Research

Jonah J. Stulberg, MD, PhD, MPH – Vice Chair, Research, Department of Surgery
Shinil K. Shah, DO, EdD – Medical Director, Research, Division of Minimally Invasive and Elective General Surgery

The Division of Minimally Invasive and Elective General Surgery is committed to innovative and collaborative research. Our division has an experienced research support staff with experience in all study types, including national and international multi-center randomized clinical trials. Multiple fellowship faculty have formal training in basic science/translational, clinical, medical informatics, and surgical education research.

Julie Holihan, MD, MS
Michelle Scerbo, MD, MS
Shinil K. Shah, DO, EdD
Jonah J. Stulberg, MD, PhD, MPH
Peter A. Walker, MD
Deborah B. Horn, MD, MPH (Obesity Medicine)
Sameer B. Murali, MD, MSHS (Obesity Medicine)

Multiple other faculty with formal research training in the sections of Surgical Oncology, Breast Surgical Oncology and Endocrine Surgery, Interventional Gastroenterology, and Colorectal Surgery add to the breadth of research expertise in the division. The Division has participated in multiple first-in-human clinical trials.

Current research studies span a spectrum of topics, including bariatric and metabolic surgery, medical weight loss, non-bariatric foregut surgery, hernia/abdominal wall reconstruction, surgical education, surgical technology, and gastrointestinal surgery. We have a diversity of funding sources, including industry as well as federal research funding.

This is a busy one-year clinical fellowship program. However, fellows are required to complete and submit at least one academic work (peer-reviewed abstract, manuscript, book chapter, video, etc).

A sampling of peer-reviewed publications (not including abstracts, videos, and book chapters) involving our minimally invasive surgery fellows over the last three years

Iranmanesh P, Shah SK, Chevallay M, Toso C, Mönig SP, Hagen ME, Wilson EB, Jung MK. Assessment of predictors of early postoperative complications after primary robotically assisted Roux-en-Y gastric bypass: a multicenter, retrospective cohort study. Surg Endosc. 2023 Apr;37(4):2851-2857.

Monfared S, Weis JJ, Shah SK, Scott DJ, Felinski MM, Wilson EB. The rising tide of revisional surgery: tracking changes in index cases among bariatric-accredited fellowships. Surg Endosc. 2022 Sep 22:1-5.

Liu YZ, Shah SK, Sanders CM, Nwaiwu CA, Dechert AF, Mehrotra S, Schwaitzberg SD, Kim PCW, Wilson EB. Utility and usability of laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) for displaying real-time tissue perfusion/blood flow in robot-assisted surgery (RAS): comparison to indocyanine green (ICG) and use in laparoscopic surgery. Surg Endosc. 2022 Sep 15:1-9.

Iranmanesh P, Fam J, Nguyen T, Talarico D, Chandwani KD, Bajwa KS, Felinski MM, Katz LV, Mehta SS, Myers SR, Snyder BE, Walker PA, Wilson TD, Rivera AR, Klein CL, Shah SK, Wilson EB. Outcomes of primary versus revisional robotically assisted laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass: a multicenter analysis of ten-year experience. Surg Endosc. 2021 Oct;35(10):5766-5773.

Felinski MM, Abbas D, Walker PA, Primomo JA, Kajese TM, Kar B, Gregoric ID, Banjac I, Janowiak L, Nathan S, Hussain R, Mehta SS, Bajwa KS, Shah SK, Akkanti B. Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Rescue for Severe Aspiration Pneumonitis in Two Patients after Roux-en-y Gastric Bypass Procedure. J Extra Corpor Technology. 2021 Sep;53(3):199-203.

Cowling JC, Zhang X, Bajwa KS, Elliott EG, Felinski MM, Holihan J, Scerbo M, Snyder BE, Trahan MD, Wilson TD, Courtney SL, Klein CL, Rivera AR, Wilson EB, Shah SK, Cattano D. Thromboelastography-Based Profiling of Coagulation Status in Patients Undergoing Bariatric Surgery: Analysis of 422 Patients. Obes Surg. 2021 Aug;31(8):3590-3597.

Nathan SS, Iranmanesh P, Gregoric ID, Akay MH, Kumar S, Akkanti BH, Salas de Armas IA, Patel M, Felinski MM, Shah SK, Bajwa KS, Kar B. Regression of severe heart failure after combined left ventricular assist device placement and sleeve gastrectomy. ESC Heart Fail. 2021 Apr;8(2):1615-1619.

Iranmanesh P, Manisundaran NV, Bajwa KS, Thosani NC, Felinski MM, Wilson EB, Shah SK. Management of Acute Gastric Remnant Complications After Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass: a Single-Center Case Series. Obes Surg. 2020 Jul;30(7):2637-2641.

Chang VC, Pan P, Shah SK, Srinivasan A, Haberl E, Wan C, Kajese TM, Primomo JA, Davis G. Routine preoperative endoscopy in patients undergoing bariatric surgery. Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2020 Jun;16(6):745-750.

Sowards KJ, Holton NF, Elliott EG, Hall J, Bajwa KS, Snyder BE, Wilson TD, Mehta SS, Walker PA, Chandwani KD, Klein CL, Rivera AR, Wilson EB, Shah SK, Felinski MM. Safety of robotic assisted laparoscopic recurrent paraesophageal hernia repair: insights from a large single institution experience. Surg Endosc. 2020 Jun;34(6):2560-2566.

Iranmanesh P, Bajwa KS, Felinski MM, Shah SK, Wilson EB. Robotic Primary and Revisional Bariatric Surgery. Surg Clin North Am. 2020 Apr;100(2):417-430.

Iranmanesh P, Rivera AR, Bajwa KS, Alibhai M, Snyder BE, Wilson TD, Felinski MM, Mehta SS, Chandwani KD, Klein CL, Walker PA, Shah SK, Wilson EB. Trocar site closure with a novel anchor-based (neoClose®) system versus standard suture closure: a prospective randomized controlled trial. Surg Endosc. 2020 Mar;34(3):1270-1276.