Cancers Treated:
Specializing In:
- Robotic and minimally invasive management of esophageal, gastroesophageal, gastric and pancreatic malignancies
- Management of neuroendocrine tumors including tumors of the adrenal gland
Research Interests:
- Improving patients outcomes both short term and long term with complex procedures like esophagectomy and pancreatectomy
- Studying genetic and molecular signatures to predict response to various treatments in gastroesophageal junction cancers and be able to predict complete response to treatment
- Using artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to better optimize surgical learning, minimize learning curve and help standardize outcomes
Biography
My expertise lies in minimally invasive management of esophageal, gastroesophageal, gastric and pancreatic malignancies. Our group has performed more than 500 minimally invasive esophagectomies and more recently more than 200 robot-assisted esophagectomies where we have seen the best outcomes from this operation compared to any center in the world. Our group has also published a large volume series of gastrectomies for locally advanced gastric cancer. In addition, our group offers robot- assisted approaches to pancreatic operations both for pancreatic head resection and body and tail resection and is the only center outside of NYC that offers this approach. From a research standpoint, our group is focused on looking at ways to continue to improve long term outcomes from these procedures as the cure rates increase and patient continue to live longer.
Positions
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
- Professor of Oncology
- Chief, Foregut and Endocrine Surgery
- Program Director, Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship
- Chair – Department of Surgical Oncology
Background
Education and Training
- 2004 - MBBS - Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, India
Residency
- 2012 – Chief Resident – General Surgery – Hofstra North Shore LIJ School of Medicine, New York
- 2011 – Resident – General Surgery - Hofstra North Shore LIJ School of Medicine, New York
Fellowship
- 2014 - Surgical Oncology - Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY
Board Certification
- 2013 - American Board of Surgery
Professional Memberships
- American College of Surgeons (ACS)
- Society of Surgical Oncology
- American society of clinical Oncology (ASCO)
- WNY American College of Surgeons
- Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons
- Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association
- NYS Trooper Surgeons
Honors & Awards
- 2022 - Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center Golden Apple Award for the most outstanding Surgical Oncology faculty educator
- 2018 - Present – Buffalo Spree Top Doctors
- 2018 - Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center Golden Apple Award for the most outstanding Surgical Oncology faculty educator
- 2014 - E.D. Holyoke award for best clinical and scientific achievement by a surgical oncology Fellow, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
- 2013 - WNY ACS Chapter Abstract Contest Winner: Clinical -2nd Place
- 2012 - Outstanding Laparoendoscopic Resident Award, Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgery
- 2012 - Highest ABSITE SCORE Award for the Senior exam (97th percentile)
- 2009 - Highest ABSITE SCORE Award for the junior exam (99th percentile)
Research Overview
1. Kukar M, Ben-David K, Peng JS, Attwood K, Thomas RM, Hennon M, Nwogu C, Hochwald SN. Minimally Invasive Ivor Lewis Esophagectomy with Linear Stapled Anastomosis Associated with Low Leak and Stricture Rates. J Gastrointest Surg. 2020 Aug;24(8):1729-1735. doi: 10.1007/s11605-019-04320-y. Epub 2019 Jul 16.J Gastrointest Surg. 2020. PMID: 31317458.
2. Trumbull DA, Lemini R, Díaz Vico T, Jorgensen MS, Attwood K, Ji W, Brady M, Gabriel E, Kukar M. Prognostic Significance of Complete Pathologic Response Obtained with Chemotherapy Versus Chemoradiotherapy in Gastric Cancer. Ann Surg Oncol. 2021 Feb;28(2):766-773. doi: 10.1245/s10434-020-08921-9. Epub 2020 Jul 31. Ann Surg Oncol. 2021. PMID: 32737698.
3. Peng JS, Nurkin SJ, Hochwald SN, Kukar M. Technique for Robotic Ivor Lewis Esophagectomy with 6-cm Linear Stapled Side-to-Side Anastomosis. Ann Surg Oncol. 2019 Dec 4. doi: 10.1245/s10434-019-07933-4. [Epub ahead of print] No abstract available. PMID: 31802298.
4. Chouliaras K, Attwood K, Brady M, Takahashi H, Peng JS, Yendamuri S, Demmy TL, Hochwald SN, Kukar M. Robotic verses thoraco-laparoscopic minimally invasive Ivor Lewis esophagectomy, a matched-pair single-center cohort analysis. Dis Esophagus. 2022 Dec 31;36(1):doac037. doi: 10.1093/dote/doac037.PMID: 35758409
5. Tuttle R, Hochwald SN, Kukar M, Ben-David K. Total laparoscopic resection for advanced gastric cancer is safe and feasible in the Western population. Surg Endosc. 2016 Aug;30(8):3552-8.
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