Our group is interested in evaluating recovery trends (as measured by prospectively collecting patient reported quality of life data) after kidney surgery. Using this data we are able to provide detailed recovery expectations for these patients. We also aim to define the costs of kidney surgery, including hospital costs and societal costs — by incorporating patient-reported data about leave from work, salary lost, and family leave. We were the first group to evaluate societal costs of kidney surgery in the period following hospital discharge. This work was first presented at the New England AUA meeting in 2015, and has been accepted for publication in the Canadian Journal of Urology in 2018.

Our team has helped refine robotic surgery for kidney cancer; however we are also interested in non-operative approaches to small renal masses. Together with researchers from Johns Hopkins University and Columbia University, we are a main contributor to the DISSRM trial (Delayed Intervention and Surveillance for Small Renal Masses). This is a multicenter prospective study evaluating the role of surveillance and surgery of small kidney tumors over time. We have studied quality of life in these patients, evaluated changes in kidney function over time, evaluated tumor growth characteristics, and developed a scoring system to help clinicians during the decision-making process.

Clinical Interests:
Urologic oncology
Prostate cancer
Kidney cancer
Bladder cancer
Robotic and laparoscopic surgery

Board Certifications
American Board of Urology

Clinical Titles
Director of Minimally Invasive Urologic Surgery