AnorectalFistula near Elmhurst, NY

Biography: Mehraneh Dorna Jafari, MD, is Associate Professor of Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College and Chief of Colorectal Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. She is the director of clinical research in the department of Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical Center. She is board-certified in general surgery and colon and rectal surgery. Dr. Jafari specializes in the comprehensive care of colorectal cancer patients, patients with peritoneal surface disease as well as those patients with benign colorectal disease.Dr Jafari works with a world-renowned group of multidisciplinary specialists to help promote a patient centered treatment plan for her patients, including radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, gastroenterologists, and interventional radiologists.Her goal is to provide precision medicine to patients that is safe and effective.Dr. Jafari has expertise in minimal access techniques, including laparoscopic, and robotic surgery. In addition, she has special interests in sphincter preserving surgery (helping rectal cancer patients avoid a permanent ostomy), maintaining fertility in cancer patients, and improving quality of life and bowel function after rectal surgery. Dr Jafari has been at forefront of research with regards to improving outcomes using enhanced recovery and narcotic sparing protocols.Dr. Jafari is among a small number of surgeons who offers surgery for metastatic colon, appendiceal and peritoneal surface disease. She utilizes cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), which involves heated chemotherapy applied directly within the abdominal cavity following removal of cancerous tumors.Dr. Jafari's clinical research focuses on quality of life and oncological outcomes for colorectal cancer patients. Her main area of expertise is starting chemotherapy earlier in cancer treatment to allow patients to recover their quality of life sooner.Dr. Jafari has written extensively and published in many major journals, including the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Annals of Surgery, and the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. She has led numerable courses teaching surgeons around the country how to perform minimal invasive surgery.Dr. Jafari is actively involved in many national Surgical and Oncologic Societies, including the American College of Surgeons, Society of Surgical Oncologists, American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons and Association of Women Surgeons.Dr. Jafari completed her general surgical residency at University of California, Irvine and her Colorectal fellowship at NYP Weill Cornell/Columbia & Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She then was appointed the as Director Education for the Department of Surgery and Associate program Director of Colon and Rectal Surgery at University of California, Irvine prior to joining Weill Cornell.

Care Philosophy: We are committed to delivering the best care and an exceptional patient experience. We are devoted to providing services that are patient-centered and compassionate, and care for you as a person.

Biography: Dr. Angela Kadenhe-Chiweshe completed her M.D. degree at the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine. She entered a categorical general surgery residency at the University of Rochester where her interest in pediatric surgery was solidified. In 2001 she joined the Pediatric Tumor Biology Laboratory as a postdoctoral research fellow under the tutelage of Drs. Jessica Kandel and Darrell Yamashiro. During this time she studied the effects of anti-angiogenic therapy in experimental models of pediatric solid tumors. This work led to key discoveries of how these tumors respond to anti-angiogenic therapy and served as important preclinical data for the Phase II studies for Avastin® (bevacizumab). She also concurrently completed a clinical fellowship in Extra-Corporal Membrane Oxygenation with Dr. Charles Stolar. She went on to complete her general surgery training at Columbia University in 2007, and followed with a clinical fellowship in Pediatric Surgery at the Morgan Stanley Children's' Hospital of New York Presbyterian, in 2009. Dr. Chiweshe joined the faculty of the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, as Assistant Professor of Surgery in July 2009 until her departure in June 2018, when she briefly joined the Faculty of the Department of Surgery at Westchester Medical Center. Dr. Chiweshe's clinical interests include all aspects of general and thoracic pediatric surgery: in particular, neonatal anomalies, intestinal rehabilitation, hepatobiliary disease, pediatric cancer and vascular anomalies. Dr. Chiweshe's academic interests lie in the field of clinical and translational research. She served as co-PI of the Pediatric Tumor Biology Lab at Columbia, working alongside her mentor Dr. Yamashiro to elucidate the response of the tumor microenvironment of experimental models of pediatric solid tumors to NOTCH inhibition and high dose radiation. She has received grant funding from various sources, throughout her career, including NIH, Pediatric Cancer Foundation, and other institutional and philanthropic sources. Dr. Kadenhe-Chiweshe is a highly respected mentor and teacher, and has served as a role model to many students, residents, and fellows.Dr. Chiweshe is a Fellow of American College of Surgeons, a member of the American Pediatric Surgical Association, Children's Oncology Group, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. She has been recognized by Castle Connolly as one of "America's Top Doctors".

Care Philosophy: Certified by the American Board of Surgery and National Board of Medical Examiners, Dr. Lieberman utilizes the latest innovations in surgical techniques--including minimally invasive laparoscopic procedures--to minimize patient discomfort and promote recovery from surgical procedures. He performs laparoscopic procedures on the colon, gallbladder, liver, pancreas, spleen, and stomach.

Biography: Lea Lowenfeld, MD is a colorectal surgeon at NewYork-Presbyterian / Weill Cornell Medical Center and an Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery. She was born and raised in New York, NY. Dr Lowenfeld received her BA in Philosophy from Cornell University, received her medical degree from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and continued her surgery training at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. After completing three years of general surgery clinical training, she was awarded the Henle Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship to study cancer immunotherapy. She authored several peer-reviewed manuscripts, book chapters, and two biomedical patents.After completing her general surgery residency, she completed fellowship training in Colon and Rectal Surgery at the University of Southern California.

Care Philosophy: My approach to patient care involves carefully listening to a patient's history and concerns. I encourage input from parents and devote time to educating families about the child's condition. With thoughtful consideration to the presenting symptoms, I proceed with focused testing as part of a guided workup. When surgery is indicated, I thoroughly review the risks, benefits, and alternatives to operative treatment. I then actively communicate the findings and plans with the primary pediatricians so all members of the provider team are up to date.