herron DM,
Pomp A, Bromberg JS. Pre-donation
assessment of kidneys by magnetic
resonance angiography and
venography: accuracy and impact
on outcomes. American Journal of
Transplantation. 2005 Jun;5(6):1518-28.
Annals of Surgery
Rubino F, Kaplan LM, Schauer PR,
Cummings DE. Diabetes Surgery
Summit Delegates. The Diabetes
Surgery Summit consensus conference:
recommendations for the evaluation
and use of gastrointestinal surgery to
treat Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Annals
of Surgery. 2010 Mar;251(3):399-405.
Review.
Moo TA, Umunna B, Kato M,
Butriago D, Kundel A, Lee JA,
Zarnegar R, Fahey TJ 3rd.
Ipsilateral versus bilateral central
neck lymph node dissection in
papillary thyroid carcinoma. Annals
of Surgery. 2009 Sep;250(3):403-8.
Zarnegar R, et al. The
aldosteronoma resolution score:
predicting complete resolution of
hypertension after adrenalectomy
for aldosteronoma. Annals of Surgery.
2008 Mar;247(3):511-8.
Dellinger EP, Tellado JM, Soto NE,
Ashley SW, Barie PS, et al. Early
antibiotic treatment for severe
acute necrotizing pancreatitis: a
randomized, double-blind, placebocontrolled study. Annals of Surgery.
2007 May;245(5):674-83.
Derubertis BG, Faries PL,
McKinsey JF, Chaer RA, Pierce M,
Karwowski JK, Weinberg A,
Nowygrod R, Morrissey NJ, Bush
HL, Kent KC. Shifting paradigms
in the treatment of lower extremity
vascular disease: a report of 1,000
percutaneous interventions. Annals
of Surgery. 2007 Sep;246(3):415-22;
discussion 422-4.
Chaer RA, Derubertis BG, Lin SC,
Bush HL, Karwowski JK, Birk D,
Morrissey NJ, Faries PL, McKinsey
JF, Kent KC. Simulation improves
resident performance in catheterbased intervention: results of a
randomized, controlled study. Annals
of Surgery. 2006 Sep;244(3):343-52.
Finley DJ, Zhu B, Barden CB,
Fahey TJ 3rd. Discrimination of
benign and malignant thyroid
nodules by molecular profiling.
Annals of Surgery. 2004 Sep;240(3):
425-36; discussion 436-7.
Rubino F, Gagner M, Gentileschi
P, Kini S, Fukuyama S, Feng J,
Diamond E. The early effect of the
Roux-en-Y gastric bypass on
hormones involved in body weight
regulation and glucose metabolism.
Annals of Surgery. 2004 Aug;240(2):
236-42.
Wolff BG, Michelassi F, Gerkin
TM, Techner L, Gabriel K, Du W,
Wallin BA; Alvimopan Postoperative
Ileus Study Group. Alvimopan, a
novel, peripherally acting mu opioid
antagonist: results of a multicenter,
randomized, double-blind, placebocontrolled, phase III trial of major
abdominal surgery and postoperative
ileus. Annals of Surgery. 2004
Oct;240(4):728-34; discussion 734-5.
Annals of Surgical Oncology
Arora N, King TA, Jacks LM,
Stempel MM, Patil S, Morris E,
Morrow M. Impact of breast density
on the presenting features of
malignancy. Annals of Surgical
Oncology. 2010 Oct;17 Suppl 3:211-8.
Michelassi F. 2010 SSO presidential
address: subspecialty certificate
in advanced surgical oncology.
Annals of Surgical Oncology. 2010
Dec;17(12):3094-103.
Pavoor RS, Shukla PJ, Milsom
JW. The importance of preoperative
staging with chest CT scan in patients
with colorectal cancer. Annals of
Surgical Oncology. 2010 Sep 14. [Epub
ahead of print]
Shukla PJ, Milsom JW. TNM: It is
time to consider further expanding
both the M stage as well as the
R stage. Annals of Surgical Oncology.
2010 Oct 14. [Epub ahead of print]
Department of Surgery
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57
Research
|
Publications
Zetoune T, Keutgen X, Buitrago D,
Aldailami H, Shao H, Mazumdar
M, Fahey TJ 3rd, Zarnegar R.
Prophylactic central neck dissection
and local recurrence in papillary
thyroid cancer: a meta-analysis.
Annals of Surgical Oncology. 2010
Dec;17(12):3287-93.
Arora N, Martins D, Huston
TL, Christos P, Hoda S, Osborne
MP, Swistel AJ, Tousimis EA,
Pressman PI, Simmons RM.
Sentinel node positivity rates with
and without frozen section for breast
cancer. Annals of Surgical Oncology.
2008 Jan;15(1):256-61.
Wagner PL, Moo TA, Arora N,
Liu YF, Zarnegar R, Scognamiglio T,
Fahey TJ 3rd. The chemokine
receptors CXCR4 and CCR7 are
associated with tumor size and
pathologic indicators of tumor
aggressiveness in papillary thyroid
carcinoma. Annals of Surgical
Oncology. 2008 Oct;15(10):2833-41.
Kuerer HM, Eberlein TJ, Pollock RE,
Huschka M, Baile WF, Morrow M,
Michelassi F, Singletary SE,
Novotny P, Sloan J, Shanafelt TD.
Career satisfaction, practice patterns
and burnout among surgical
oncologists: report on the quality
of life of members of the Society of
Surgical Oncology. Annals of Surgical
Oncology. 2007 Nov;14(11):3043-53.
Cellini C, Hollenbeck ST,
Christos P, Martins D, Carson
J, Kemper S, LaVigne E, Chan E,
Simmons RM. Factors associated
with residual breast cancer after reexcision for close or positive margins.
Annals of Surgical Oncology. 2004
Oct;11(10):915-20.
Hollenbeck ST, Cellini C, Christos
P, Varnado-Rhodes Y, Martins D,
Nussbaum M, Osborne MP,
Simmons RM. Breast cancer in
patients with residual invasive
carcinoma is more accurately staged
with additive tumor size assessment.
Annals of Surgical Oncology. 2004
Jan;11(1):59-64.
58
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Department of Surgery
Sabel M, Kaufman C, Whitworth P,
Chang H, Stocks L, Simmons RM,
Schultz M. Cryoablation of early
stage breast cancer: work in progress
report of a multi-institutional trial.
Annals of Surgical Oncology. 2004
May;11(5):542-9.
Archives of Surgery
Fahey TJ 3rd. Department of
Surgery, NewYork-Presbyterian
Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical
Center. Archives of Surgery. 2006
May;141(5):435-6.
Michelassi F. To impart this art:
the didactic mission. Archives of
Surgery. 2005 May;140(5):425-30.
Eachempati SR, Hydo LJ, Barie
PS. The effect of an intermediate
care unit on the demographics and
outcomes of a surgical intensive care
unit population. Archives of Surgery.
2004 Mar;139(3):315-9.
Biomaterials
Zheng Y, Henderson PW, Choi NW,
Bonassar LJ, Spector JA, Stroock
AD. Microstructured templates for
directed growth and vascularization
of soft tissues in vivo. Biomaterials.
2011 Aug;32(23):5391-401.
British Journal of Surgery
Sarin A, Milsom JW, Shukla PJ.
Letter 1: Randomized clinical trial of
laparoscopic versus open left colonic
resection British Journal of Surgery.
2011 Jan;98(1):156.
Karoui M, Vigano L, Goyer P,
Ferrero A, Luciani A, Aglietta M,
Delbaldo C, Cirillo S, Capussotti L,
Cherqui D. Combined first-stage
hepatectomy and colorectal resection
in a two-stage hepatectomy strategy
for bilobar synchronous liver
metastases. British Journal of Surgery.
2010 Sep;97(9):1354-62.
Sarin A, Milsom JW, Shukla PJ.
Letter 1: Randomized clinical trial of
laparoscopic versus open left colonic
resection. British Journal of Surgery.
2010 97:1180-6.
Cell
Hobbs RM, Seandel M, Falciatori I,
Rafii S, Pandolfi PP. Plzf regulates
germline progenitor self renewal by
opposing mTORC1. Cell. 2010 142(3):
468-79.
Cell Stem Cell
Butler JM, Nolan DJ, Vertes EL,
Varnum-Finney B, Kobayashi H,
Hooper AT, Seandel M, Shido K,
White IA, Kobayashi M, Witte L,
May C, Shawber C, Kimura Y,
Kitajewski J, Rosenwaks Z,
Bernstein ID, Rafii S. Endothelial
cells are essential for the self-renewal
and repopulation of notch-dependent
hematopoietic stem cells. Cell Stem
Cell. 2010 6:251-64.
Evans T. Fishing for a WNT-PGE2
link: b-catenin is caught in the stem
cell network. Cell Stem Cell. 2009 4:
280-2.
Circulation Research
Hooper AT, Shmelkov SV, Gupta
S, Milde T, Bambino K, Gillen K,
Goetz M, Chavala S, Baljevic M,
Murphy A, Valenzuela DM, Gale
NW, Thurston G, Yancopoulos
GD, Vahdat L, Evans T, Rafii S.
Angiomodulin is a specific marker of
vasculature and regulates vegetal
endothelial growth factor-Adependent neoangiogenesis.
Circulation Research. 2009 105:201-8.
Developmental Biology
Holtzinger A, Rosenfeld G, Evans
T. Gata4 directs development of
cardiac-inducing endoderm from
ES cells. Developmental Biology. 2010
337:63-73.
Publications
Developmental Dynamics
Choudhuri A, Evans T, Maitra U.
The non-core subunit eIF3h of
translation initiation factor eIF3
regulates zebrafish embryonic
development. Developmental
Dynamics. 2010 239:1632-44.
Rikin A, Evans T. The Tbox/bHLH
transcription factor mga regulates
gata4 and organogenesis.
Developmental Dynamics. 2010 239:
535-47.
Diseases of the Colon & Rectum
Ma J, Shukla PJ, Milsom JW. The
evolving role of robotic colorectal
surgery. Diseases of the Colon &
Rectum. 2011 Mar;54(3):376.
Milsom JW, Shukla PJ. Should
intraoperative colonoscopy play a
role in the surveillance for colorectal
cancer? Diseases of the Colon & Rectum.
2011 Apr;54(4):504-6.
Garrett KA, Church J. History of
hysterectomy: a significant problem
for colonoscopists that is not present
in patients who have had sigmoid
colectomy. Diseases of the Colon &
Rectum. 2010 Jul;53(7):1055-60.
Ho VP, Stein SL, Trencheva K,
Barie PS, Milsom JW, Lee SW,
Sonoda T. Differing risk factors for
incisional and organ/space surgical
site infections following abdominal
colorectal surgery. Diseases of the
Colon & Rectum. 2011 Jul;54(7):
818-25.
Ho VP, Nash G, Neidell M,
Feldman E, Trencheva K, Milsom
JW, Lee SW. Insurance but not
race is associated with presentation,
treatment and mortality in
diverticulitis in a statewide database.
Diseases of the Colon & Rectum. 2011
May;54(5):559-65.
Garrett KA, Remzi FH, Kirat
HT, Fazio VW, Shen B, Kiran RP.
Outcome of salvage surgery for ileal
pouches referred with a diagnosis of
Crohn’s disease. Diseases of the Colon
& Rectum. 2009 Dec;52(12):1967-74.
Karoui M, Champault A, Pautrat K,
Valleur P, Cherqui D, Champault G.
Laparoscopic peritoneal lavage
or primary anastomosis with
defunctioning stoma for Hinchey 3
complicated diverticulitis: results of
a comparative study. Diseases of the
Colon & Rectum. 2009 Apr;52(4):609-15.
Milsom JW, de Oliveira O Jr,
Trencheva KI, Pandey S, Lee SW,
Sonoda T. Long-term outcomes
of patients undergoing curative
laparoscopic surgery for mid and low
rectal cancer. Diseases of the Colon &
Rectum. 2009 Jul;52(7):1215-22.
Marcello PW, Fleshman JW, Milsom
JW, Read TE, Arnell TD, Birnbaum
EH, Feingold DL, Lee SW, Mutch
MG, Sonoda T, Yan Y, Whelan
RL. Hand-assisted laparoscopic vs.
laparoscopic colorectal surgery: a
multicenter, prospective, randomized
trial. Diseases of the Colon & Rectum.
2008 Jun;51(6):818-26.
Offodile AC 2nd, Lee SW, Yoo J,
Whelan RL, Moradi D, Baxter R,
Arnell TD, Nasar A, Sonoda T,
Milsom JW, Feingold DL. Does
prior abdominal surgery influence
conversion rates and outcomes of
laparoscopic right colectomy in
patients with neoplasia? Diseases
of the Colon & Rectum. 2008
Nov;51(11):1669-74.
Lee SW, Sonoda T, Milsom JW.
Expediting of laparoscopic rectal
dissection using a hand-access
device. Diseases of the Colon & Rectum.
2007 Jun;50(6):927-9.
Michelassi F, Taschieri A, Tonelli
F, Sasaki I, Poggioli G, Fazio V,
Upadhyay G, Hurst R, Sampietro
GM, Fazi M, Funayama Y, Pierangeli
F. An international, multicenter,
prospective, observational study
of the side-to-side isoperistaltic
strictureplasty in Crohn’s disease.
Diseases of the Colon & Rectum. 2007
Mar;50(3):277-84.
Lee SW, Yoo J, Dujovny N, Sonoda
T, Milsom JW. Laparoscopic vs.
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Research
hand-assisted laparoscopic
sigmoidectomy for diverticulitis.
Diseases of the Colon & Rectum. 2006
Apr;49(4):464-9.
Fichera A, McCormack R, Rubin
MA, Hurst RD, Michelassi F. Longterm outcome of surgically treated
Crohn’s colitis: a prospective study.
Diseases of the Colon & Rectum. 2005
May;48(5):963-9.
European Journal of
Surgical Oncology
Karoui M, Soprani A, Charachon A,
Delbaldo C, Vigano L, Luciani A,
Cherqui D. Primary chemotherapy
with or without colonic stent for
management of irresectable stage IV
colorectal cancer. European Journal of
Surgical Oncology. 2010 Jan;36(1):58.
Kluger MD, Taub RN, Hesdorffer
M, Jin Z, Chabot JA. Two-stage
operative cytoreduction and
intraperitoneal chemotherapy
for diffuse malignant peritoneal
mesothelioma: operative morbidity
and mortality in phase I and II trials.
European Journal of Surgical Oncology.
2010 Oct;36(10):997-1003.
Journal of the
American College of Surgeons
Shukla PJ, Makino T, Trencheva
K, Milsom JW. Challenges of
improving outcomes of rectal cancer
surgery in obese patients. Journal of
the American College of Surgeons. 2011
Jan;212(1):130.
Dagher I, Belli G, Fantini C, Laurent
A, Tayar C, Lainas P, Tranchart H,
Franco D, Cherqui D. Laparoscopic
hepatectomy for hepatocellular
carcinoma: a European experience.
Journal of the American College of
Surgeons. 2010 Jul;211(1):16-23.
Fong Y, Early K, Deane SA,
Johnson FE, Nogueras JJ, Finley RJ,
Hoballah JJ, Michelassi F, Villar
HV. American College of Surgeons
international scholarship programs:
40-year history of support for
Department of Surgery
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59
Research
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Publications
international surgical education.
Journal of the American College of
Surgeons. 2010 Aug;211(2):279-84.
in a surgical ICU. Journal of the
American College of Surgeons. 2006
Jun;202(6):995-1000.
Henteleff HJ, Barie PS, Hamilton
SM; Members of the EvidenceBased Reviews in Surgery Group.
Universal screening for methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus
in surgical patients. Journal of the
American College of Surgeons. 2010
Dec;211(6):833-5.
Esposito TJ, Rotondo M, Barie PS,
Reilly P, Pasquale MD. Making the
case for a paradigm shift in trauma
surgery. Journal of the American College
of Surgeons. 2006 Apr;202(4):655-67.
Sonoda T, Pandey S, Trencheva K,
Lee SW, Milsom JW. Long-term
complications of hand-assisted versus
laparoscopic colectomy. Journal of
the American College of Surgeons. 2009
Jan;208(1):62-6.
Pieracci FM, Ullery BW,
Eachempati SR, Nilson E, Hydo
LJ, Barie PS, Fins JJ. Prospective
analysis of life-sustaining therapy
discussions in the surgical intensive
care unit: a housestaff perspective.
Journal of the American College of
Surgeons. 2008 Oct;207(4):468-76.
Pieracci FM, Eachempati SR,
Barie PS, Callahan MA. Insurance
status, but not race, predicts
perforation in adult patients with
acute appendicitis. Journal of the
American College of Surgeons. 2007
Sep;205(3):445-52.
Pieracci FM, Fahey TJ 3rd.
Substernal thyroidectomy is
associated with increased morbidity
and mortality as compared with
conventional cervical thyroidectomy.
Journal of the American College of
Surgeons. 2007 Jul;205(1):1-7.
Wolff BG, Weese JL, Ludwig KA,
Delaney CP, Stamos MJ, Michelassi
F, Du W, Techner L. Postoperative
ileus-related morbidity profile in
patients treated with alvimopan
after bowel resection. Journal of the
American College of Surgeons. 2007
Apr;204(4):609-16.
Bacchetta MD, Eachempati SR,
Fins JJ, Hydo L, Barie PS. Factors
influencing DNR decision-making
60
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Department of Surgery
Trocciola SM, Hoda S, Osborne
MP, Christos PJ, Levin H, Martins
D, Carson J, Daly J, Simmons RM.
Do bone marrow micrometastases
correlate with sentinel lymph node
metastases in breast cancer patients?
Journal of the American College of
Surgeons. 2005 May;200(5):720-5.
Bessey PQ, Simon RJ, O’Neill PA,
Cooper A, Seibel RW, Flynn WJ Jr,
Marx WH; American College of
Surgeons Committee on Trauma.
Use of a statewide administrative
database in assessing a regional
trauma system. Journal of the
American College of Surgeons. 2004
Dec;199(6):996-8.
Kaufman C, Bachman B, Littrup P,
Freeman-Gibb L, White M, Carolin K,
Franscescatti D, Stocks L, Smith S,
Henry A, Bailey L, Harness J,
Simmons RM. Office based
cryoablation of breast fibroadenomas:
12-month follow-up. Journal of the
American College of Surgeons. 2004
Jun;198(6):914-23.
Journal of Trauma
Muensterer OJ. Response to
letter to the editor entitled use of
laparoscopy in pediatric trauma:
indication and benefit. Journal of
Trauma. 2011 Jan;70(1):265.
Eachempati SR, Hydo LJ, Shou J,
Barie PS. Does de-escalation of
antibiotic therapy for ventilatorassociated pneumonia affect the
likelihood of recurrent pneumonia
or mortality in critically ill surgical
patients? Journal of Trauma. 2009
May;66(5):1343-8.
Napolitano LM, Kurek S, Luchette
FA, Anderson GL, Bard MR,
Bromberg W, Chiu WC, Cipolle
MD, Clancy KD, Diebel L, Hoff WS,
Hughes KM, Munshi I, Nayduch D,
Sandhu R, Yelon JA, Corwin HL,
Barie PS, Tisherman SA, Hebert
PC; EAST Practice Management
Workgroup; American College of
Critical Care Medicine (ACCM)
Taskforce of the Society of Critical
Care Medicine (SCCM). Clinical
practice guideline: red blood cell
transfusion in adult trauma and
critical care. Journal of Trauma. 2009
Dec;67(6):1439-42.
Barie PS, Hydo LJ, Shou J,
Eachempati SR. Decreasing
magnitude of multiple organ
dysfunction syndrome despite
increasingly severe critical surgical
illness: a 17-year longitudinal
study. Journal of Trauma. 2008
Dec;65(6):1227-35.
Hughes DB, Ullery BW, Barie PS.
The contemporary approach to the
care of Jehovah’s witnesses. Journal of
Trauma. 2008 Jul;65(1):237-47.
Cross KJ, Koomalsingh KJ, Fahey
TJ 3rd, Sample J. Hypopharyngeal
rupture secondary to blunt trauma:
presentation, evaluation, and
management. Journal of Trauma. 2007
Jan;62(1):243-6.
Eachempati SR, Wang JC, Hydo LJ,
Shou J, Barie PS. Acute renal
failure in critically ill surgical
patients: persistent lethality despite
new modes of renal replacement
therapy. Journal of Trauma. 2007
Nov;63(5):987-93.
Eachempati SR, Hydo LJ, Shou J,
Barie PS. Outcomes of acute
respiratory distress syndrome
(ARDS) in elderly patients. Journal of
Trauma. 2007 Aug;63(2):344-50.
Kaplan LJ, Frankel H, Davis KA,
Barie PS. Pitfalls of implementing
acute care surgery. Journal of Trauma.
2007 May;62(5):1264-70.
Publications
Pieracci FM, Eachempati SR,
Shou J, Hydo LJ, Barie PS. Degree
of anticoagulation, but not warfarin
use itself, predicts adverse outcomes
after traumatic brain injury in
elderly trauma patients. Journal of
Trauma. 2007 Sep;63(3):525-30.
Tisherman SA, Barie PS, Bokhari F,
Bonadies J, Daley B, Diebel L,
Eachempati SR, Kurek S, Luchette
F, Carlos Puyana J, Schreiber M,
Simon R. Clinical practice guideline:
endpoints of resuscitation. Journal of
Trauma. 2004 Oct;57(4):898-912.
Pieracci FM, Eachempati SR,
Shou J, Hydo LJ, Barie PS. Use
of long-term anticoagulation is
associated with traumatic intracranial
hemorrhage and subsequent mortality
in elderly patients hospitalized after
falls: analysis of the New York State
Administrative Database. Journal of
Trauma. 2007 Sep;63(3):519-24.
Journal of Vascular Surgery
Ciraulo DL, Barie PS, et al. Eastern
Association for the Surgery of Trauma:
Disaster and Medical Special
Operations Committee, (DMSOC).
An update on the surgeon’s scope
and depth of practice to all hazards
emergency response. Journal of
Trauma. 2006 Jun;60(6):1267-74.
Eachempati SR, Hydo L, Shou
J, Barie PS. Sex differences in
creation of do-not-resuscitate orders
for critically ill elderly patients
following emergency surgery. Journal
of Trauma. 2006 Jan;60(1):193-7.
Barie PS. Leading and managing
in unmanageable times. Journal of
Trauma. 2005 Oct;59(4):803-14.
Rotondo MF, Esposito TJ, Reilly PM,
Barie PS, et al. The position of the
Eastern Association for the Surgery
of Trauma on the future of trauma
surgery. Journal of Trauma. 2005
Jul;59(1):77-9.
Burt BM, Afifi HY, Wantz GE, Barie
PS. Traumatic lumbar hernia: report
of cases and comprehensive review of
the literature. Journal of Trauma. 2004
Dec;57(6):1361-70.
Eachempati SR, Mick S, Barie
PS. The impact of the 2003 blackout
on a level 1 trauma center: lessons
learned and implications for injury
prevention. Journal of Trauma. 2004
Nov;57(5):1127-31.
Henderson PW, Jimenez N, Ruffino
J, Sohn AM, Weinstein AL, Krijgh
DD, Reiffel AJ, Spector JA.
Therapeutic delivery of hydrogen
sulfide for salvage of ischemic
skeletal muscle after the onset of
critical ischemia. Journal of Vascular
Surgery. 2011 Mar;53(3):785-91.
Goldstein LJ, Halpern JA, Rezayat C,
Gallagher KA, Sambol EB, Bush HL
Jr, Karwowski JK. Endovascular
aneurysm repair in nonagenarians is
safe and effective. Journal of Vascular
Surgery. 2010 Nov;52(5):1140-6.
Goldstein LJ, Rezayat C, Shrikhande
GV, Bush HL Jr. Delayed permanent
paraplegia after endovascular repair
of abdominal aortic aneurysm.
Journal of Vascular Surgery. 2010
Mar;51(3):725-8.
Henderson PW, Lewis GK, Shaikh
N, Sohn A, Weinstein AL, Olbricht
WL, Spector JA. A portable highintensity focused ultrasound device
for noninvasive venous ablation.
Journal of Vascular Surgery. 2010
Mar;51(3):707-11.
Derubertis BG, Pierce M, Ryer EJ,
Trocciola MS, Kent KC, Faries
PL. Reduced primary patency rate in
diabetic patients after percutaneous
intervention results from more
frequent presentation with limbthreatening ischemia. Journal of
Vascular Surgery. 2008 Jan;47(1):101-8.
Derubertis BG, Chaer RA, Gordon
R, Bell H, Hynecek RL, Pieracci
FM, Karwowski JK, Kent
KC, Faries PL. Determining the
quantity and character of carotid
artery embolic debris by electron
microscopy and energy dispersive
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Research
spectroscopy. Journal of Vascular
Surgery. 2007 Apr;45(4):716-24.
Derubertis BG, Pierce M, Chaer
RA, Rhee SJ, Benjeloun R, Ryer
EJ, Kent C, Faries PL. Lesion
severity and treatment complexity
are associated with outcome
after percutaneous infra-inguinal
intervention. Journal of Vascular
Surgery. 2007 Oct;46(4):709-16.
Derubertis BG, Trocciola SM,
Ryer EJ, Pieracci FM, McKinsey
JF, Faries PL, Kent KC. Abdominal
aortic aneurysm in women: prevalence,
risk factors, and implications for
screening. Journal of Vascular Surgery.
2007 Oct;46(4):630-5.
Hynecek RL, Sadek M, Derubertis
BG, Ryer EJ, Choi J, Hsu S,
Kent KC, Faries PL. Evaluation
of pressure transmission and
intra-aneurysmal contents after
endovascular repair using the
Trivascular Enovus expanded
polytetrafluoroethylene stent graft in
a canine model of abdominal aortic
aneurysm. Journal of Vascular Surgery.
2007 Nov;46(5):1005-13.
Lam RC, Lin SC, Derubertis BG,
Hynecek R, Kent KC, Faries
PL. The impact of increasing age
on anatomic factors affecting
carotid angioplasty and stenting.
Journal of Vascular Surgery. 2007
May;45(5):875-80.
Liu B, Ryer EJ, Kundi R, Kamiya
K, Itoh H, Faries PL, Sakakibara
K, Kent KC. Protein kinase C-delta
regulates migration and proliferation
of vascular smooth muscle cells
through the extracellular signalregulated kinase 1/2. Journal of
Vascular Surgery. 2007 Jan;45(1):160-8.
Chaer RA, Trocciola SM,
Derubertis BG, Hynecek R, Xu Q,
Lam R, Kent KC, Faries PL.
Evaluation of the accuracy of a
wireless pressure sensor in a canine
model of retrograde-collateral (type
II) endoleak and correlation with
histologic analysis. Journal of Vascular
Surgery. 2006 Dec;44(6):1306-13.
Department of Surgery
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61
Research
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Publications
Chaer RA, Trocciola SM,
Derubertis BG, Lin SC, Kent KC,
Faries PL. Cerebral ischemia
associated with PercuSurge balloon
occlusion balloon during carotid
stenting: incidence and possible
mechanisms. Journal of Vascular
Surgery. 2006 May;43(5):946-52;
discussion 952.
Trocciola SM, Chaer RA, Lin SC,
Ryer EJ, Derubertis BG, Morrissey
NJ, McKinsey J, Kent KC, Faries
PL. Analysis of parameters
associated with hypotension
requiring vasopressor support after
carotid angioplasty and stenting.
Journal of Vascular Surgery. 2006
Apr;43(4):714-20.
Trocciola SM, Dayal R, Chaer
RA, Lin SC, Derubertis BG,
Ryer EJ, Hynececk RL, Pierce MJ,
Prince M, Badimon J, Marin ML,
Fuster V, Kent KC, Faries PL.
The development of endotension
is associated with increased
transmission of pressure and serous
components in porous expanded
polytetrafluoroethylene stent-grafts:
characterization using a canine
model. Journal of Vascular Surgery.
2006 Jan;43(1):109-16.
Alsac JM, Zarins CK, Heikkinen
MA, Karwowski JK, Arko FR,
Desgranges P, Roudot-Thoraval F,
Becquemin JP. The impact of aortic
endografts on renal function.
Journal of Vascular Surgery. 2005
Jun;41(6):926-30.
Cayne NS, Faries PL, Trocciola
SM, Saltzberg SS, Dayal RD, Clair
D, Rockman CB, Jacobowitz GR,
Maldonado T, Adelman MA,
Lamperello P, Riles TS, Kent KC.
Carotid angioplasty and stentinduced bradycardia and hypotension: impact of prophylactic atropine
administration and prior carotid
endarterectomy. Journal of Vascular
Surgery. 2005 Jun;41(6):956-61.
Rhee JY, Trocciola SM, et al.
Treatment of type II endoleaks with
a novel polyurethane thrombogenic
62
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Department of Surgery
foam: induction of endoleak
thrombosis and elimination of intraaneurysmal pressure in the canine
model. Journal of Vascular Surgery.
2005 Aug;42(2):321-8.
Dayal R, Faries PL, Lin SC,
Bernheim J, Hollenbeck S,
Derubertis BG, Trocciola SM,
Rhee J, McKinsey J, Morrissey NJ,
Kent KC. Computer simulation
as a component of catheter-based
training. Journal of Vascular Surgery.
2004 Dec;40(6):1112-7.
Dayal R, Mousa A, Bernheim J,
Hollenbeck ST, Henderson P, Prince
M, Gordon R, Badimon J, Fuster V,
Marin ML, Kent KC, Faries PL.
Characterization of retrograde
collateral (type II) endoleak using a
new canine model. Journal of Vascular
Surgery. 2004 Nov;40(5):985.
Derubertis BG, Clair D, Faries
PL, Kapur S, Park K, Kent KC.
Resection of an intravenous
leiomyoma with intracardiac
extension with use of endovascular
techniques. Journal of Vascular
Surgery. 2004 Sep;40(3):554-8.
Hollenbeck ST, Nelson PR,
Yamamura S, Faries PL, Liu B, Kent
KC. Intracellular calcium transients
are necessary for platelet-derived
growth factor but not extracellular
matrix protein-induced vascular
smooth muscle cell migration.
Journal of Vascular Surgery. 2004
Aug;40(2):351-8.
Kent KC, Zwolak RM, Jaff MR,
Hollenbeck ST, et al. Screening
for abdominal aortic aneurysm:
a consensus statement. Journal of
Vascular Surgery. 2004 Jan;39(1):267-9.
Liver Transplantation
Tayar C, Kluger MD, Laurent A,
Cherqui D. Optimizing outflow
in piggyback liver transplantation
without caval occlusion: the threevein technique. Liver Transplantation.
2011 Jan;17(1):88-92.
Nature
Seandel M, Rafii S. Reproductive
biology: in vitro sperm maturation.
Nature. 2011 Mar 24;471(7339):453-5.
Kikuchi K, Holdway JE, Werdich AA,
Anderson RM, Fang Y, Egnaczyk
GF, Evans T, MacRae CA, Stainier
DYR, Poss KD. Primary contribution
to zebrafish heart regeneration by
gata4+ cardiomyocytes. Nature. 2010
464:601-5.
Nature Biotechnology
Polo JM, Liu S, Figueroa ME, Kulalert
W, Eminli S, Tan KY, Apostolou E,
Stadtfeld M, Li Y, Natesan S,
Wagers A, Melnick A, Evans T,
and Hochedlinger K. Cell of origin
influences molecular and functional
properties of murine induced
pluripotent stem cells. Nature
Biotechnology. 2010 8:848-55.
James D, Nam HS, Seandel M, et al.
Expansion and maintenance of
human embryonic stem cell-derived
endothelial cells by TGFbeta
inhibition is Id1 dependent. Nature
Biotechnology. 2010 28:161-6.
Nature Chemical Biology
Ye J, Chen S, Maniatis T. Cardiac
glycosides are potent inhibitors of
interferon-β gene expression. Nature
Chemical Biology. 2011 7(1):25.
Nature Genetics
Bott M, Brevet M, Taylor BS,
Shimizu S, Ito T, Wang L, Creaney
J, Lake RA, Zakowski MF, Reva B,
Sander C, Delsite R, Powell S, Zhou
Q, Shen R, Olshen A, Rusch V,
Ladanyi M. The nuclear deubiquitinase BAP1 is commonly inactivated
by somatic mutations and 3p21.1
losses in malignant pleural mesothelioma. Nature Genetics. 2011 Jun 5;
43(7):668-72.
Publications
Obesity Surgery
Zhang F, Strain GW, Lei W, Dakin
GF, Gagner M, Pomp A. Changes in
lipid profiles in morbidly obese patients
after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy
(LSG). Obesity Surgery including
Laparoscopy and Allied Care. 2011
Mar;21(3):305-9.
Walewski JL, Ge F, Gagner M,
Inabnet WB, Pomp A, Branch AD,
Berk PD. Adipocyte accumulation
of long-chain fatty acids in obesity
is multifactorial, resulting from
increased fatty acid uptake and
decreased activity of genes involved
in fat utilization. Obesity Surgery
including Laparoscopy and Allied Care.
2010 Jan;20(1):93-107.
Yung E, Gagner M, Pomp A,
Dakin GF, Milone L, Strain GW.
Cost comparison of reusable and
single-use ultrasonic shears for
laparoscopic bariatric surgery. Obesity
Surgery including Laparoscopy and
Allied Care. 2010 Apr;20(4):512-8.
Strain GW, Gagner M, Pomp A,
Dakin GF, Inabnet WB, Hsieh J,
Christos P. Lean body mass (LBM) in
the super obese (BMI >50) compared
to the morbidly obese (BMI< 50)
in response to various weight loss
operations. Obesity Surgery including
Laparoscopy and Allied Care. 2009, 17
[suppl 2]:S263.
Gong K, Gagner M, Pomp A,
Almahmeed T, Bardaro SJ. Micronutrient deficiencies after laparoscopic
gastric bypass: recommendations.
Obesity Surgery including Laparoscopy
and Allied Care. 2008 Sep;18(9):1062-6.
Makar B, Quilliot D, Zarnegar R,
Levan T, Ayav A, Bresler L, Boissel P,
Brunaud L. What is the quality of
information about bariatric surgery
on the internet? Obesity Surgery
including Laparoscopy and Allied Care.
2008 Nov;18(11):1455-9.
Pieracci FM, Hydo L, Pomp A,
Eachempati SR, Shou J, Barie PS.
The relationship between body mass
index and postoperative mortality
from critical illness. Obesity Surgery
including Laparoscopy and Allied Care.
2008 May;18(5):501-7.
membrane. Obesity Surgery including
Laparoscopy and Allied Care. 2004
Nov-Dec;14(10):1360-6.
Gumbs AA, Gagner M, Dakin
GF, Pomp A. Sleeve gastrectomy
for morbid obesity. Obesity Surgery
including Laparoscopy and Allied Care.
2007 Jul;17(7):962-9.
Plastic and Reconstructive
Surgery
Gumbs AA, Pomp A, Gagner M.
Revisional bariatric surgery for
inadequate weight loss. Obesity
Surgery including Laparoscopy and
Allied Care. 2007 Sep;17(9):1137-45.
James AW, Zarnegar R, Aoki H,
Campos GM. Laparoscopic gastric
bypass with intestinal malrotation.
Obesity Surgery including Laparoscopy
and Allied Care. 2007 Aug;17(8):
1119-22.
Coleman MH, Awad ZT, Pomp A,
Gagner M. Laparoscopic closure
of the Petersen mesenteric defect.
Obesity Surgery including Laparoscopy
and Allied Care. 2006 Jun;16(6):770-2.
Chartrand G, Pomp A. William the
Conqueror: war over weight. Obesity
Surgery including Laparoscopy and
Allied Care. 2005 Oct;15(9):1355.
Inabnet WB, Quinn T, Gagner M,
Urban M, Pomp A. Laparoscopic
Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in patients
with BMI <50: a prospective
randomized trial comparing short
and long limb lengths. Obesity
Surgery including Laparoscopy and
Allied Care. 2005 Jan;15(1):51-7.
Consten EC, Dakin GF, Gagner M.
Intraluminal migration of bovine
pericardial strips used to reinforce
the gastric staple-line in laparoscopic
bariatric surgery. Obesity Surgery
including Laparoscopy and Allied Care.
2004 Apr;14(4):549-54.
Consten EC, Gagner M, Pomp A,
Inabnet WB. Decreased bleeding
after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy
with or without duodenal switch
for morbid obesity using a stapled
buttressed absorbable polymer
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Research
Hidalgo DA, Spector JA. Reply:
bra stuffing for implant sizing?
Satisfaction? Who, when, and
compared to what? Plastic and
Reconstructive Surgery. 2011 Feb;127(2):
1002-3.
Hidalgo DA, Spector JA. Reply:
where are the data? Plastic and
Reconstructive Surgery. 2011 Feb;127(2):
1004-5.
Cohen BD, Vendemia N, Spector
JA, Rohde CH. Internal mammary
artery perforators for the salvage
of a superficially dominant free
flap breast reconstruction. Plastic
and Reconstructive Surgery. 2010
Jun;125(6):254e-5e.
Chao JW, Cohen BD, Rohde CH,
Kutler DI, Spector JA. Free fibular
flap reconstruction of the mandible
in a patient with Fanconi anemia.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. 2010
Feb;125(2):61e-3e.
Henderson PW, Singh SP, Spector
JA. Chest wall spindle cell fibromatosis
after breast augmentation. Plastic
and Reconstructive Surgery. 2010
Aug;126(2):94e-5e.
Henderson PW, Singh SP,
Weinstein AL, Nagineni V, Rafii DC,
Kadouch D, Krijgh DD, Spector JA.
Therapeutic metabolic inhibition:
hydrogen sulfide significantly
mitigates skeletal muscle ischemia
reperfusion injury in vitro and in vivo.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. 2010
Dec;126(6):1890-8.
Henderson PW, Weinstein AL,
Sung J, Singh SP, Nagineni V,
Spector JA. Hydrogen sulfide
attenuates ischemia-reperfusion
injury in in vitro and in vivo models
of intestine free tissue transfer.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. 2010
Jun;125(6):1670-8.
Department of Surgery
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63
Research
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Publications
Hidalgo DA, Spector JA. Preoperative
sizing in breast augmentation.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. 2010
Jun;125(6):1781-7.
Cross KJ, Bomsztyk ED, Weinstein
AL, Teo EH, Spector JA, Lyden DC.
A novel method for targeted gene
therapy in ischemic tissues through
viral transfection of an expression
cassette containing multiple
repetitions of hypoxia response
element. Plastic and Reconstructive
Surgery. 2009 Feb;123(2 Suppl):76S-82S.
Cross KJ, Teo EH, Wong SL,
Lambe JS, Rohde CH, Grant RT,
Ascherman JA. The absorbable
dermal staple device: a faster, more
cost-effective method for incisional
closure. Plastic and Reconstructive
Surgery. 2009 Jul;124(1):156-62.
Kamdar MR, Rohde C, Spector JA.
Lateral circumflex femoral artery:
not always atherosclerosis-resistant.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. 2008
Nov;122(5):1597-8.
Schwarz GS, Spinelli HM.
Correction of upper eyelid retraction
using deep temporal fascia spacer
grafts. Plastic and Reconstructive
Surgery. 2008 Sep;122(3):765-74.
Spector JA, Blei F, Zide BM.
Early surgical intervention for
proliferating hemangiomas of the
scalp: indications and outcomes.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. 2008
Aug;122(2):457-62.
Culliford AT 4th, Spector JA,
Flores RL, Louie O, Choi M, Karp
NS. Intraoperative Sensorcaine
significantly improves postoperative
pain management in outpatient
reduction mammaplasty. Plastic
and Reconstructive Surgery. 2007 Sep
15;120(4):840-4.
Spector JA, Culliford AT 4th,
Levine JP. Breast cerebrospinal fluid
pseudocyst. Plastic and Reconstructive
Surgery. 2007 Jul;120(1):357-8.
64
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Department of Surgery
Spector JA, Draper LB, Levine JP,
Ahn CY. A technique for atraumatic
microvascular arterial coupling.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. 2007
May;119(6):1968-9.
Spector JA, Karp NS. Reduction
mammaplasty: a significant
improvement at any size. Plastic
and Reconstructive Surgery. 2007 Sep
15;120(4):845-50.
Spector JA, Levine S, Levine JP.
Free tissue transfer to the lower
extremity distal to the zone of
injury: indications and outcomes
over a 25-year experience. Plastic
and Reconstructive Surgery. 2007 Sep
15;120(4):952-9.
Spector JA, Warren SM, Zide BM.
Chin surgery VI: treatment of an
unusual deformity, the tethered
microgenic chin. Plastic and
Reconstructive Surgery. 2007 Sep 15;
120(4):1053-9.
Warren SM, Spector JA, Zide BM.
Chin surgery V: treatment of the
long, nonprojecting chin. Plastic
and Reconstructive Surgery. 2007
Sep;120(3):760-8.
Warren SM, Spector JA, Zide BM.
Chin surgery VII: the textured
secured implant – a recipe for
success. Plastic and Reconstructive
Surgery. 2007 Oct;120(5):1378-85.
Zide BM, Warren SM, Spector JA.
Chin surgery IV: the large chin –
key parameters for successful chin
reduction. Plastic and Reconstructive
Surgery. 2007 Aug;120(2):530-7.
Conejero JA, Lee JA, Parrett BM,
Terry M, Wear-Maggitti K, Grant
RT, Breitbart AS. Repair of palatal
bone defects using osteogenically
differentiated fat-derived stem cells.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. 2006
Mar;117(3):857-63.
Lee JA, Conejero JA, Mason JM,
Parrett BM, Wear-Maggitti KD,
Grant RT, Breitbart AS. Lentiviral
transfection with the PDGF-B gene
improves diabetic wound healing.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. 2005
Aug;116(2):532-8.
Surgery
Reimel B, Zanocco K, Russo MJ,
Zarnegar R, et al. The management
of aldosterone-producing adrenal
adenomas – does adrenalectomy
increase costs? Surgery. 2010 Dec;148
(6):1178-85.
Turbendian HK, Strong VE, Hsu
M, Ghossein RA, Fahey TJ 3rd.
Adrenocortical carcinoma: the
influence of large vessel extension.
Surgery. 2010 Dec;148(6):1057-64.
Yip L, Kebebew E, Milas M, Carty
SE, Fahey TJ 3rd, Parangi S, Zeiger
MA, Nikiforov YE. Summary
statement: utility of molecular
marker testing in thyroid cancer.
Surgery. 2010 Dec;148(6):1313-5.
McGill JF, Moo TA, Kato M, Hoda
R, Allendorf JD, Inabnet WB, Fahey
TJ 3rd, Brunaud L, Zarnegar R, Lee
JA. World wide what? The quality of
information on parathyroid disease
available on the Internet. Surgery.
2009 Dec;146(6):1123-9.
Neuman HB, Michelassi F, Turner
JW, Bass BL. Surrounded by quality
metrics: what do surgeons think
of ACS-NSQIP? Surgery. 2009
Jan;145(1):27-33.
Arora N, Turbendian HK,
Scognamiglio T, Wagner PL,
Goldsmith SJ, Zarnegar R, Fahey
TJ 3rd. Extrathyroidal extension
is not all equal: implications of
macroscopic versus microscopic
extent in papillary thyroid carcinoma.
Surgery. 2008 Dec;144(6):942-7.
Publications
Brunaud L, Ayav A, Zarnegar
R, Rouers A, Klein M, Boissel P,
Bresler L. Prospective evaluation
of 100 robotic-assisted unilateral
adrenalectomies. Surgery. 2008
Dec;144(6):995-1001.
Harari A, Zarnegar R, Lee J, Kazam
E, Inabnet WB 3rd, Fahey TJ 3rd.
Computed tomography can guide
focused exploration in select patients
with primary hyperparathyroidism
and negative sestamibi scanning.
Surgery. 2008 Dec;144(6):970-6.
Heller CA, Michelassi F, Shuler ML.
Accelerating innovation between
surgeons and biomedical engineers in
the academic setting. Surgery. 2008
Feb;143(2):171-5.
Silvestri MT, Hurst RD, Rubin MA,
Michelassi F, Fichera A. Chronic
inflammatory changes in the anal
transition zone after stapled
ileal pouch-anal anastomosis: is
mucosectomy a superior alternative?
Surgery. 2008 Oct;144(4):533-7.
Stocchi L, Milsom JW, Fazio VW.
Long-term outcomes of laparoscopic
versus open ileocolic resection for
Crohn’s disease: follow-up of a
prospective randomized trial. Surgery.
2008 Oct;144(4):622-7.
Wagner PL, Eachempati SR, Soe
K, Pieracci FM, Shou J, Barie
PS. Defining the current negative
appendectomy rate: for whom is
preoperative computed tomography
making an impact? Surgery. 2008
Aug;144(2):276-82.
Hynecek RL, Derubertis BG,
Trocciola SM, Zhang H, Prince
MR, Ennis TL, Kent KC, Faries
PL. The creation of an infrarenal
aneurysm within the native
abdominal aorta of swine. Surgery.
2007 Aug;142(2):143-9.
Payen D, Sablotzki A, Barie PS, et
al. International integrated database
for the evaluation of severe sepsis
and drotrecogin alfa (activated)
therapy: analysis of efficacy and
safety data in a large surgical cohort.
Surgery. 2007 Apr;141(4):548-61.
Zarnegar R, Lee J, Brunaud L,
Lindsay S, Kebebew E, Clark OH,
Duh QY. Good blood pressure
control on antihypertensives, not
only response to spironolactone,
predicts improved outcome after
adrenalectomy for aldosteronoma.
Surgery. 2007 Dec;142(6):921-9;
discussion 921-9.
Bessey PQ, Arons RR, Dimaggio
CJ, Yurt RW. The vulnerabilities
of age: burns in children and older
adults. Surgery. 2006 Oct;140(4):
705-15.
Fichera A, Lovadina S, Rubin M,
Cimino F, Hurst RD, Michelassi F.
Patterns and operative treatment of
recurrent Crohn’s disease: a prospective
longitudinal study. Surgery. 2006
Oct;140(4):649-54.
Michelassi F. The discovery of new
knowledge: our scientific mission.
Surgery. 2006 Oct;140(4):485-90.
Lubitz CC, Gallagher LA, Finley
DJ, Zhu B, Fahey TJ 3rd.
Molecular analysis of minimally
invasive follicular carcinomas
by gene profiling. Surgery. 2005
Dec;138(6):1042-8.
Finley DJ, Zhu B, Fahey TJ 3rd.
Molecular analysis of Hurthle cell
neoplasms by gene profiling. Surgery.
2004 Dec;136(6):1160-8.
Surgical Endoscopy
Bagloo MB, Dakin GF, Mormino LP,
Pomp A. Single-access laparoscopic
cholecystectomy with routine intraoperative cholangiogram. Surgical
Endoscopy. 2011 May;25(5):1683-8.
Delaney CP, Marcello PW, Sonoda
T, Wise P, Bauer J, Techner L.
Gastrointestinal recovery after
laparoscopic colectomy: results
of a prospective, observational,
multicenter study. Surgical Endoscopy.
2010 Mar;24(3):653-61.
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Research
Ho VP, Dakin GF. Laparoscopic
lumbar hernia repair with bone
anchor fixation. Surgical Endoscopy.
2011 May;25(5):1665.
Bleier JI, Moon V, Feingold D,
Whelan RL, Arnell T, Sonoda T,
Milsom JW, Lee SW. Initial repair
of iatrogenic colon perforation
using laparoscopic methods. Surgical
Endoscopy. 2008 Mar;22(3):646-9.
Consten EC, Dakin GF, Robertus
JL, Bardaro S, Milone L, Gagner M.
Perioperative outcome of laparoscopic
left lateral liver resection is improved
by using a bioabsorbable staple line
reinforcement material in a porcine
model. Surgical Endoscopy. 2008
May;22(5):1188-93.
Pomp A. Notes on NOTES: the
emperor is not wearing any clothes.
Surgical Endoscopy. 2008 Feb;22(2):
283-4.
Sonoda T, Lee SW, Whelan RL, Le
D, Foglia C, Venturero M, Hunt D,
Nakajima K, Milsom JW.
Robotically assisted small intestinal
stricturoplasty in dogs: a survival
study involving 16 HeinekeMickulicz stricturoplasties. Surgical
Endoscopy. 2007 Dec;21(12):2220-3.
Nakajima K, Lee SW, Sonoda
T, Milsom JW. Intraoperative
carbon dioxide colonoscopy: a safe
insufflation alternative for locating
colonic lesions during laparoscopic
surgery. Surgical Endoscopy. 2005
March; 19(3):321-5.
Dakin GF, Inabnet WB. Multimedia
article. Laparoscopic enucleation of
a pancreatic insulinoma. Surgical
Endoscopy. 2004 Nov;18(11):1680.
Derubertis BG, McGinty J, Rivera
M, Miskovitz PF, Fahey TJ 3rd.
Laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy
for inflammatory pseudotumor of
the pancreas. Surgical Endoscopy. 2004
Jun;18(6):1001.
Department of Surgery
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65
Research
|
Publications
Nakajima K, Lee SW, Cocilovo
C, Foglia C, Kim K, Sonoda
T, Milsom JW. Hand-assisted
laparoscopic colorectal surgery using
GelPort. Surgical Endoscopy. 2004
Jan;18(1):102-5.
Nakajima K, Lee SW, Cocilovo C,
Foglia C, Sonoda T, Milsom JW.
Laparoscopic total colectomy: handassisted vs. standard technique.
Surgical Endoscopy. 2004 Apr;18(4):
582-6.
Nakajima K, Milsom JW, Margolin
DA, Szilagy EJ. Use of the surgical
towel in colorectal hand-assisted
laparoscopic surgery (HALS). Surgical
Endoscopy. 2004 Mar;18(3):552-3.
|
Balachandran VP, Aull MJ, Goris
M, Figueiro J, Leeser DB, Kapur S.
Successful transplantation of single
kidneys from pediatric donors
weighing less than or equal to 10 kg
into standard weight adult recipients.
Transplantation. 2010 Sep 15;90(5):
518-22.
Cheng EY, Sharma VK, Chang C,
Ding R, Allison AC, Leeser DB,
Suthanthiran M, Yang H. Diannexin
decreases inflammatory cell infiltration
into the islet graft, reduces β-cell
apoptosis, and improves early graft
function. Transplantation. 2010 Oct
15;90(7):709-16.
solution improves early graft
function after cadaveric renal
transplantation. Transplantation.
2004 Apr 27;77(8):1264-8.
World Journal of Surgery
Michelassi F. Is resection of Crohn’s
disease a procedure of the past? World
Journal of Surgery. 2010 Dec;34(12):
2803-4.
Moo TA, McGill J, Allendorf J, Lee
J, Fahey TJ 3rd, Zarnegar R.
Impact of prophylactic central neck
lymph node dissection on early
recurrence in papillary thyroid
carcinoma. World Journal of Surgery.
2010 Jun;34(6):1187-91.
Das B, Tang XY, Sanyal S,
Mohapatra S, Rogler P, Nayak S,
Evans T. Design and synthesis of
3,5-disubstituted -1,2,4-oxadiazole
containing retinoids from a retinoic
acid receptor agonist. Tetrahedron
Letters. 2011 In Press.
Dadhania D, Snopkowski C, Ding R,
Muthukumar T, Lee J, Bang H,
Sharma VK, Seshan S, August P,
Kapur S, Suthanthiran M.
Validation of noninvasive diagnosis
of BK virus nephropathy and
identification of prognostic
biomarkers. Transplantation. 2010 Jul
27;90(2):189-97.
Das BC, Mahalingam SM, Panda
L, Wang B, Campbell P, Evans T.
Design and synthesis of potential
new apoptosis agents: hybrid
compounds containing perillyl
alcohol and new constrained
retinoids. Tetrahedron Letters. 2010
51:1462-6.
Gorbach AM, Leeser DB, Wang H,
Tadaki DK, Fernandez C,
Destephano D, Hale D, Kirk AD,
Gage FA, Elster EA. Assessment
of cadaveric organ viability during
pulsatile perfusion using infrared
imaging. Transplantation. 2009
Apr 27;87(8):1163-6.
Das BC, Mohapatra S, Campbell
PD, Nayak S, Mahalingam SM,
Evans T. Synthesis of functionoriented 2-phenyl-2H-chromene
derivatives using L-Pipecolinic
acid and substituted guanidine
organocatalysts. Tetrahedron Letters.
2010 51:2567-70.
Dadhania D, Snopkowski C, Ding
R, Muthukumar T, Chang C, Aull
M, Lee J, Sharma VK, Kapur S,
Suthanthiran M. Epidemiology of
BK virus in renal allograft recipients:
independent risk factors for BK virus
replication. Transplantation. 2008 Aug
27;86(4):521-8.
Sippel RS, Elaraj DM, Khanafshar E,
Zarnegar R, Kebebew E, Duh QY,
Clark OH. Tumor size predicts
malignant potential in Hürthle cell
neoplasms of the thyroid. World
Journal of Surgery. 2008 May;32(5):
702-7.
Das BC, Mahalingam SM, Evans T.
Design and synthesis of pinacolylboronate-containing combretastatin
“antimitotic agent” analogues.
Tetrahedron Letters. 2009 50:3031-4.
Winchester P, Kapur S, Prince
MR. Noninvasive imaging of living
kidney donors. Transplantation. 2008
Nov 15;86(9):1168-9.
Grobmyer SR, Lieberman MD,
Daly JM. Gallbladder cancer in
the twentieth century: single
institution’s experience. World Journal
of Surgery. 2004 Jan;28(1):47-9.
Tetrahedron Letters
66
Transplantation
Department of Surgery
Guarrera JV, Polyak M, O’Mar
Arrington B, Kapur S, Stubenbord
WT, Kinkhabwala M. Pulsatile
machine perfusion with Vasosol
Arora N, Scognamiglio T, Zhu B,
Fahey TJ 3rd. Do benign thyroid
nodules have malignant potential?
An evidence-based review. World
Journal of Surgery. 2008 Jul;32(7):
1237-46.
Morris L, Ituarte P, Zarnegar R,
et al. Laparoscopic adrenalectomy
after prior abdominal surgery.
World Journal of Surgery. 2008
May;32(5):897-903.
Pieracci FM, Fahey TJ 3rd.
Effect of hospital volume of
thyroidectomies on outcomes
following substernal thyroidectomy.
World Journal of Surgery. 2008
May;32(5):740-6.
International Outreach
Delivering Surgical Care:
Missions to Bangladesh,
China and Colombia
68
Surgical Training: Weill Bugando
68
Humanitarian Mission: Haiti
69
Department of Surgery
|
67
International Outreach
Faculty and residents of the Department of Surgery have been involved in international outreach efforts delivering
surgical care, providing training and assisting in times of international crises.
Delivering Surgical Care:
Missions to Bangladesh,
China and Colombia
Faculty in the Division of Plastic
and Reconstructive Surgery
have traveled multiple times to
Bangladesh, China, Colombia and
other underdeveloped countries to
treat children with cleft palate, cleft
lip and other craniofacial conditions,
as well as hand deformities. In
addition to performing reconstructive
surgical procedures, the Division’s
surgeons frequently give lectures
and teach local physicians so they
can continue the work after the
Weill Cornell physicians return home.
Surgical Training:
Weill Bugando
Following a generous contribution
by Sanford I. Weill, Chairman, Board
of Overseers, Weill Cornell Medical
College established a formal international outreach program with
Weill Bugando University College
of Health Sciences in Mwanza,
Tanzania, in 2007. Since then, the
Department of Surgery has offered
general surgery residents the possibility to spend elective clinical rotations at Weill Bugando University
College of Health Sciences in their
senior residency years.
Most recently, one of our residents,
Dr. Katrina B. Mitchell, completed
two years of research in Tanzania to
develop a surgical curriculum for local
medical students at Weill Bugando.
In collaboration with the Tanzanian
attending physician in charge of
surgical curriculum, Dr. Mitchell has
developed a didactic curriculum
inclusive of Grand Rounds presentations, a Journal Club and a series of
surgical lectures that span the eightweek general surgery medical student
rotation. In addition, Dr. Mitchell’s
responsibilities have included teaching
(From left) Anita Gotto, Dr. Antonio M. Gotto, Jr., the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean, Weill Cornell
Medical College, and Joan and Sanford I. Weill, Chairman, Board of Overseers, Weill Cornell Medical
College, at the inauguration of Weill Bugando in Mwanza, Tanzania, February 2007
68
|
Department of Surgery
medical students surgical skills in
the operating room, conducting bedside teaching, assisting with minor
procedures and helping to oversee
the surgical outpatient clinic.
“While it was a wonderful
experience for me to do hands-on
teaching myself, the purpose of my
time at Weill Bugando was to help
establish a surgical curriculum that
is sustainable by the Tanzanians
themselves,” notes Dr. Mitchell.
“A lot of what I was doing as a
tutorial assistant was helping to
build organization and infrastructure for surgical education using
what I have learned as a surgical
resident at NewYork-Presbyterian
Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical
Center and applying it to a resourcelimited setting like Weill Bugando.”
Dr. Mitchell has also participated
in the African Medical Research
and Education Foundation doing
surgical outreach trips to villages
in northwestern Tanzania to help
assistant medical officers in remote
district hospitals. The experience
gained in these short-term surgical
missions has been extremely useful
to Dr. Mitchell in learning about
non-governmental organizations,
public health policy, the challenges
of interactions between foreigners and local providers, and how
surgeons trained in the Western
world can best use their skills to
support advancement of surgical
infrastructure and education in the
developing world.
|
Humanitarian Mission: Haiti
On January 12, 2010, a massive
earthquake reduced much of Haiti
to rubble, killing an estimated
200,000 people. On Wednesday, the
day after the quake, a relief team
from NewYork-Presbyterian/
Weill Cornell and Hospital for
Special Surgery, in cooperation with
the U.S. State Department and
Partners in Health (a Boston-based
humanitarian organization), was
organized to fly to Haiti to provide
emergency surgical care. Providing
leadership for the team was Dr.
Soumitra R. Eachempati, Director
of the Surgical Intensive Care Unit
at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill
Cornell, and Director of Trauma.
The team brought with them medical supplies, including anesthetic
medications, OR equipment and
surgical instruments. When they
arrived, they found hospitals that
were severely damaged and not
capable of running functioning
ORs. Working non-stop for 60-plus
hours at makeshift surgical sites,
the surgeons performed over 100
operations and treated hundreds of
victims for fractures, crushed bones
and other traumatic injuries. “As
soon as we arrived, we realized we
were in for a monumental challenge.
The hospital only had one working
operating room and hundreds of
patients needing emergency surgery.
But working as a team, we were
able to get other operating rooms
up and running, and operate on
a large number of patients who
otherwise would have died of their
injuries,” says Dr. Eachempati.
Two weeks later, Dr. Mia Talmor, a
faculty member in the Division of
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery,
also joined in the Haiti relief effort
along with 60 members of the
New York Regional Society
of Plastic and Reconstructive
Surgeons. “Having had the opportunity to travel to Haiti in the
mid-1980s, and later as a volunteer
surgeon in the region, I was well
aware of how tenuous the medical
situation was at baseline,” notes
Dr. Talmor. Dr. Talmor and her
colleagues worked out of Hospital
Buen Samaritano in the Dominican
Republic, approximately one mile
from the border, where injured
Haitian refugees were flooding in
Dr. Katrina B. Mitchell performing surgery in Tanzania
International Outreach
from Port-au-Prince. Some 4,000
patients had been flown in for
treatment, and the hospital was in
desperate need of both physicians
and supplies. Upon Dr. Talmor’s arrival, most of the acute trauma had
been treated, but patients needed
wound care and reconstructive
procedures. “It was clear from the
onset that plastic surgeons would
be badly needed for reconstructive
procedures for a long time to come,”
says Dr. Talmor. “As a double boardcertified plastic surgeon with extensive trauma training, I felt that my
skill set would be put to good use.”
Dr. Soumitra R. Eachempati (left) with members of the
surgical team on-site in Haiti
Dr. Mia Talmor treated patients arriving from Haiti in the
Hospital Buen Samaritano, Jimani, Dominican Republic.
Department of Surgery
|
69
Department of Surgery
Faculty Members
Full-time Faculty
72
Voluntary and Part-time Faculty
73
Affiliated Faculty
74
Notable Achievements
76
Faculty Members
As of 2011, the Department of Surgery counts 403 faculty members, divided into full-time (41), part-time and voluntary (140)
and adjunct, secondary and affiliated (222). In addition, we have 67 academic staff, including fellows, visiting fellows,
visiting graduate assistants, postdoctoral associates, research associates and staff associates. Affiliated faculty work in
institutions in New York City, New York State, Texas and Qatar. Between 2005 and 2011, the complement of full-time
faculty has increased by 33 percent.
Professors of Surgery
Philip S. Barie, MD
Palmer Q. Bessey, MD
Daniel Cherqui, MD
Soumitra R. Eachempati, MD
Thomas J. Fahey, III, MD
Fabrizio Michelassi, MD Jeffrey W. Milsom, MD Bakr M. Nour, MD
Alfons Pomp, MD
Rache M. Simmons, MD
Roger W. Yurt, MD
Professor of Cell and
Developmental Biology
in Surgery
Todd R. Evans, PhD
Professor Emeritus
William T. Stubenbord, MD
Adjunct Professor of Surgery
John M. Daly, MD Professors of Clinical Surgery
Howard A. Israel, DDS
Walter F. Pizzi, MD
Anthony J. Tortolani, MD
72
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Department of Surgery
Professor of Anatomy in Surgery
Rachel Koshi, MBBS, MS, PhD Mia Talmor, MD
Eleni A. Tousimis, MD
Professors of Medicine
in Surgery
Andrew J. Dannenberg, MD
Manikkam Suthanthiran, MB, BS
Associate Research Professor
of Surgery
Gladys W. Strain, PhD
Professor of Urology in Surgery
Dix P. Poppas, MD
Associate Professors of Surgery
David A. Behrman, DMD
Harry L. Bush, Jr., MD
Gregory F. Dakin, MD
Sandip Kapur, MD
Sang W. Lee, MD
Oliver J. Muensterer, MD, PhD
Francesco Rubino, MD
Darren B. Schneider, MD
Jason A. Spector, MD
Associate Professors of
Clinical Surgery
Joel M. Friedman, DDS
Anthony N. LaBruna, MD
Michael D. Lieberman, MD
Jian Shou, MD
Toyooki Sonoda, MD
Nitsana A. Spigland, MD
Alexander J. Swistel, MD
Associate Professor of
Anatomy in Surgery
Nithila D. Isaac, PhD Associate Professor of
Emergency Medicine in
Clinical Surgery
Anthony C. Mustalish, MD
Associate Professor of
Urology in Surgery
Joseph J. Del Pizzo, MD
Adjunct Associate Professor of
Clinical Surgery
Robert T. Grant, MD
Assistant Professors of Surgery
Peter H. Connolly, MD
James J. Gallagher, MD
Kelly A. Garrett, MD
Daniel H. Hunt, MD
John K. Karwowski, MD
David B. Leeser, MD
(as of 2011)
|
Erik J. Marzano, DMD
Govind Nandakumar, MD
David Otterburn, MD
Abhinav N. Sinha, DMD
Rasa Zarnegar, MD
Assistant Professor of
Clinical Surgery
Marsha E. Rubin, DDS
Assistant Professor of
Anatomy in Surgery
Nurru L. Mligiliche, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Cell and
Developmental Biology in Surgery
Marco Seandel, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of
Chemical Biology in Surgery
Shuibing Chen, MS, PhD
Assistant Professor of Emergency
Medicine in Clinical Surgery
Judith A. Dattaro, MD
Assistant Professor of
Medicine in Surgery
Yariv J. Houvras, MD, PhD
Assistant Research Professors
of Surgery
Meredith J. Aull, PharmD
Suzanne B. Schwartz, MD
Instructors in Surgery
Heidi Jes Hansen, DMD
Michael D. Kluger, MD, MPH
Instructors of Physician Assistant
Studies in Clinical Surgery
Luis Garcia, PA-S
Gerard J. Marciano, RPA-C, MS
Harry Pomeranz, RPA-C, MS
Lecturer in Surgery
Gustav E. Kappler, III, MD
Fellows in Surgery
Francesco A. Aiello, MD
Abdullah Hasan S. Alghamdi, MD
Aisha Al-Kubaisi, MD
Saad T. Al Qahtani, MD
Khalid Abdullah Alzoman, MD
Toni Beninato, MD
Nii-Kabu Kabutey, MD
David Kleiman, MD
Starr Koslow, MD
Rishi Kundi, MD
Steven Lee-Kong, MD
Tomoki Makino, MD
Andrew J. Meltzer, MD
Katrina B. Mitchell, MD
Marilus Moreira, MD
Sree Panda, MD
Raghava S.K. Pavoor, MD
Alyssa J. Reiffel, MD
Joogho Shin, MD
Alpana Shukla, MD
Michael Sleet, MD
Harma K. Turbendian, MD
Marco Vitellaro, MD
Visiting Fellows in Surgery
Soo Min Ahn, MD
Parul J. Shukla, MD
Postdoctoral Associates
in Surgery
Miguel C. Alonso, PhD
Brandoch D. Cook, MS, PhD
Miriam Gordillo, MS, PhD
Der-I Kao, MS, PhD
Laura J. McCormick, MS, PhD
Sumitra Sengupta, MS, PhD
Visiting Graduate Assistants
in Surgery
Avik Choudhuri, MSc
Philipp Franck, Master’s Candidate
Amir Rikin, MSc, MS
Senior Research Associate
in Surgery
Ritu Kumar, MS
Research Associates in Surgery
Koinanka J. Ivanova-Trencheva, BSN, MS
Ting-Chun Liu, MS
Rajesh T. Patel, PhD
Ingrid Torregroza-Hornak, MS
Jun Zhang, PhD
Staff Associates in Surgery
Janice Blok, BS
Ann Dana Carlson, MS
Ami Dalal, MS
Elizabeth Goldenberg, MPH
Jill Ketner, MSHS
Diana Martins, BA
Jaimie Lobell Sherry, MS
Voluntary and Part-Time Faculty
Julia Abend, DDS
Alan V. Abrams, MD
Anthony Antonacci, MD
Norma Bacilious, MD
Mark J. Bronsky, MD
Brendan M. Cooney, MD
Louis M. Cooper, MD
Emanuela Corielli, MD
Kevin J. Cross, MD
Faculty
Robert L. Cucin, MD
Arthur C. Elias, MD
Richard L. Elias, MD
Gary A. Fantini, MD
Egidio A. Farone, MD
Joseph Feinberg, MD
James P. Gaston, MD
Lloyd B. Gayle, MD
Richard F. Giannandrea, DDS
Michael R. Glogoff, DMD
Robert N. Goldsmith, DMD
Stephen M. Gordon, MD
Richard G. Gray, DDS
Veronica Greene, DDS
Jerry L. Halpern, DDS
Andrew J. Hauser, DDS
David A. Hidalgo, MD
Haideh Hirmand, MD
Mark S. Hochberg, MD
Lloyd A. Hoffman, MD
Olivia Z. Hutchinson, MD
Gerald Imber, MD
Gregg A. Jacob, MD
Peter W. Jankowski, DDS
Claudia B. Kaplan, DDS
Robert Karsten, DDS
Edmund Kessler, MD
Martin E. Kessler, MD
Edmond K. Kwan, MD
Gregory S. LaTrenta, MD
Jason C. Lee, DDS
Marc S. Lemchen, DMD
David J. Levine, DDS
Frederick M. Lifshey, DDS
Lawrence Limb, DMD
Keith Lustman, MD
Jorge A. Matos, DDS
Andrew S. Melinger, DMD
Faith A. Menken, MD
Guy N. Minoli, DDS
Bahn Y. Moon, DDS
Kevin P. Morrissey, MD
Nina S. Naidu, MD
Jay M. Neugarten, MD, DDS
Eugene J. Nowak, MD
Philip D. Pack, DMD
Jonathan T. Perry, DDS
Tara C. Plansky, DMD
Jason E. Portnof, MD, DMD
Edward W. Powers, III, MD
Peter I. Pressman, MD
Herbert C. Rader, MD
Lawrence S. Reed, MD
Department of Surgery
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73
Faculty
|
Renee F. Reich, DDS
Edward A. Rosenbaum, MD
Jack S. Roth, DDS
Kenneth O. Rothaus, MD
Joseph E. Rowan, DDS
Stephen A. Sachs, DDS
Steven P. Saltzman, MD
Norman H. Schulman, MD
Norman S. Schumann, MD
Mark H. Schwartz, MD
George Sferra, Jr., DDS
John E. Sherman, MD
Louis Siegelman, DDS
Michael F. Silane, MD
Robert C. Silich, MD
Michael D. Singer, DMD
Robert M. Sorin, DMD
Henry M. Spinelli, MD
Edward K. Swain, Jr., DMD
Steven B. Syrop, DDS
Bjorn Thorbjarnarson, MD
Steven J. Tunick, DMD
Michael J. Vassallo, DDS
J. Desmond Ward, DDS
Philip L. Whitman, MD
John C. Whitsell, II, MD
Babak Zargari, DMD
Affiliated Faculty
The Brooklyn Hospital Center
New York, NY
Armand Asarian, MD
Stephen S. Carryl, MD
Nadeem A. Chaudhry, MD
Romulo L. Genato, MD
Alan R. Go, MD
Nelson S. Menezes, MD
Wendy-Ann M. Olivier, MD
Peter J. Pappas, MD
Cayuga Medical Center
Ithaca, NY
Daniel R. MacKenzie, MD
Columbia University College of
Physicians and Surgeons
New York, NY
R. Peter Altman, MD
Tracey D. Arnell, MD
Jeffrey A. Ascherman, MD
Tzvi Bar-David, DPM
Marc Bessler, MD
Lawrence E. Bodenstein, MD, PhD
Arnold S. Breitbart, MD
Daniel G. Davis, DO
Rajeev Dayal, MD
Jean C. Emond, MD
Robert Fridman, DPM
Alexander Gart, MD
Robert T. Grant, MD
James V. Guarrera, MD
Tomoaki Kato, MD
James F. McKinsey, MD
Nicholas J. Morrissey, MD
Leila Mureebe, MD
John F. Renz, MD, PhD
Christine H. Rohde, MD
Benjamin Samstein, MD
Charles J. Stolar, MD
Flushing Hospital Center
New York, NY
Robert Golub, MD
Hamad Medical Center
Doha, Qatar
Aryan Hamed Ahmed, MB, ChB
Husham Mohammed Ahmed
Abdul Rahman, MB, BCh
Mohamed Husni Abu Nada, MB,
BCh, BAO
Abdul Rahman Abusabeib, MB, BS
Ibrahim Naim Ibrahim Afifi, MB,
BCh, PhD
Habib B.S. Al-Basti, MB, BCh
Hisham Abdul Khaliq
Al-Johary, MB, ChB
Yousuf Al-Maslamani, MB, BCh
Mohammed Nader Saadi Al Said, MD
Abdulhakeem Al Tabeb, MB, BCh
Moustafa Alkhalil, DMD, MD
Shaikha Ebrahim A. Alkubaisi, BDS
Hisham Ibrahim Allam, MB, BCh
Moatza Mahmoud Mohamed
Bashah, MB, BCh
Hamdy A. El-Khatib, MB, BCh
Ismail Abdelmeguid Farag, MB, BS,
BDS, DDS
Amy Mohis El-Deen Fares, MB, ChB
Jeffrey E. Field, DDS
Ismail Abdelrehim Helmi, MB, ChB
Adel Ismail, MB, ChB
Saed M. Kaldari, MB, BCh, BAO
Mohammed Khairat Ali
Khairat, MB, ChB
Sherwan Rashid Koschnau, MB, ChB
Mazin Ahmed Murtadha, MB, ChB
Davit Sargsyan, MD, PhD
Amr Fathy Aboul Wafa, MB, BCh
Ahmad Masound Zarour, MB, BS
Hospital for Special Surgery
New York, NY
Joshua S. Dines, MD
Andrew J. Weiland, MD
Jamaica Hospital
New York, NY
Gary S. Bromley, MD
Geoffrey K. Doughlin, MD
Kenneth R. Fretwell, MD
Lincoln Medical and
Mental Health Center
New York, NY
Evelyn Irizarry, MD
Ramnath Kapoor, MD
Valerie L. Katz, MD
Meno E. Lueders, MD
Robert Madlinger, MD
Sydney G. McCalla, MD
Rawle F. Philbert, DDS
Soula Priovolos, MD
Jay A. Yelon, MD
Memorial Sloan-Kettering
Cancer Center
New York, NY
Peter J. Allen, MD
Charlotte E. Ariyan, MD
Zubin Bamboat, MD
Laurence J. Belin, MD
Leslie H. Blumgart, MD
George C. Bohle, III, DDS
Ciaran Bradley, MD
Mary S. Brady, MD
Murray F. Brennan, MD
Deborah M. Capko, MD
Kenneth Cardona, MD
Joshua Carson, MD
Hiram S. Cody, III, MD
Daniel G. Coit, MD
Peter G. Cordeiro, MD
Aimee M. Crago, MD, PhD
Michael I. D’Angelica, MD
Ronald DeMatteo, MD
Joseph J. Disa, MD
Mahmoud El-Tamer, MD
Cherry L. Estilo, DMD
Yuman Fong, MD
Timothy Frankel, MD
Mary L. Gemignani, MD, MPH
Jose G. Guillem, MD
Sandy Heck, MD
Alexandra S. Heerdt, MD, MPH
Joseph M. Huryn, DDS
William R. Jarnagin, MD
Douglas Jones, MD
(as of 2011)
74
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Department of Surgery
|
Kaitlyn Kelly, MD
Tari A. King, MD
T. Peter Kingham, MD
Jennifer LaFemina, MD
Michael P. LaQuaglia, MD
John M. Lyons, III, MD
Evan Matros, MD, MMSc
Colleen M. McCarthy, MD
Babak J. Mehrara, MD
Laleh G. Melstrom, MD
Monica Morrow, MD
Garrett M. Nash, MD, MPH
Snehal G. Patel, MD
Philip B. Paty, MD
Lindsay Pharmer, MD
George Plitas, MD
Andrea L. Pusic, MD, MHS
Stuart H.Q. Quan, MD
Virgilio Sacchini, MD
Peter J. Scardino, MD
Lisa M. Sclafani, MD
Jatin P. Shah, MD
Ashok R. Shaha, MD
Samuel Singer, MD
Eric Sorenson, MD
Elliot W. Strong, MD
Vivian E. Strong, MD
Marcus Tan, MD
Larissa K.F. Temple, MD
Alan D. Turnbull, MD
Brian Untch, MD
Kimberly J. Van Zee, MD
Martin R. Weiser, MD
Matthew J. Weiss, MD
Patrick Wolf, MD
Heather Yeo, MD
The Methodist Hospital
Houston, TX
Joseph Agris, MD
Thomas A. Aloia, MD
Carol M. Ashton, MD, MPH
H. Randolph Bailey, MD
Barbara L. Bass, MD
Shanda H. Blackmon, MD, MPH
Sean G. Boutros, MD
Charles E. Butler, MD
Pierre Chevray, MD
Benjamin E. Cohen, MD
Donald R. Collins, Jr., MD
Tue A. Dinh, MD
Brian J. Dunkin, MD
Michael L. Eisemann, MD
Bridget N. Fahy, MD
Craig P. Fischer, MD, MPH
Jeffrey D. Friedman, MD
A. Osama Gaber, MD
Jaime Gateno, DDS, MD
R. Mark Ghobrial, MD, PhD
Heitham T. Hassoun, MD
Min P. Kim, MD
Michael J.A. Klebuc, MD
Malgorzata Kloc-Stepkowska, PhD
Richard J. Knight, MD
Zahid S. Lalani, DDS, PhD
Bruce A. McKinley, PhD
Frederick A. Moore, MD
Laura J. Moore, MD, MPH
David T. Netscher, MD
Timothy E. Oppermann, MD
Patrick Reardon, MD
Wade R. Rosenberg, MD
Eric S. Rothenberg, MD
Omaima Sabek, PhD
Jay M. Shenaq, MD
Michael J. Snyder, MD
Aldona J. Spiegel, MD
Joseph F. Sucher, MD
S. Robb Todd, MD
Krista L. Turner, MD, MPH
Nelda P. Wray, MD, MPH
James J. Xia, MD, PhD
New York Community Hospital
of Brooklyn
New York, NY
Choon S. Shin, MD
Harout I. Nalbandian, MD
New York Downtown Hospital
New York, NY
Abdullah Hasan S. Alghamdi, MB, BS
Khalid Alzoman, MB, BS
Howard L. Beaton, MD
Steven G. Friedman, MD
Gerald Ginsberg, MD
Pauline G. Hecht, MD
Mordecai M. Hoschander, DMD
Robbi Kempner, MD
Herrick H. Wun, MD
New York Hospital Queens
New York, NY
Armando E. Castro, MD
Jameson L. Chassin, MD
Margaret Chen, MD
Mitchell I. Chorost, MD
Litong Du, MD, PhD
Simon D. Fink, MD
Kenneth R. Francis, MD
Paul D. Freedman, DDS
Norman V. Godfrey, MD
Philip M. Godfrey, MD
Faculty
Karen S. Karsif, MD
Stanley M. Kerpel, DDS
Kak Rae (Kurtis) Kim, MD
Gregg S. Landis, MD
Andy M. Lee, MD
Charles M. Lombardi, DPM
Stephen Merola, MD
Jason M. Sample, MD
Marcel Scheinman, MD
Howard I. Tiszenkel, MD
James W. Turner, MD
Burton S. Wasserman, DDS
New York Methodist Hospital
New York, NY
Marcus D’Ayala, MD
Bashar Fahoum, MD
Syed Q. Gardezi, MD
David M. Glass, MD
Piotr J. Gorecki, MD
Prasad Gudavalli, MD
Hossein Hedayati, MD
John G. Hunter, MD
Joshua B. Hyman, MD
Abdul K. Jahangir, MB, BS
James C. Rucinski, MD
Elie S. Semaan, MD
Paul A. Thodiyil, MD
Anthony J. Tortolani, MD
Leslie Wise, MD
Albert M. Wright, MD
The Rogosin Institute
New York, NY
Nathaniel Berman, MD
Jon D. Blumenfeld, MD
Roxana M. Bologa, MD
Jhoong S. Cheigh, MD
James M. Chevalier, MD
Miriam Chung, MD
Darshana M. Dadhania, MD
Bruce R. Gordon, MD
Choli Hartono, MD
Jun B. Lee, MD
Frank M. Liu, MD
Jonathan Lorch, MD
Alan S. Perlman, MD
Robert R. Riggio, MD
Stuart D. Saal, MD
David Serur, MD
Jeffrey I. Silberzweig, MD
Barry H. Smith, MD
Kurt H. Stenzel, MD
John F. Sullivan, MD
John C.L. Wang, MD, PhD
Department of Surgery
|
75
Notable Achievements
During the past seven years, the Department of Surgery physicians at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell have been
regularly cited for their professional achievements and outstanding contributions to the field of surgery in clinical care,
research and education. In addition, they have held leadership positions and served on committees for national and
international organizations and professional societies, and served on editorial boards for numerous peer-reviewed journals.
Named Professorships
(as of 2011)
Jerome J. DeCosse Professor
of Surgery
Jeffrey W. Milsom, MD
Leon C. Hirsch Professor of Surgery
Alfons Pomp, MD
Johnson and Johnson Distinguished
Professor of Surgery
Roger W. Yurt, MD
Lewis Atterbury Stimson
Professor of Surgery
Fabrizio Michelassi, MD
Anne K. and Edwin C. Weiskopf
Professor of Surgical Oncology
Rache M. Simmons, MD
Named Scholarships
(as of 2011)
Frank Glenn Faculty Scholar
in Surgery
Thomas J. Fahey, III, MD
G. Tom Shires Faculty Scholar
Sandip Kapur, MD
Leadership Positions
in Professional Societies
American Association
of Endocrine Surgeons
Thomas J. Fahey, III, MD
Vice President
American Board of Colon
and Rectal Surgeons
Jeffrey W. Milsom, MD
Senior Examiner
American Board of Surgery
Fabrizio Michelassi, MD
Director; Chair, Surgical Oncology
Advisory Council
Rache M. Simmons, MD
Surgical Oncology Advisory Council
76
|
Department of Surgery
American Burn Association
Palmer Q. Bessey, MD
Secretary
Board of Trustees
Roger W. Yurt, MD
Second Vice President
Board of Trustees
American Society for Metabolic
and Bariatric Surgery
New York State Chapter
Gregory F. Dakin, MD
Trustee
American Surgical Association
(membership as of 2011)
American College of Surgeons
Philip S. Barie, MD, MBA
Fabrizio Michelassi, MD
Palmer Q. Bessey, MD
Chairman, Executive Committee
M. Michael Eisenberg, MD
of the International Relations
(deceased January 2011)
Committee
Thomas J. Fahey, III, MD
Co-Chair, Advisory Council
Fabrizio Michelassi, MD
Governor, Board of Governors
Alfons Pomp, MD
Alfons Pomp, MD
William T. Stubenbord, MD
Accreditation Evaluator, ACS Bariatric Roger W. Yurt, MD
Surgery Center Network
Central Surgical Association
Rache M. Simmons, MD
Fabrizio Michelassi, MD
Member, National Accreditation
President
Program for Breast Centers
Central Surgical
American College of Surgeons
Association Foundation
New York Chapter
Fabrizio Michelassi, MD
Soumitra R. Eachempati, MD
President
President
Coalition for American
American College of Surgeons
Trauma Care
Oncology Group
Philip S. Barie, MD, MBA
Rache M. Simmons, MD
Director
Co-Chair, Breast Organ Site
Colostomy Society of New York
Committee
Sang W. Lee, MD
American Italian
Medical Advisory Board
Cancer Foundation
Eastern Association for the
Fabrizio Michelassi, MD
Surgery of Trauma
Executive Committee
Philip S. Barie, MD, MBA
American Medical
President
Association of Women
Eastern Association for the
Eleni A. Tousimis, MD
Surgery of Trauma Foundation
Board of Directors
Philip S. Barie, MD, MBA
American Society of Breast Surgeons President
Rache M. Simmons, MD
European Hepato-PancreatoPresident
Biliary Association
American Society for Metabolic
Daniel Cherqui, MD
and Bariatric Surgery
Member of the Board
Alfons Pomp, MD
Halsted Society
Representative, Fellowship Council
Philip S. Barie, MD, MBA
of Directors
President
Member, Nominating Committee
International Club of Young
Laparoscopic Surgeons
Francesco Rubino, MD
Scientific Board Member
Notable Achievements
International Society
for Digestive Surgery
Fabrizio Michelassi, MD
Vice President
International Society of University
Colon and Rectal Surgeons
Jeffrey W. Milsom, MD
Regional Vice President for
Northeastern North America
International Women’s
Health Coalition
Eleni A. Tousimis, MD
Leadership Council
James IV Association
of Surgeons, Inc.
Fabrizio Michelassi, MD
Director
New York Metropolitan
Breast Cancer Group
Alexander J. Swistel, MD
Executive Committee
Eleni A. Tousimis, MD
Executive Committee
New York Organ Donor Network
Sandip Kapur, MD
Executive Medical Board
Chair, Quality Assurance Committee
New York Regional Society of
Plastic Surgeons
Mia Talmor, MD
President
New York State Department of
Health Bureau of Emergency
Medical Services
Palmer Q. Bessey, MD
State Emergency Medical Advisory
Committee, Task Force on
Trauma System Standards
New York State Society of
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
David A. Behrman, DMD
President
New York Surgical Society
Fabrizio Michelassi, MD
President
Rache M. Simmons, MD
Executive Committee
Northern California
Vascular Society
Darren B. Schneider, MD
President-Elect
The Obesity Society
Gladys W. Strain, PhD
Fellow, Nominating Committee
|
Faculty
Peripheral Vascular Surgery Society Western Trauma Association
Darren B. Schneider, MD
Soumitra R. Eachempati, MD
Chair, Program Committee
Board of Directors
Regional Emergency Medical
Advisory Committee (New York City)
Roger W. Yurt, MD
Chairman, Special Referral
Center Committee
Editorial Board Appointments
Annals of Surgery
Fabrizio Michelassi, MD
Annals of Surgical Oncology
Society of American Gastrointestinal Rache M. Simmons, MD
and Endoscopic Surgeons
British Journal of Surgery
Gregory F. Dakin, MD
Daniel Cherqui, MD
Co-Director, 2010 Learning Center
Fabrizio Michelassi, MD
Chair, Resident and Fellows Scientific
Session, SAGES 12th World Congress Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery
Fabrizio Michelassi, MD
Alfons Pomp, MD
Member, Board of Governors
Journal of Oncology
Co-Chair, Public Information
Thomas J. Fahey, III, MD
Committee
Journal of Surgical Radiology
Society of Critical Care Medicine
Philip S. Barie, MD, MBA
President
Thomas J. Fahey, III, MD
Society for Surgery of the
Alimentary Tract
Fabrizio Michelassi, MD
Secretary
Journal of Trauma
Palmer Q. Bessey, MD
Society for Surgery of the
Alimentary Tract Foundation
Fabrizio Michelassi, MD
Secretary
Society of Surgical Chairs
Fabrizio Michelassi, MD
President
Society of Surgical Oncology
Fabrizio Michelassi, MD
President
Society of Surgical Oncology
James Ewing Foundation
Fabrizio Michelassi, MD
President
Surgical Infection Society
Philip S. Barie, MD, MBA
President
Soumitra R. Eachempati, MD
Recorder
Journal of Thyroid Research
Thomas J. Fahey, III, MD
Obesity Surgery - The Journal of Metabolic
Surgery and Allied Care
Alfons Pomp, MD
Surgery
Fabrizio Michelassi, MD
Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases
Alfons Pomp, MD
Surgical Endoscopy and Other
Interventional Techniques
Alfons Pomp, MD
Transplantation
Sandip Kapur, MD
World Journal of Surgery
Fabrizio Michelassi, MD
Awards and Recognition
Philip S. Barie, MD, MBA
Distinguished Alumnus Award,
Boston University School of Medicine
Excellence at Work Award,
Surgical Infection Society Foundation NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
Honorary Police Surgeon,
Philip S. Barie, MD, MBA
New York Police Department
Board of Trustees
Who’s Who in America
Treasurer
Who’s Who in American Education
Executive Director
Who’s Who in Science and Engineering
Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Daniel Cherqui, MD
Greater New York City Affiliate
Knight in the Order of the
Rache M. Simmons, MD
Legion of Honor of France
Advisory Board Member
Gregory F. Dakin, MD
Western Surgical Association
Alpha Omega Alpha,
Fabrizio Michelassi, MD
Honor Medical Society
President
Department of Surgery
|
77
Faculty
| Notable Achievements
Joel M. Friedman, DDS
Who’s Who in America
Robert T. Grant, MD
Man of the Year Honoree on Behalf of
Women with Breast Cancer,
Beth C. Tortolani Foundation
Public Service Scholar,
New York University Wagner School
of Public Health
Howard A. Israel, DDS
Omicron Kappa Upsilon,
National Dental Honor Society
Sandip Kapur, MD
Leadership in Altruism Award,
National Kidney Registry
Patients’ Choice Physician
Spirit Award, New York Mets
Michael D. Kluger, MD, MPH
Alpha Omega Alpha,
Honor Medical Society
Arthur Zitrin Award in Bioethics
Community Service Award,
New York Medical Society
David B. Leeser, MD
Alpha Omega Alpha,
Honor Medical Society
Army Achievement Award
Army Commendation Medal
Bronze Star Medal
Fabrizio Michelassi, MD
American Society of the Italian
Legions of Merit
Campano d’Oro, University of Pisa,
Pisa, Italy
Commendatore, Order of Merit of
the Republic of Italy
Golden Lion Award, Order of the Sons
of Italy in America, New York State
Grand Lodge Foundation
Honorary Member, Sociedad de
Coloproctologia del Nordesta
(Argentina)
Who’s Who in the World
Jeffrey W. Milsom, MD
Honorary Member, Singapore Society
of Colon and Rectal Surgeons
Alfons Pomp, MD
Honorary Member, Brazilian Society
of Surgery
Honorary Member, Hellenic Society
of Endoscopic Surgery and
Other Techniques
Who’s Who in America
Who’s Who in Medicine and Healthcare
Who’s Who in Science and Engineering
Who’s Who in the World
78
|
Department of Surgery
Marsha E. Rubin, DDS
Omicron Kappa Upsilon,
National Dental Honor Society
Francesco Rubino, MD
Crain’s “40 under 40,”
Crain’s New York Business
Ulivo d’Argento for Dedication and
Achievements in Patient Care and
Medical Research Lions Club Host,
Cosenza, Italy
Young Surgical Talent Nominee,
Academie de Chirurgie, France
Michael F. Silane, MD
Alpha Omega Alpha,
Honor Medical Society
Jason A. Spector, MD
Academic Scholar, American
Association of Plastic Surgeons
Gladys W. Strain, PhD
2007 Tanita Healthy Weight
Trust Award
Best Reviewer, Obesity – the Official
Journal of The Obesity Society
Eleni A. Tousimis, MD
City of New York Achievement Award
Most Widely Read Breast Cancer
Online Article: Bilateral Breast Cancer
Roger W. Yurt, MD
Alpha Omega Alpha,
Honor Medical Society
Member, New York City Hospital
Preparedness Task Force for
Patients with Burns
Outstanding Service Award,
NewYork Weill Cornell Medical
Center Alumni Council
Physician of the Year Award,
NewYork-Presbyterian/
Weill Cornell
Who’s Who in America
Who’s Who in the East
Who’s Who in the World
Best Doctors Recognition
America’s Top Doctors for Cancer
Castle Connolly
Thomas J. Fahey, III, MD
Fabrizio Michelassi, MD
Alexander J. Swistel, MD
America’s Top Doctors
Castle Connolly
Philip S. Barie, MD, MBA
Palmer Q. Bessey, MD
Thomas J. Fahey, III, MD
Sandip Kapur, MD
Michael D. Lieberman, MD
Fabrizio Michelassi, MD
Alfons Pomp, MD
Francesco Rubino, MD
Darren B. Schneider, MD
Rache M. Simmons, MD
Alexander J. Swistel, MD
Roger W. Yurt, MD
New York Magazine’s Best Doctors
Philip S. Barie, MD, MBA
Thomas J. Fahey, III, MD
Sandip Kapur, MD
Fabrizio Michelassi, MD
Francesco Rubino, MD
Darren B. Schneider, MD
Rache M. Simmons, MD
Alexander J. Swistel, MD
Roger W. Yurt, MD
Top Doctors, New York
Metropolitan Area
Castle Connolly
Philip S. Barie, MD, MBA
Thomas J. Fahey, III, MD
Sandip Kapur, MD
Fabrizio Michelassi, MD
Alfons Pomp, MD
Francesco Rubino, MD
Rache M. Simmons, MD
Alexander J. Swistel, MD
Eleni A. Tousimis, MD
New York Super Doctors
Philip S. Barie, MD, MBA
Thomas J. Fahey, III, MD
Robert T. Grant, MD
Sandip Kapur, MD
Sang W. Lee, MD
Michael D. Lieberman, MD
Fabrizio Michelassi, MD
Jeffrey W. Milsom, MD
Alfons Pomp, MD
Rache M. Simmons, MD
Toyooki Sonoda, MD
Alexander J. Swistel, MD
Roger W. Yurt, MD
America’s Top Surgeons
Consumers’ Research Council
of America
Fabrizio Michelassi, MD
Alfons Pomp, MD
Darren B. Schneider, MD
Eleni A. Tousimis, MD
America’s Top Surgeons
SLD Industries, Inc.
Philip S. Barie, MD, MBA
Department Highlights
Transforming Facilities
80
Contributing Friends 2004 - 2010
82
Special Events
90
Department of Surgery
|
79
Transforming Facilities
Concurrent with the growth of clinical programs, research initiatives and educational endeavors, the Department of Surgery continues to
transform its facilities to accommodate a growing team of professionals, an increasing number of patients and a commitment to leading edge
technology and research. The multi-phased expansion and renovation project has brought related surgical subspecialties together in one area,
encouraging collaboration between physicians and enhancing the way care is delivered to our patients; has realized the opening of technologically
advanced operating rooms, contemporary inpatient facilities and a complete overhaul of the outpatient practice environment; and has greatly
expanded laboratories for research. At completion, the construction projects of the Department of Surgery will have involved 50,000 square feet
of new and renovated clinical, laboratory and academic facilities. These projects have been made possible through the help and support of
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College.
Outpatient Practices
Dr. Laura L. Forese, Dr. Fabrizio Michelassi,
Dr. Herbert Pardes and Dr. Steven J. Corwin at the
Department of Surgery’s groundbreaking ceremony
NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill
Cornell surgeons now provide
care in a new 14,236-squarefoot Department of Surgery
Outpatient Clinical Facility
located on the 8th floor of the
Starr Pavilion. Opened in 2009, the
facility provides bright lighting,
comfortable seating, a spacious
waiting area and modern exam
rooms in an outstanding care
environment for patients.
Outpatient Clinical Facility - Starr 8
80
|
Department of Surgery
In 2007, the Weill Cornell Breast
Center relocated to beautiful new
practice offices in the Iris Cantor
Women’s Health Center on the
10th floor of 425 East 61st Street.
The design of the 4,689-square-foot
Center was guided by the goal to
bring together the Department’s
breast surgeons with related
specialists in a comfortable and
spacious environment, where the
highest quality and compassionate
care can be provided to patients.
Weill Cornell Breast Center in the Iris Cantor
Women’s Health Center
Transforming Facilities
Academic Offices
The academic offices of the Division
of Transplantation Surgery now
occupy 6,379 square feet of contemporary space on the 19th floor of the
Baker Pavilion. The new environment,
opened in 2011, was designed to
enhance collaboration and efficiency,
featuring spacious offices for physicians;
offices for transplant coordinators,
administrative personnel and data
coordinators; a large conference center;
and a comfortable staff lounge.
Academic Offices - Colon and Rectal Surgery
2011 will also see the realization of
4,645 square feet of new academic
facilities and support space for the
Section on Colon and Rectal
Surgery, including individual offices
for physicians and multi-unit areas
for administrative staff.
comprised of approximately 20 open
bays that currently accommodate
eight independent research
groups and over 50 researchers. In
addition to high-end equipment for
studying cell, genetic and molecular
biology, there are five tissue culture
rooms, extensive microscopy
facilities, rooms for small animal
surgery and microinjection,
cell screening capacity and
temperature-controlled rooms.
SAIL
The current Skills Acquisition and
Innovation Laboratory (SAIL)
was opened in 2008 and provides
technology-assisted education
and training in such basic skills as
suturing to more advanced techniques
for open, laparoscopic and minimally invasive surgical procedures.
Plans are underway for a new
facility, which will include several
training suites, an education center,
a conference room and offices.
|
Department Highlights
Surgical Suite
The Leona M. and Harry B.
Helmsley Surgical Suite, opened
in 2010, consists of four spacious
operating rooms, which are 600-plus
square feet each, housing the latest
surgical, endoscopic and imaging
technology. Each OR is tailored
for specialty areas, including
vascular surgery, colorectal
surgery, gastrointestinal surgery
and bariatric surgery. Two ORs are
equipped with the Artis zeego®
angiography C-arm system. The
other two ORs are designated
for minimally invasive surgery
for colorectal, gastrointestinal and
bariatric procedures. Each OR has
multiple high-definition video
screens, telecommunication
channels to pathology and other
ORs, as well as advanced inputs
from the Hospital’s clinical
information system and PACS.
Surgical Care Unit
Opened in 2009, Greenberg 14
includes the Leona M. and Harry
B. Helmsley Inpatient Surgical
Care Unit, a 28-single-bed unit
designated for postsurgical care of
patients. The 12,235-square-foot
floor includes single-bed rooms,
patient lounges and working areas
all integrated in a functional unit.
Research Laboratories
11,872 square feet of state-of-the-art
research laboratory facilities have
been fully renovated. The space is
Skills Acquisition and Innovation Laboratory
Research Laboratories
Faculty members of the Department of Surgery collaborated with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital staff to
design the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Surgical Suite and Inpatient Surgical Care Unit.
Department of Surgery
|
81
Contributing Friends 2004 – 2010
The Department of Surgery wishes to thank the many supporters who have donated more than $38 million over the past seven years,
making possible new programs and initiatives in patient care, medical education, research, and community outreach, as well as the
renovation of its facilities..
A
Anonymous (2)
71 Clinton, Inc.
A.M. Custom
Construction, Inc.
Joan Abbiati
Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz
Al Saud
Graciela Abelin-Sas
Patricia K. Abels
Elinor L. Abend
Alan V. Abrams
James D. Abrams
Mona Abrams
Simona Ackerman
Ackerman Family Fund
John Addario
Charles M. Adelman
Adirondack Surgical
Group, LLP
Muriel Adler
Advanced Research
Foundation, Inc.
Aesthetic & Reconstructive
Surgeons, LLC
Aesthetic Surgery Education
and Research Foundation
Doris R. Ahearn
Grace S. Ahrend
Murray L. Aibinder
Deborah S. Aiges
AIP Healthcare
Christopher Aivazian
Peter J. Ajemian
Daniel Akst
Jerome Albert
Margaret Albert
Javier Alcala-Herrera
Joseph N. Alcorn
Ronny Alibayof
David P. Allen
Allenhurst Police
Benevolent Association
Alliance Premium
Funding Corp.
Estate of Lillian Alofsin
David M. Alpern
Henry A. Alpert
82
|
Department of Surgery
Alpha Omega Capital
Group, LLC
American Burn Association
American Express
(Giving Express)
American Federation for
Aging Research
American Heart
Association, Inc.
American Vascular
Association
Joseph Ammirati
Ammirati Ready, Inc.
Eleonora Anastasia
Anchorage Charitable Fund
Eric Andersen
David G. Anderson
Lilyan Angel
Gloria Angiolillo
Ann Falutico, A.I.A,
Architects
Joseph Anscher
Suzanne P. Antaki
Anthony Antonacci
Robin Appel
Gerald M. Appelstein
Appleman Foundation, Inc.
Applied Medical
Godfrey Aquilino
Federico Aquino-Bermudez
Howard N. Aranoff
John Arato
Ronald J. Arena
Richard Arkwright
Lisa Armstrong
Patricia C. Armstrong
Victoria A. Arnao
Doris K. Aronow
Frances Aronowitz
Connie Aronson
Marilyn L. Aronson
Rajeev K. Arora
Jeffrey A. Ascherman
Pauline Asnes
Association for Disabled
Firefighters, Inc.
AstraZeneca LP
Lecture Bureau
Department of Surgery
NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell
Cumulative Gifts
2004 – 2010
$40 M
$35 M
$30 M
$25 M
$20 M
$15 M
$10 M
$5 M
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
$0M
The Atlas Heritage
Foundation
Auxiliary of The Long
Eddy Hose Co.
AXA Foundation
B
Matthew D. Bacchetta
Stuart Bacher
Robert C. Bado
Jack Bakelman
Nancy M. Balducci
Harriet and Charles Ballon
Foundation
Nancy J. Banjak
Annabel E. Barber
Barbour by Peter Elliot
Bard Peripheral Vascular
Myra S. Bardy
Charles S. P. Barker (T/U/W)
Horace M. Barker
Douglas P. Barnaby
Will Barnet
Joan B. and Richard L.
Barovick Family Foundation
Brian B. Barron
Daniel C. Bartell
Heather Bartholomew
Patricia H. Bartnik
Babette Basista
Edward P. Bass
Robert M. Bass
Elihu M. Baum
Esther L. Bauman
The Bay Academy
Builder’s Club
BDC Advisors, LLC
Herbert Beckhard
Peter Beckschi
Richard M. Beer
Contributing Friends
David A. Behrman
Peter D. Beitchman
Ira Bellach
Ben Krupinski GC, Inc.
Darel M. Benaim
Jacqueline Benevento
Robert J. Bennett
Jeanie S. Berger
Martin S. Berger Family
Foundation
Ronny Berger
Irene Bergman
Estate of Bernard Bergstein
Henry B. Berinstein
Ronney Berinstein
Marion Berliner
Peter F. Berman
Renee M. Berman
David Bernstein
Mae P. Bernstein
John G. Bessler
Betsey Johnson LLC
Lewis T. Biblowitz
Maria T. Bienvenida
Clare A. Billington
Paul A. Bissinger
Joel P. Bizelia
Stuart Bizoza
James Black
Blackbaud, Inc.
Agnes Blascovich
Norman N. Blatt
Pearl Blaustein
Mark N. Bloom
William E. Bloom
Edith C. Blum
Foundation, Inc.
Eleanor Blum
Dale S. Blumenthal
William H. Blumenthal
Bnai Yeshurun Nursery School
Frank Boardman
Peter Bobley
The Alexander Bodini
Foundation
Richard T. Boehm
Alice Bohmfalk
Charitable Trust
Ferren L. Bolesta
Theresa A. Bolsch
D. Bonwit
Nancy S. Bonwit
Bo’s Attic, LLC
Boston Scientific Corporation
Frederic Bowne
James Branch
Isaac Braver
Stephen J. Braverman
John P. Bregstein
Robert Breier
Arnold S. Breitbart
Friends of Michael Brennan
Sean Brennan
Ronald E. Breuer
The Bristol-Myers Squibb
Foundation
Gary S. Bromley
Alfred Bronfin
Dennis J. Brooks
Sylvia K. Brooks
Margaret M. Brower
Brown Foundation, Inc.
Nancy D. Browne
Gerard Bruder
Michael Brunn
Nan O. Budka
Gerard Bufalini
Buon Appetito
Gourmet Market, Inc.
Gerard J. Burgo
Susan Burkhardt
Paul G. Burns
Burton Furniture Co., Inc.
Nancy J. Buscema
Meghan B. Bushman
Samuele Butera
Jeanne M. Byington
Thomas Byrne
C
Julia Cachules
Brien J. Cahill
The Calhoun School, Inc.
Steven Calo
Marie A. Campagna
Leonard F. Campbell
William G. Campbell
Luis A. Cancio
Inez Cantamessa
Susan Caporaso
Thomas J. Caraccio
Cardiology Consultants
of NY, PC
Edward T. Carney
Thomas A. Carozza
Dorothy Carr
James M. Carr
Rokki K. Carr
Gerald B. Carroll
William R. Carroll
Deborah A. Carson
James A. Carter
Gilda L. Cascio
Nora A. Casey
Gina Caspi
Anne F. Casson
William G. Castagnoli
Paula M. Castellano
Anita Catalanello
Catholic Healthcare Partners
Marylee Cavaioli
The Nancy Browne and
Charles Chadwell
Charitable Fund
Arthur E. Chadwick
Edward J. Chadwick
Charcoal Charlies BBQ, Inc.
Charitable Flex Fund
Charles Street Partners, LLC
Chez Renee
Rebecca M. Chizak
Choice Physical Therapy, PC
William Chudnovsky
Usha Chundru
Alexander Ciesluk
Jean Cinelli
Joseph Ciraco
Irene M. Ciukurescu
Joyce S. Claar
Daniel S. Clanton
Carrie Clarke
James L. Clarke
Lawrence J. Cleary
Peter D. Cleary
Susan J. Clement
Jon R. Cohen
Joseph M. Cohen
Kenneth H. Cohen
Lawrence Cohen
Robert N. Cohen
Toby Cohen
Elio Colasante
Eric Colasante
Italo Colasante
Michael Colasante
Ulina Colasante
Kenneth M. Coleburn
Roseanne ColemanNeiswenter
Mary C. Collins
Community Oral Surgery
Services
Con Edison Learning Center
Con Edison - Bronx Westchester Control Center
|
Department Highlights
Frank Congiusta
Richard Conley
Dorothy A. Connolly
Kenneth J. Conrade
Patricia Considine Trust
Consolidated Edison
Company of New York
Cook Incorporated
Ashley N. Cooper
Donna J. Cooper
Raymond D. Corbett
Richard N. Corliss
Joseph A. Cortese
Noreen E. Cosgrove
Gregory Costello
Pamela J. Costello
Thomas F. Costello
Judith S. Cottle
Richard W. Cottle
Covidien
Caryn W. Coville
Richard T. Cremmins
Lindy W. Crescitelli
Alberto Cribiore
Thomas Crowley
Gilbert J. Cruciani
Cryolife, Inc.
CSEA Chester Union Free
School District
Frank Csoka
Joanna M. Cuccia
Kathleen Cullen
Lewis B. Cullman
Lewis B. and Dorothy
Cullman Foundation, Inc.
Jacqueline A. Cunniff
Paul Cuomo
Fred J. Cutrone
D
Angelique Dab
Gregory F. Dakin
Dallas Jewish Community
Foundation
Dance It Up
Dance Sensations
Dance Studio Inc.
Dancers Care Foundation, Inc.
Esther Dane
David N. Danforth
Thomas T. Daniels
Danis & Danis, Ltd.
Katherine D. Daquin
Alda A. Dasilva
Charles E. David
Department of Surgery
|
83
Department Highlights
|
Contributing Friends
Francyne Davis
John M. Davis
Paul L. Davis
John A. Dayton
Georgia & Michael
De Havenon Fund
Victor De Pietro
E. G. De Planque
Helen Debellis
Steven M. DeBrocky
Peter Decarlo
John W. Decorato
Lorraine DeFelice
Edward Degasperis
James M. Degen
Joel B. Deitch
Andrea R. Del Favero
Ron Del Gaudio
Julius D’Elia
Michael B. DeLuise
Monique M. Derfuss
Marie Derosa
Pat A. Derosa
Patrick J. Derosa
D’Errico, Dreeben &
Donald J. Noonan, LLP
Claudine M. Derrien-Connors
De-Ru Pharmacy, Inc.
Jane Detgen
Pauline Deutch
Lincoln Diamant
Mary Diamantides
Ann M. Dibenedetto
Lynn A. Diberto
David C. Dickerson
Margaret R. Diederich
Patrick A. Dietz
Michael DiLaurenzio
Dinkes & Schwitzer, P.C.
Marilyn A. Dobis
Christine B. Dodd
Jean M. Doherty
Robert W. Donahue
Jack Donnelly
Patrick J. Donoghue
Maureen Doran
The Doscas Family
Foundation, Inc.
Andrew D. Dowdell
Marvin Drager
Linda A. Dubreuil
James H. Duke
Patrica Dunaif
James L. Dunn
Durect Corporation
84
|
Department of Surgery
Mary E. Durkin
Edwin M. Durso
Karlo J. Duvnjak
Jerome B. Dwight
Ruth Dworken
E
East Coast Performing
Academy, LLC
East River Medical Imaging
Allison K. Echelman
Arlyne Eisberg
Fredrick Eisenstein
El Caribe
Eli Lilly and Company
Louis Eliasof
Franklyn Ellenbogen Jr.
Memorial Foundation
Charles R. Ellinwood
Walter H. Elliot
Richmond B. Ellis
Manuel J. Emanuel
Howard Emery
William Emmel
Jean L. Engel
Englander Foundation, Inc.
Mark W. Engstrom
Marla B. Enowitz
Steven Epstein
Joan B. Erdheim
Kent Eriksen
Anne E. Estabrook
Eugene Simonoff &
Associates, Inc.
The Charles Evans
Foundation
Todd R. Evans
David N. Everswick
F
F.M. Kirby Foundation,
Incorporated
Toni L. Fallon
Fanizzi Family Living Trust
Virginia F. Farrell
Richard S. Fay
William Feigelman
Joseph Feinberg
Jack Feldman
Rosalyn H. Feldman
Stewart Feldman
Alberta J. Ferree
John A. Ficalora
Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund
A. G. Fieger
Fieldland Investment
Company
Rita Fight
Marvin Fine
David A. Fink
Sandy Fink
Roberta J. Finke
Robert Finkelstein
John P. Finnerty
Firefighters Charitable
Foundation
S. D. Firestone
First Choice Staffing of
New York, Inc.
William S. Fish
Fisherking Ltd.
Vincent R. Fitzpatrick
John W. Fleischmann
Madeleine K. Fleming
Mark Fleming
Nicole L. Flick
Florida Fence Company
Elizabeth K. Flynn
Fredrica S. Ford
Joseph E. Fortunato
Fotocare, Ltd.
Irene E. Fox
Laura M. Fox
Melissa A. Fox
Francis New York
Plastic Surgery PC
Z. A. Frangopoulos
Jill Frankenhoff
Phyllis Fratarcangeli
Ellen T. Freda
Robert W. Freiman
Edgar F. Freitag
Carmen B. French
Danielle French
Jae French
Joseph Fresiello
Kenneth R. Fretwell
Rita Friedman
Steven G. Friedman
James R. Fuhr
Daniel P. Fusco
G
G. Bunce Plumbing & Heating
G. W. Carver Middle School
Sabina H. Gadechi
Olga T. Gaeta
Anthony Gagliostro
Frances M. Galasso
Stuart A. Gale
James J. Gallagher
Nicholas Galli
The Bob and Marie Gallo
Foundation
Anthony Galucci
Wendy Gambling
Carol A. Garbarino
Eileen Garlick
Charles Garner
Rose Gartner
GE Foundation
Ben Gelernter
David R. Gelfand
Gelfand Generations, Inc.
Irving Gellerstein
Robert L. Geltzer
Genentech Bio-Oncology
Generations of Dance
Michael Generoso
Phyllis E. Genkin
Gennaro Pizza &
Restaurant, Inc.
Genomic Health, Inc.
Felix A. Genovese
Genzyme
Monty H. Gerbush
Rosalyn Gershell
Robert Gerver
Margaret Gesuale
GI Dynamics, Inc.
Debra A. Gilgannon
S. H. Gillespie
Richard R. Gioggia
Mary Ann Giovinazzo
Barbara A. Giuca
Rudolph Giuliani
Kevin M. Glassman
Suzanne M. Glazer
Glen Family Foundation
Glen Head School O.P.T.
Glen Terrace, Inc.
David R. Glew
Norman V. Godfrey
Peter and Aileen Godsick
Foundation
Steven M. Gold
Christopher C. Goldberg
Daniel A. Goldberg
Golden Harvest Trading
Associates
Goldman Sachs & Co.
Goldman Sachs Gives
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.
Leonard A. Goldstein
Bennett J. Goodman
Contributing Friends
Roberta Goodman
Gerry E. Goodrich
Andrew Goold
Richard L. Gordon
Roland J. Gorton
Gotham Yard Corp.
Deborah Gottlieb
John J. Grady
Estate of Sarah S. Graham
Daniel A. Grande
Penny Grant
Robert T. Grant
Stanley J. Grant
Michael C. Gray
Great Kills Yacht Club, Inc.
Greenan Business
Products, Inc.
Zachary M. Green
Aaron Greenberg
The David and Alan Greene
Family Foundation
Joshua R. Greenspan
Lori L. Gress
Mary L. Gridley
Greg Griffin
E. Grimes
Sherry S. Grodofsky
Keith M. Gross
Allen J. Grubman
Eduardo J. Grullon
Kristi M. Guarnier
Alan D. Guerci
George W. Gunn
Robert F. Gunther
Rose Marie B. Guzzo
Gymtime Rhythm &
Glues, Inc.
Leslie Gyson
H
Robin S. Haber
David S. Hacker
John Hackney
Thomas P. Hadley
Steven R. Hagan
Richard Hagner
Doris Hambro
Mel Hambro
Mafisa V. Hamdani
Matthew M. Hanasono
Gregory J. Hansen
Susan Harnick
William D. Harra
Francis X. Harrington
Shirley D. Harris Trust
Joan Harrison
Harry Winston, Incorporated
Gurnee F. Hart
Brian Hasbrouck
Hastings on Hudson PTSA
Kenneth Hatton
Jeanine Hayes
Deanna E. Hazen
HealthCor Management LP
Health Science
Communications, Inc.
Elizabeth D. Healy
Susan N. Hebard
Douglas S. Heffer
Brian Hehir
Rose T. Heim
Caren Heller
Elizabeth Heller
Leona M. and Harry B.
Helmsley Charitable Trust
Howard Heimowitz
Hendrickson Truck Center
Janet G. Henkel
Craig J. Henneberger
Elaine M. Henry
Henshel Foundation
Joseph J. Hentze
Hepco Tours, Inc.
Jennifer Herring
David B. Hershan
Julian M. Herskowitz
Stephen Hess
Hideout Adult Social Group
Beverly A. Hirzel
H.L. Lanzett, Inc.
Lester Hochberg
Ralph R. Hochberg
Jessica Hockstra
James D. Hoffman
Lloyd A. Hoffman
Hoffman-La Roche, Inc.
Rita R. Hoisik
Joseph Hollander
Bettina Hollis
Babette S. Hollister
Amy P. Hommel
Horizon Media, Inc.
Alan B. Horn
Wendy L. Horn
Francine Horowitz
Shirley Horrocks
Houbigant, Inc.
Arthur J. Hubbs
Ralph W. Huffman
Brian Hull
Denis M. Hunt
Spencer C. Hunt
John G. Hunter
Joshua B. Hyman
Robert Hynecek
I
I.S. 98 School Fund
Peter V. Ianni
Ilana Industrial, LLC
Debora A. Illare
Gerald Imber
Infotechny, Inc.
Alan L. Ingber
Susan A. Ingerman
Interglobo Queirolo Usa, Inc.
Michael Inzone
Jed P. Isaacs
O. Wayne Isom
Istithmar Building
280 Park LLC
J
J.P. Morgan Chase
J.S. Distribution, Inc.
Israel J. Jacobowitz
Elliot W. Jacobs
David P. Jacobson
Helen C. Jaeger
Richard L. Jaffe
Jacqueline S. Jakway
Jane Nelson Studio
Carol A. Janis
The Janus Foundation
James F. Jensen
Keith D. Jewel
Jewelcor Management &
Consulting, Inc.
The Jewish Communal Fund
Joan and Sanford I. Weill
Medical College & Graduate
School of Medical Sciences
of Cornell University
Jobco Realty & Construction
Robert D. Joffe
John A. Hartford Foundation
John Ficalora Productions, Inc.
John M. Ullmann, Inc.
Betsey L. Johnson
Donna L. Johnson
Philip Johnston
Clyde G. Jokinen
Andrea Jolles
Dora Jonassen
Vikki E. Jones
|
Department Highlights
K
Kristi A. Kaady
Florence Kadish
James D. Kallman
Irving H. Kaplan
Leo C. Kaplan
Mark Kaplan
Karl Storz Endoscopy America, Inc.
Karlsberger
John P. Karoussos
The Jane & Robert Katz
Foundation
Shelli W. Katz
Monroe Kaufman
Marianne Kaufmann
Mary L. Kavazanjian
Milton Kaye
KCI
Mary P. Kealy
Brian M. Keane
John J. Kearney
Matthew A. Keller
Joann Kelly
Robert M. Kelly
Robert J. Kempton
K. C. Kent
Richard A. Kerr
Frances Kershner
Agnes M. Kilcommons
The James M. Kilts
Family Fund
Donna C. Kirsch
Bonnie M. Klein
Honi Klein
Mark Klein
Richard D. Kleinman
Judith E. Klemperer
Karen Kliger
Edith Klose
Michael D. Kluger
Kathleen Knight
Richard L. Koenigsberg
Diana L. Koepfer
David H. Komansky
Phyllis Komansky
The Komansky Foundation
Robert Konigsberg
Sheldon Kopf
Philip J. Kopp
Zev C. Kops
Karen M. Kostroff
Laurette G. Kovary
Jeffrey Kovner
Department of Surgery
|
85
Department Highlights
|
Contributing Friends
The Harold and Adeline Kramer
Family Foundation
Richard C. Kristall
Gerd L. Kristeller
David Kulber
Max Kupferberg
Gerhard Kurz
Kala Kurzman
The Kurzrok Foundation, Inc.
Theodore Kuzniewski
L
L & M Dance Wear, LLC
Carla M. Labianca
Cosmo J. Lacosta
Yvonne Lacton
Ladies Auxiliary of Vulcan, Co.
William A. Laffey
Judy Lahm
Mary Laiks
Mikki A. Lam
Benjamin V. Lambert
Benjamin V. and Linda
Lambert Fund
Michael V. Lammers
Elise Landeck
The Jeffrey & Nancy Lane
Foundation
Katherine Anne Lane
Mary E. Lang
Kenneth Langsam
Alexander J. Lapinski
Marie E. LaPorta
Donna Lasala
Stephen R. Lasala
Stanley & Gene Lasdon
Charitable Trust
Marie Latino
Gregory S. LaTrenta
Victoria T. Lawson
The Kimberly Layne
Revocable Trust
Eliot J. Lazar
Katrina S. Lazenby
Lederman Family Foundation
Milton Leekoff
Jennifer Lefevre
Robert Lehrman
Tara L. Leifer
Carol Lemmon
Lee Lench
Lenco Corp.
Kerry L. Lendergast
Frederic M. Leopold
Raymond Lerner
Nancy S. Lesher
86
|
Department of Surgery
Corina L. Leske
Hayden M. Leventhal
Cynthia G. Levine
Walter Levinson
Barbara L. Levy
Sherrie Levy
Ruth A. Lewin
Frank Lewis
Jerome J. Lewis
Lillian M. Lewis
Mary A. Liberi
Liberty Moving &
Storage Co., Inc.
Beverley A. Lienhard
Lifecell Corporation
Lifeline Foundation
Lifetime Entertainment
Daniel G. Limmer
Bryant Y. Lin
Edna Lind
William Lindemann
Judith F. Link
Virginia M. Liquori
Barnet Liss
Little People Childcare, Inc.
Kenneth J. Livingston
LMSP, LLC
The J. M. Logan Charitable Fund
Victor S. Lombardo
Mary M. Long
Joseph I. Lopez
Adriana Lorusso-Vitale
The Karen and Herbert Lotman
Foundation
Lou Jean Homes, Inc.
Gerald M. Loughlin
John L. Lovecchio
Arlene Lovenvirth
George T. Lowy
Stephen F. Lowry
Kristin Luciano
Katherine Luger
Edwin R. Luginbuhl
Nelson J. Luria
Diana Luskoff
Margaret Lycopolus
Kathleen J. Lynch
Kevin Lynch
Sighle Lynch
Thesesa A. Lynch
Robert Lyons
M
M & M Aerospace
Hardware, Inc.
William and Phyllis Mack
Family Foundation
Michael R. Madden
William J. Madden
Roselyn Maguire-Crom
Paul C. Mahmouzian
The Maisel Family
Philanthropic Fund
K. C. Majer
Kathleen Mallon
Francis X. Maloney
Hratch Manavian
Harris Mandel
Mark J. Manginelli
Manhasset Women’s Coalition
Against Breast Cancer
Manhattan Diagnostic
Radiology
Manhattan Transfer Registrar
Company
Manhattan Endocrinology PLLC
Alan Manheimer
Manloy Heritage
Foundation, Inc.
Dale A. Manners
Thomas Manobianco
John Manzone
Marble Fund, Inc.
Gaetana Marchak
Alan P. Marcus
Sherrie Marcus
Amy Marion
Matthew C. Mark
Jeriellen Markowitz
Eileen Marks
Mary H. Marks
Kim Marois
Judith Marshall
Martayan Lan, Inc.
Geraldine F. Marten
Robert L. Martin
Martin, Clearwater & Bell
Lourdes Martino
Diana Martins
Irma Maschi
Islie Mason
Michael D. Mason
Ann Mathews
Robert R. Mattner
Mayo Foundation for Medical
Education and Research
Joseph E. Mazzeo
Kevin McCarthy
Eugene G. McCarthy
John J. McCarthy
Margaret F. McCarthy
The McCormick Family
Foundation
Harrison J. McCown
2004 Trust
William J. McGrath
McGraw Hill Company
Thomas A. McGwire
Michael McKenna
Theresa M. McKeon
Thomas C. McLure
Marian McMenamin
Drita McNamara
Michael McNamara
James P. McNiel
Amy S. McPartlan
Sean McPartland
Joanne M. McPherson
Richard T. McSherry
Medtronic, Inc.
Dawn Mello
Melissa Mendelsohn
Faith A. Menken
Andrew W. Menzin
The John Merck Fund
Frances Mercurio
Meredith Family Foundation
Jacqueline Messite-Telsey
George A. Metzger
Barbara H. Meyers
John O. Meyers
Damon Mezzacappa
Daniel N. Mezzalingua
MGS Trust
Paula L. Michaud
Fabrizio Michelassi
Microsoft Matching Gifts
Program
Lenore Miller
Matthew G. Miller
Wendy Mitzner
Erna Moa
Michael & Abby Modell
Foundation Trust
Joseph K. Molloy
Molly Productions, Inc.
James T. Monanhan
Win A. & Elizabeth B.
Moncrief Foundation
Pina Monte
Monterey Fund, Inc.
Vito Montone
Moody’s Foundation
John H. Moore
Contributing Friends
James Morahan
James M. Morahan
Jane P. Moran
Shirley C. Moreines
The Flora F. Morell
Charitable Trust
Glen C. Morse
Kathleen A. Moskal
Beth S. Motschwiller
Megan E. Moussa
John Moyne
Patricia Mroczek
Wayne S. Mueller
Katherine Mulholland
James P. Mullaney
Donald R. Mullen Family
Foundation, Inc.
Patricia Muller
Marla C. Muns Family
Philanthropic Fund
Elizabeth W. Murov
Yale M. Murov
Brian F. Murphy
Kenneth R. Mushinskie
Fawzia Mustafa
Barbara C. Musumeci
N
Alfred J. Nadel
Lloyd J. Nadel
Rita Nadler-Dobking
Nina S. Naidu
Lily Namdar
Partha S. Nandi
Jerome A. Nassau
Roger S. Nathaniel
Michael C. Natrella
NCC Sportsware Corporation
Linda A. Neiman
The Neisloss Family
Foundation
Gina M. Nerlino
Marie E. Nevins
New York Academy of
Medicine
New York City Office of
Emergency Management
The New York Community
Trust
The New York Crystal Dance
Studio, Inc.
New York Fire Alarm
Association
New York Firefighters Burn
Center Foundation
Martin I. Newman
The Arthur and Eileen
Newman Family Foundation
NewYork-Presbyterian
Hospital
Gloria F. Nicolich
Marie I. Nigro
Matthew Nizich
James P. Noble
William K. Nook
Nan Noonan
North Shore High School PTA
Not Your Ordinary
Dancers, Inc.
Jacob Novak
Novartis Pharmaceuticals
Corp.
Eugene J. Nowak
Roger H. Nubel
O
Diana F. Oddo
Thomas J. O’Donnell
Harold & Nancy Oelbaum
Foundation
Ferdinand A. Ofodile
Gerry O’Hanlon
The O’Hara Family
Foundation
Kevin O’Hehir
Peter Ohman
Annette Ohnikian
Brian O’Kane
Old Oaks Foundation
Elizabeth O’Leary
Joyce F. O’Loughlin
Olympus
Denis F. O’Mara
Jane T. O’Neill
Peter S. O’Neill
Debra O’Reilly
William Orfanos
Ortega Plastic Surgery PC
Estate of Genevieve O’Toole
P
P&S Equities Inc.
P.J. Mechanical Corp.
Dawn M. Palo
Deborah J. Pamplin
Pam’s Pals, Inc.
Moreno Panelli
Joseph Pantoliano & Nancy
Sheppard Ttee
Emmanuel Pappas
Thomas Pappas
Herbert Pardes
Edith Parga
Charles E. Parisi
Patrol Borough Queens South
Payne Advisory, LLC
Todd Pearl
William Pearson
Edith Peck
Janet R. Peck
Thomas D. Pedersen
PediatriCare Associates, LLC
Marie E. Penino
Peninsula Foundation
Pepsi-Cola Company
Robert Perfect
Barbara Perlmutter
Arthur W. Perry
Daniel Pess
Gina A. Petrella
Stephen Petro
Stacey Petrower
Craig R. Phildius
Gisela Piccolo
Joan R. Picket
Gerald P. Pighini
Elizabeth Pigot
Louise A. Piltz
Robert Pincus
Marie Pindus
Ramon J. Pineda
Elliot Pisem
Seth Plancher
Plastic Surgery Educational
Foundation
Plastic Surgery Group, PC
Suzanne E. Pleskunas
Matt P. Plouffe
Polidoro Enterprises Corp.
Dean Poll
Michael Pollan
Blanche Popkin
Neil M. Popowitz
Walter J. Porr
Melvin Posin
Dennis B. Poster
Barbara Potasky
Power Medical Interventions
Charles A. Powers
Edward W. Powers
Peter I. Pressman
Peggy & Peter Pressman
Family Foundation
Preventive Medical Institute/
Strang Cancer Prevention
Center
Peter O. Price
Ivin B. Prince
|
Department Highlights
Ivan Princz
Tom Pritchard
Peter H. Pruden
Prudential Foundation
Pumpkin Pie Foundation
Rosanne Puoplo-Carter
Stephen Putzi
Loretta Pye
Q
Peter Quaranta
Quest Diagnostics Foundation
Carmel Quill
Kevin J. Quinn
R
R.U.S.A. Matching Gift
Program
Ronald A. Rabinowitz
Marvin Rafe
Raffle Donors
Thomas L. Raftery
Saif Rahman
Dave Raj
Darlene L. Rall
Randolph Center for Oral and
Maxillofacial Surgery
A.C. Rao
Reality Consulting, Inc.
Jeffrey A. Reals
William H. Rebman
Lawrence S. Reed
Regina la Bre Airs Beauty
Parlor
Bonnie S. Reichman
Marion F. Reilly
Thomas P. Reilly
William B. Reilly
James E. Reingeimer
William Reinhardt
Muriel H. Reis
James C. Rembar
Burton P. Resnick
Meredith G. Reynolds
Samuel T. Rhee
Linda J. Rhodes
Gina Ricciardi
Tracey Riccardi
Arthur Riccio
John W. Rice
Tom Rice
Rosemary Rich
Richard Dattner & Partners
Architects
Philip W. Richardson
The Ridgefield Foundation
Department of Surgery
|
87
Department Highlights
|
Contributing Friends
Ridgewood Savings Bank
Larry D. Riedel
Terence C. Riley
Barbara A. Ritchwood
Ron Rizzo
RJL Resources Inc.
Lynn K. Robbins
Christian Rober
Jill A. Roberts
Martha K. Robertson
Dennis M. Robine
Edward A. Robinson
Joseph J. Rocco
Roche Laboratories, Inc.
Nicole A. Rodan
Rodgers Family Foundation, Inc.
The Rogosin Institute
Christine Rohde
Alain Roizen
James N. Romanelli
Phyllis A. Romanelli
Lawrence Romani
Lloyd I. Roos
Ada Rosen
Marc Rosenberg
Philip Rosenberg
Anita Rosenbloom
Sumner Rosenthal
Roslyn Trinity Cooperative
Day School
Michael J. Rosow
Sarah Rosow
Ronald A. Ross
Jennifer Rossi
John J. Roth
Marilyn Roth
Kenneth O. Rothaus
Tal T. Rounder
Herbert S. Ruben
Selma Rubin
Andres Rubinstein
Rosalind Ruderman
Louis & Rachel Rudin
Foundation
Niall Rueckher
Werner Ruscheweyh
Margery E. Russell
Ann M. Russo
John F. Russo
Vincent N. Russo
Russo & Kieck
Edward G. Ryan
Patricia Ryan
88
|
Department of Surgery
S
Nicholas Sabbatini
Sachem CSD
Edra M. Sachs
Alan Sackman
Maryann Sackman
Warren Sackman
Harvey A. Sackstein
Julie Safran
George Sadowsky
Joseph M. Saggese
Mary Salerni
Elizabeth Salerno
Mary L. Salvato
Carmine Salvatore
Sam Group, LLC
David H. Sambar
Joseph D. Sandello
Roenzo M. Sangiorgi
Raymond L. Saperstein
Elaine Sargent
Sasha Pharmacy, Inc.
Satty, Levine & Ciacco,
CPAs, PC
Robert J. Sauerhaft
Robert Savarese
Elaine J. Scarane
Peter T. Scardino
Eli Schaap
Fred Schecter
Harriette G. Schecter
William P. Scheffer
Anna Schermerhorn
Bela & Catharine Schick
Foundation
Dolores T. Schieber
Maria Schieber
Robert B. Schlessel
Barbara Schloss
Michael J. Schmerin
Michael Schmidt
Irene Schmitt
George M. Schmitz
Rudolph Schneider
Philip Schneiderman
Anthony H. Schnelling
Charlotte A. Scholter
Joseph D. Schretzman
Jean C. Schulman
Martin S. Schulman
Charles R. Schwab
Schwab Living Trust
Robert G. Schwager
Harry A. Schwartz & Joseph
Schwartz Family Foundation
Juliette Schwartz
Mark H. Schwartz
Sharon Schwartz
Lauren Sclafani
Enza Scrofani
Charleen A. Scully
Marco Seandel
Chon F. Searfoss
Carlton Sedgeley
Lucille Sedgeley
Frank R. See
Wanda Cennerazzo See
Ivan Seidenberg
Barbara A. Senich
Mildred P. Sexton
Shaklee Corporation
Doris A. Shanley
Gerard Shanley
Thomas Shanley
Charles C. Sharkey
Paul M. Shavelson
John F. Shea
Arthur Shelko
Donna A. Shelton
John E. Sherman
Michael Sherman
The Murray G. and Beatrice H.
Sherman Charitable Trust
Alfred L. Shiels
The Peter H. Schub Trust
Norman G. Siebenhoven
Daniel S. Siegel
Siemens Medical Solutions
Health Services
Marc L. Silberg
Robert C. Silich
Nancy Silverberg
Barry Silverman
David Simoes
Ernie Simon
Stanley Simon
Eugene Simonoff
Diane L. Simpson
Edith M. Simpson
Jerry Simpson
Nathaniel Singer
Otis A. Sinnott
Donald J. Siracusa
Richard L. Slater
Elyse S. Slepian
Benjamin Slome Charitable
Foundation
Frank W. Sluter
Phyllis J. Small
Smiros & Smiros Architects, LLP
Andrew T. Smith
Harold W. Smith
Friends of Richard Smith
Robyn H. Smith
Stanley Smith
Charles Sobel
Robbyn E. Sockolow
Geri E. Solomon
Martin Solomon
Susan L. Soltis
Ed Sorensen
Francine A. Soriero
Eileen L. Sorota
Spartan Petroleum Corporation
Biagio Spataro
Arlene Special
Rosemarie Spencer
Henry M. Spinelli
Geraldine Spinetta
Joan Sprangel
St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran
Church and School
Helen Stacher
Mary P. Stack
Karen W. Stanley
Starbound National Talent
Competition
Betty R. Stark
Marc A. Starr
Jay and Ellen Steinberg
Michael K. Steiner
Brendalyn and Ernest E. Stempel
Foundation
Ernest E. Stempel Foundation
Howard N. Stern
The Miriam T. Stern &
Howard N. Stern
Foundation, Inc.
Stern Family Foundation
Carol A. Stoeir
David Stone
Kara M. Stoutenboro
James and Gladys Strain
John Stratta
Joyce B. Streetman
Edward M. Strogoff
Stryker Instruments
Studio 107 Hair Salon, LLC
Stylewrite Design Group
R. P. Sullivan
Employees of Super Stop &
Shop #597
Department of Surgery
Donald L. Suss
Michael S. Suzman
Contributing Friends
SVC Repairs, Inc.
Diana Sweeney
Syosset Fire Department
T
Mia Talmor
Charles J. and Szilvia
Tanenbaum
Helen S. Tanenbaum Fund
Tarnopol Family
Foundation, Inc.
Daniel J. Tarulli
Anne Alexis Cote Taylor
Arthur L. Taylor
Sheryl Taylor
Tennis Against
Breast Cancer, Inc.
Texas Cardiothoracic Surgery
Associates, PC
Thendara Foundation
Arthur E. Thomas
Geraldine B. Thomas
Mary C. Thomas
P. C. Thomas
R. R. Thomas
David D. Thompson
George C. Thorsen
Elaine R. Tierney
Arthur J. Tisi
Mary P. Tobin
Mitchell Tobol
Ignatius Todaro
Josephine Tommasi
Garry Tornberg
Anthony J. Tortolani
Beth C. Tortolani Foundation
Towers Perrin
James Traa
Trackstar, Inc.
John X. Tracy
Robert J. Tracy
William Tracy
William F. Traube
David J. Treco
Nicole L. Treshnik
Michael C. Trimarco
Sandra E. Trimboli
Rudolph Tronto
Anthony J. Truscello
Anne Capasso Ttee
Ramon Tublitz
Steven E. Tuchman
Tuck Enterprises
Joan Tucker
Barbara A. Tully
James W. Turner
Tyco Healthcare
U
Unknown (4)
United States Surgical
Corporation
United Way Dutchess
County, Inc.
United Way
University of Toronto
Ruth Unterberg
Eugenia S. Upton
Bernice V. Urban
Department of Urology
V
Peter F. Vallone
Marco J. Valzovano
Sharon Van Engen
Susan A. Van Gelder
E. Darracott Vaughan
Ina Vazquez
Lisa A. Velaquez
Mark Verdi
Verizon Foundation
Veterans of Foreign Wars of
the U.S.
Edward C. Vincent
Kelly Vinton
Geraldine L. Vitale
Vitamin Science, Inc.
Andrew E. Vuolo
W
W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
Herbert Wagreich
Margaret Waisman
Harry Waizer
Jerry R. Wallace
Robert M. Wallach
Estate of Harry A. Wallenstein
Jan Wallman
Eileen Walsh
Margaret Walsh
Mary E. Walsh
Stephen Walsh
Henry G. Walters
The Wang Family Charitable
Foundation
George Wantz (T/U/W)
Town of Wappingers
Little League
Patricia M. Warner
Toni M. Weatherford
Michael J. Weaver
Gail A. Weiss
Terry L. Weill
Joan & Sanford I. Weill
Philanthropic Foundation
Edna Wein
The Weinberg Family
Foundation
Howard Weinberger
Jill Weinstein
R. A. Weinstein
Robert Weinstein
Weinstein Kaplan &
Cohen, PC
Albert M. Weis
Marcus Weisgerber
Daniel Weiskopf
Paul S. Weisman
Gail A. Weiss
Susan Weissman
Clifford M. Welden
Edith M. Wells
Nina W. Werblow
Charitable Trust
Laura Werner
Robert Wertheimer
Allyson J. Weseley
Robert Wessel
Eveline R. White
The Judith C. White
Foundation
Christopher J. Wild
Frances V. Williams
Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
Timothy J. Wilson
|
Department Highlights
John W. Wines
Florence J. Witalis
Bruce Wolff
Willard T. Wolff
Donna Wolz-Weinberger
Women by
Peter Elliot, Inc.
Henry B. Wonham
Jerome C. Wood
Frances Wos
Estate of Frances Wos
June K. Ming Wu
Wyckoff Heights
Medical Center
Wyler Family Foundation, Inc.
X, Y, Z
Walter S. Yackel
York Point Homeowners
Association, Inc.
Yorktown Electric, Co., Inc.
Ling N. Young
Beverly B. Yunich
Roger W. Yurt
Betty Zahn
Nadezhda T. Zakharova
Jose Zapata
Chris R. Zellner
Edward J. Zier
Sheila C. Zimmet
Elizabeth S. Zinman
Karen Zipern
Timothy D. Zubradt
Ilona M. Zuckerberg
William Zules
Gerardo Zullo
Michael A. Zullo
Special Events
The Department of Surgery hosts a number of special events throughout the year to share new advances in surgery,
honor faculty and alumni, celebrate residents who are embarking on their surgical careers, raise funds for programs and
new initiatives, and set strategic goals for the future of the Department.
Department-Sponsored International Symposia
In 2008, the Department of Surgery and NewYork-Presbyterian
Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center inaugurated the First World
Congress on Interventional Therapies for Type 2 Diabetes
under the direction of Dr. Francesco Rubino, Chief of the
Department’s Gastrointestinal Metabolic Surgery Section. The
comprehensive, multidisciplinary forum brought together nearly
1,000 leading international experts in diabetes care and public
policymakers, with panels led by some of the world’s most
authoritative scientists and clinicians in the field. The Second
World Congress on Interventional Therapies for
Type 2 Diabetes was held three years later in March 2011.
In August 2009, the William Randolph Hearst Burn Center,
directed by Dr. Roger W. Yurt, and the New York Firefighters Burn
Center Foundation co-sponsored the 21st Annual World Burn
Congress, which was held for the first time in New York City.
Organized by the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors, the conference
was attended by nearly 900 burn survivors and their families, firefighters, veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and specialists
in burn treatment – the largest attendance to date. Speakers discussed
the medical and psychological challenges of a severe burn injury and
the psychological and social support needed for recovery.
Named Lectureships
The Department of Surgery
has established several named
lectureships, bringing in speakers from around the world for
special educational programs.
In 1969, the annual Benjamin
S. Park, Jr., M.D. Visiting
Professor Lectureship was
inaugurated as a memorial to
Dr. Park, a 1968 graduate of
the general surgery residency program, who
was killed in a helicopter crash during a rescue
mission while serving in Korea in 1969. Each year, some
100 faculty, residents and alumni come together to commemorate Dr. Park through a special grand rounds. The
Preston Wade Visiting Professor Lectureship, begun
in 1974, reflects the importance of surgical expertise in
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Department of Surgery
World Congress on Interventional
Therapies for Type 2 Diabetes
(From left) Dr. Roger W. Yurt, Dr. Laura L. Forese and
Dr. Fabrizio Michelassi at the 21st Annual World Burn Congress
the prevention and the treatment of trauma. After
Dr. Wade’s death in 1982, this lecture became a memorial
to his life and contributions. The Peter C. Canizaro
Visiting Professor Lectureship was created in 1983
recognizing the importance of surgical education. In 2002,
the Department established the annual Hassan Naama
Memorial Lectureship to honor Dr. Naama, who died
suddenly in 2001 soon after completing his general surgical
residency at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell. The
visiting lectureship is traditionally delivered by a past
chief resident of our General Surgery program or by a
Weill Cornell Medical College medical
student who has embraced a career
in surgery. In 2009, the Department
launched an International Lectureship
to stress the importance of
international collaboration in
medical education and surgery.
Special Events
|
Department Highlights
Outreach to Alumni
Several programs take place during the year that infuse a sense of collegiality among alumni of the Department of
Surgery’s exceptional residency and fellowship training programs. Every March, following the annual Benjamin S.
Park, Jr., M.D. Visiting Professor Lecture, faculty, alumni and residents come together for the Benjamin S. Park, Jr.,
M.D. Black-Tie Banquet Dinner to share an evening of recollections and friendships.
Faculty and alumni gather at the annual Park dinner.
Dr. Fabrizio Michelassi, Dr. O.
Wayne Isom, Dr. Barbara Lee
Bass and Dr. Alan B. Lumsden
at the ACS Annual Meeting
(From left) Dr. Kevin Morrissey, Mrs. Sue Park-LaBella,
Dr. Keith Lillimoe, Mrs. Kristen Park-LaBella Squires and
Dr. Fabrizio Michelassi
Each October, many surgical alumni, faculty and friends of NewYorkPresbyterian/Weill Cornell, Weill Cornell Medical College and The
Methodist Hospital-Houston gather at the American College of Surgeons
host hotel for our Annual Alumni Reception. The reception is
co-hosted by Dr. Fabrizio Michelassi; Dr. O. Wayne Isom,
Chair of Cardiothoracic Surgery, NewYorkPresbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical
Center; Dr. Barbara Lee Bass, the John F.
and Carolyn Bookout Chair, Department
of Surgery, The Methodist Hospital; and
Dr. Alan B. Lumsden, Professor of Surgery,
Methodist DeBakey Heart Center, The
Methodist Hospital.
Every June, the Department of Surgery hosts a
Graduation Dinner to celebrate the graduation of its
chief residents. These residents join
a distinguished cadre of alumni.
Most of them go on to subspecialty
surgical fellowships around the
country at prestigious institutions
or pursue fellowship training at
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital’s
two campuses.
2010 Graduation Celebration
Department of Surgery
|
91
Department Highlights
|
Special Events
Fundraising Events
The Annual Golf Tournament serves as an
important fundraiser for the Department of
Surgery. Since its inception in 2002,
the golf tournament has raised
nearly $600,000 to
support surgical education
and research, including
the Department’s Skills
Acquisition and Innovation
Laboratory, named lectures and
resident presentations at medical
conferences.
Annual Golf Tournament
In February 2011, the Department
of Surgery hosted a fundraising dinner
to salute famed singer Maestro Andrea Bocelli
at Le Cirque in New York. The reception
raised funds for a documentary entitled The
Art of Medicine. The film will emphasize the
importance of compassionate, humane and
personalized medical practice as an art form
to relieve suffering in an age when technology
and societal changes can sometimes intrude in
the patient-physician relationship.
Maestro Andrea Bocelli with Dr. Fabrizio Michelassi
Every Fall, Dr. Fabrizio Michelassi, along with Dr. Herbert Pardes, President and CEO
of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, and Dr. Antonio M. Gotto, Jr., Stephen and Suzanne
Weiss Dean, Weill Cornell Medical College, hosts a recognition Reception and
Dinner for Donors and Friends to express the Department of Surgery’s deep
appreciation for their support and ongoing commitment. Since 2004, donor
contributions have exceeded $38 million, enabling the Department to undergo facilities
renovations and growth in its clinical services, educational programs and research initiatives.
Department of Surgery Retreats
Shortly after joining Weill Cornell as Chairman of the
Department of Surgery, Dr. Fabrizio Michelassi initiated
an in-depth assessment of the state of the Department.
More than 65 personnel from the Department, NewYorkPresbyterian, the Physician Organization and Weill Cornell
Medical College participated in what was termed the
AIMS Process. The participants collaborated on the
development of recommendations that would address
challenges and delineate opportunities in the areas
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Department of Surgery
of academic organization, clinical operations, clinical
program development, surgical education and surgical
research. The review led to the Department’s first faculty
retreat under Dr. Michelassi’s leadership in November
2004. The Aims Process laid the groundwork for progress
in the Department, further enhanced by biannual faculty
retreats that continue to this day. Areas of focus have
evolved alongside the Department’s own advancement,
with topics that have included strategic research development and initiatives in quality and patient safety.
Department of Surgery
Chairman’s Office
Fabrizio Michelassi, MD
(212) 746-5144
Vice Chairman’s Office
Roger W. Yurt, MD
(212) 746-5410
Administrator
Anthony Trimarchi
(212) 746-5145
Faculty Appointments
and Promotions
Jennifer Zahn
(212) 746-7689
Finance
India Long
(212) 746-5522
Grants Administration
Frederique Nerestan
(212) 746-9753
Marketing and Alumni Relations
Karen Zipern
(212) 746-6942
Operations
Marie Pirraglia
(212) 746-5147
Skills Acquisition and
Innovation Laboratory
Elliott L. Silverman, PA-C
(212) 746-9843
Surgical Education
Margie Troncoso
(212) 746-6591
Surgery Research
Todd R. Evans, PhD
Vice Chair
(212) 746-9485
Surgery Quality Improvement
Alfons Pomp, MD
Vice Chair
(212) 746-5294
Editor-in-Chief
Karen Zipern
Managing Editors
Linda Errante
Robert Pryzgoda
Associate Editor
Judy Pommett
Assistant Editor
Patricia Jakubauskas
www.cornellsurgery.org
Clinical Services
Breast Surgery
Alexander J. Swistel, MD, Chief
(212) 821-0602
Burns, Critical Care and Trauma
Roger W. Yurt, MD, Chief
(212) 746-5410
Colon and Rectal Surgery
Jeffrey W. Milsom, MD, Chief
(212) 746-6030
Endocrine Surgery
Thomas J. Fahey, III, MD, Chief
(212) 746-5130
Gastrointestinal Metabolic Surgery
Francesco Rubino, MD, Chief
(212) 746-5925
Hepatobiliary Surgery and
Liver Transplantation
Daniel Cherqui, MD, Chief
(212) 746-2127
Laparoscopic and Bariatric Surgery
Alfons Pomp, MD, Chief
(212) 746-5294
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
and Dentistry
David A. Behrman, DMD, Chief
(212) 746-5175
Pediatric Surgery
Nitsana A. Spigland, MD, Chief
(212) 746-5648
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Robert T. Grant, MD, Chief
(212) 305-3103
Surgical Oncology
(212) 746-6006
Transplantation Surgery
Sandip Kapur, MD, Chief
(212) 746-5330
Vascular and Endovascular Surgery
Darren B. Schneider, MD, Chief
(212) 746-5192
Art Director
Ali Wilcox
Major Photography
Robert Essel
Contributing Photography
John Abbott
Brad Hess
Pat Kuharic
Printer
Monroe Litho, Inc.
© 2011 Department of Surgery, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center.
All rights reserved.
Department of Surgery
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/
Weill Cornell Medical Center
525 East 68th Street, Box 129
New York, NY 10065
www.cornellsurgery.org