Nine Yale Surgeons on New York Magazine's List of Top 100 Minimally Invasive Surgeons

A New York Magazine cover article titled "Surgery Without Scars..." has included nine surgeons in the Yale Medical Group on a list of the top 100 minimally invasive surgeons in the tri-state area.

"We are pleased that nearly 10 percent of the top 100 minimally invasive surgeons in New York are Yale School of Medicine faculty members and practice full time at Yale-New Haven Hospital," said Robert Udelsman, M.D., chair of surgery at Yale School of Medicine. "We offer world class care and we are just around the corner."

Minimally invasive or laparoscopic surgery uses high-tech surgical instruments and cameras linked to high definition televisions that allow surgeons to perform major operations through small incisions. This compares favorably to traditional techniques, which require large incisions through muscles and other tissue to approach surgical sites. These innovative techniques are about a decade old and offer many benefits, such as smaller scars, less tissue trauma, less pain and a more rapid recovery. In addition, Udelsman said significant cost-savings have been associated with these procedures.

Yale surgeons are now using laparoscopic surgery to harvest kidneys from donors. A telescope is inserted into a small incision to help remove the kidney, resulting in less trauma to the donor, which Udelsman said will likely improve the donor pool. Conventional kidney harvesting involves long incisions and a more difficult recovery for donors.

The Yale surgeons listed in the January 14, 2002 article cover a wide range of specialties such as otolaryngology (head and neck), gastrointestinal surgery, cardiovascular surgery, and endocrine and oncologic surgery. The surgeons and their specialties include:

• Kevin R. Anderson, M.D., associate professor of surgery, urology.
  
• John Elefteriades, M.D., professor of cardiothoracic surgery, specializing in heart transplants and aortic aneurysms.
  
• Amy L. Friedman, M.D., assistant professor of transplant surgery, specializing in living kidney donors.
  
• Richard Gusberg, M.D., professor of vascular and endovascular surgery.
  
• James C. Rosser, Jr., M.D., director of endo-laparoscopic surgery, associate professor of surgery: gastrointestinal surgery.
  
• Ronald R. Salem, M.D., associate professor of surgery, oncology: liver, esophageal and gastric surgery.
  
• Clarence T. Sasaki, M.D., the Charles W. Ohse Professor of Surgery, otolaryngology, specializing in head and neck cancer, voice/swallowing disorders.
  
• Neal Seymour, M.D., associate professor of surgery: gastrointestinal surgery, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease.
  
• Robert Udelsman, M.D., Lampman Professor of Surgery and Oncology, chair of surgery at Yale School of Medicine: oncologic and endocrine surgery.