I perform more than 300 surgeries per year and see close to 1,000 patients annually in the clinic. I work closely with colleagues from medical oncology, radiation oncology, and anatomic and molecular pathology to develop individualized treatment plans to improve patients’ outcomes and quality of life.
Patients are often concerned about the prognosis of their cancer, the potential complications of surgery, and how treatment will impact their day-to-day life. I try to reassure them and their loved ones that we are committed to effectively and aggressively treating their condition while minimizing pain and discomfort and maintaining their quality of life. I hope my patients feel confident that I am on their side in this fight and that I will do everything I can to take good care of them.
At Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, we use cutting-edge technology to provide exceptional surgical treatment and decrease the risk of complications and damage to healthy tissue. Minimally invasive approaches, such as video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) and robotic surgery, are now the standard of care for most thoracic cancers and have been shown to reduce pain and the time it takes to recover.
I am one of the world’s experts in advanced robotic surgical techniques both for early and advanced thoracic malignancies, including lung, esophageal, and thymic cancers. Where most surgeons would opt for a traditional open operation (thoracotomy), I am often able to offer patients a minimally invasive approach. I pioneered the development of robotic lobectomy (removal of a lobe of the lung through minimally invasive surgery) for people with localized lung cancer. I also utilize advanced technologies, such as endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS), navigational bronchoscopy, and advanced airway procedures, to diagnose thoracic cancers and manage some of the complications of advanced cancer.
When possible, we use lung-preserving surgery for people with early-stage lung cancer. The traditional curative surgical procedure has been lobectomy, but now at least 30% of these surgeries can be segmentectomies in which a smaller portion of the lobe is removed. This allows the patient to retain a significant level of lung function.
Additionally, MSK performs comprehensive molecular testing of many cancers to identify the most effective systemic treatments that will target any potential genetic changes in the tumor that fuel their growth. We are actively involved in clinical trials to evaluate treatments guided by genomic test results, including various combinations of new targeted therapies, chemotherapies, and immunotherapies given before surgery for locally advanced lung cancers.
I became interested in thoracic surgical oncology as a Cornell University surgical resident during my rotation on the Thoracic Service at MSK. I learned so much from my surgical oncology mentors and was especially impressed with the outstanding multidisciplinary care delivered through MSK’s thoracic cancer clinical care teams, which include surgeons, nurses, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, radiologists, and pathologists.
Today, I carry on that patient-centered focus through the care I provide to my patients, my outcomes research to improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of cancer care, and my work to establish standards for training and credentialing in the field of robotic thoracic surgery.
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my wife of 25 years and my three children. We love traveling to our favorite vacation spots, including Cape Cod, California, and the Caribbean. I stay active playing tennis and golf and make time to relax with a good movie or book. I especially like crime novels. One of my favorite authors is Harlan Coben, whose novels are set in New York and northern New Jersey.
