Gallbladder surgeon in NYC?

July 29, 2012 6:56 PM

Can anyone recommend a surgeon to remove a gallbladder in NYC?

My wife went to the ER last night with what turned out to be gallstones. The standard treatment, apparently, is to remove the gallbladder. I'm trying to find a surgeon, but I'm not even sure where to start. Like, I go to the review sites, and there's not a specialty for gallbladders -- apparently, that's just "general" surgery. But general surgery is so broad that it's just impossible to tell who actually does gallbladders, and who just does (say) breast cancer.

Neither of us has a primary care physician to ask.

Please recommend either a surgeon in New York City, or a good surgeon search algorithm.

posted by novalis_dt to health & fitness (6 answers total)

Here are physicians in the New York Presbyterian Hospital network that specialize in Gallbladder Surgery. (May need to reload a couple of times, I think they are doing website maintenance tonight, usually don't have any issues with their site)

If you go in through the main search page, you can specify your insurance as well.
posted by effigy at 8:41 PM on July 29, 2012

Where I did my surgical rotation, nearly all of the general surgeons did several gallbladder removals a week. In most cases, uncomplicated cholecystectomies are performed with laparoscopy - three small incisions.

Do you or your wife have any friends, family members, or colleagues who have had surgery? You might start by asking them who has done their surgeries. The surgeon is important, but I would posit that it is just as important to find out where their surgeries were performed and whether they were satisfied by nursing staff as well.
posted by honeybee413 at 9:55 PM on July 29, 2012

Usually all general surgeons, and even other types of surgeons do cholecystectomies (gallbladder removal). It's one of the most straightforward, most common abdominal surgeries. When I used work on trauma, the trauma surgeons would do gallbladders whenever they weren't busy doing some other trauma thing but had to be in the hospital.

So I would just ask for a good general surgeon. You really don't need a 'gallbladder specialist' for this unless there is more to the story.

I think Angie's List was getting into physician reviews, if you're interested in paying for an online service to do a search.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 10:29 PM on July 29, 2012

What about checking out the New York Magazine top doctors in NY issue?
posted by JohnnyGunn at 10:42 PM on July 29, 2012

I was referred to Dr. Celina Divino at Mt. Sinai (UES) by my PCP. The surgery was quick, I healed well and had no complications.

The surgery itself took 45 minutes, I was in recovery for a bit, and my bf took me home that day. I felt sore but fine the next day.
posted by carmenghia at 7:06 AM on July 30, 2012 [1 favorite]

Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately, Dr. Divino had no appointments until September. We made an appointment with someone from the NY Magazine list, but would still love to hear other suggestions, especially personal recommendations.
posted by novalis_dt at 9:55 AM on July 30, 2012