Dr. Camran R. Nezhat, MD, FACOG, FACS

Camran Nezhat, M.D. has been called the father of modern-day surgery for inventing and pioneering video-assisted endoscopy.1-8 His developments have revolutionized surgery, and he has been the first to perform many of the most advanced laparoscopic surgical procedures.1-53 Early on he advocated 5,9 and proved that the majority of the open procedures of the time could be performed via minimally invasive techniques.1-53 By doing so, he opened the door for surgeons all over the world to advance the field of minimally invasive surgery and help their patients.1-53

As the original proponent for minimally invasive surgery, he has declared that wherever in the body a cavity exists or can be created minimally invasive surgery is possible and probably preferable, the limiting factors are the skill and experience of the

surgeon and the availability of proper instrumentations.

5,9

In the 1990’s he collaborated with robotic pioneers Ajit Shah and Phil Green on development of the daVinci Robot46 and has innovated many of its applications10, 44-49 Following the pioneering work in video- assisted endoscopy, Camran Nezhat and his collaborators have been credited with performing the following procedures for the first time in surgical history:

GYNECOLOGY

Laparoscopic treatment of extensive endometriosis involving multiple organs 1985-1986, 1988- 1989, 1991-1994 4-9, 12, 24-32

Laparoscopic removal of dermoid cyst 1989 11

Radical hysterectomy with paraaortic and pelvic node dissection 1989-1992 9,12-14

Operative laparoscopy during advanced pregnancy 1990-1991 15

Management of ovarian remnant 1991-1992 17

Sacral colpopexy 1992, 1994 9,18

Laparoscopic-assisted myomectomy 1994 19

Laparoscopic repair of vesico vaginal fistulas 1994 20

Vaginal cuff dehiscence following laparoscopic hysterectomy 1995-1996 21

Laparoscopic debulking for advanced ovarian cancer 1996 22

Laparoscopic repair of Cesarean scar defect (Niche, Ishmocele, Diverticulum repair.) 2003 23

COLORECTAL

Laparoscopic bowel resection (including shaving technique, disk excision, and segmental colon resection by natural orifice, mini laparotomy, and total laparoscopic approach) 1988-1992, 1994

6,9,12,24-32

UROLOGY

Ureter resection 1990, 1992 33,34

Bladder resection 1992 35

Ureteroneocystostomy with and without Psoas Hitch 1992, 1999 33,34,36

Vesico vaginal fistula repair 1994 20

UPPER ABDOMEN AND CHEST

Diaphragm resection and repair 1992 37

Laparoscopic treatment of lung endometriosis 1992, 2012 38,39

Laparoscopic treatment of liver endometriosis 2005 40

VASCULAR

Laparoscopic repair of major retroperitoneal vessels 1997, 2002 41,42

The pioneering work above, along with his other innovations, like vessel sealing and cutting devices, suction irrigation instruments, surgical lasers, safe abdominal entry techniques, robotics, etc., serve millions of patients around the world. He has more than 30 patents for his various inventions and developments.

He is author of eight textbooks and several hundred peer reviewed articles and book chapters. He has trained many physicians around the world who have become pillars of their communities. He started teaching postgraduate courses in 1982 and continues to teach and share his knowledge with medical professionals internationally. He has had teaching and leadership roles at many different societies and universities around the world.

In 2014, Camran Nezhat in collaboration with Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons, started the first “Endometriosis Specialist” Subspecialty in Minimally Invasive and Robotic Surgery Fellowship, embracing a multidisciplinary approach. He is the Founder of Worldwide Endometriosis March (EndoMarch), a global grassroots movement with the mission of raising awareness about endometriosis

and finding noninvasive diagnostic testing, and ultimately, prevention and treatment (www.endomarch.org). More than sixty countries are involved in this movement.

He is the recipient of many awards. He has been involved in research, teaching, innovating and philanthropic activities while in private practice throughout his professional life. His biggest love is to take care of his patients.

For more information, please visit www.nezhat.org.

1) Podratz, Karl, MD PHD. Degrees of Freedom: Advances in Gynecological and Obstetrical Surgery. Remembering Milestones and Achievements in Surgery: Inspiring Quality for a Hundred Years 1913-2012. Published by American College of Surgeons 2012. Tampa: Faircount Media Group; 2013. 2) Carter JE. Biography of Camran Nezhat, MD, FACOG, FACS. JSLS : Journal of the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons. 2006;10(2):275- 280. 3) Kelley WE. The Evolution of Laparoscopy and the Revolution in Surgery in the Decade of the 1990s. JSLS : Journal of the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons. 2008;12(4):351-357. 4) Stanford News Services Media Monitor. Stanford Report. February 9, 2005; 9. 5) Nezhat, C., Crowgey, S. R. & Garrison, C. P. Surgical treatment of endometriosis via laser laparoscopy. Fertility & Sterility. P 45, 778 -- 783. (1986) 6) Nezhat C, Nezhat F. Evaluation of safety of videolaseroscopic treatment of bowel endometriosis, Scientific Paper, 44th Annual Meeting of the American Fertility Society, Atlanta Hilton and Towers, Atlanta, Georgia, October 8 -- 13, 1988 7) Nezhat C, Hood J, Winer W, et al. Videolaseroscopy and laser laparoscopy in gynecology. Br J Hosp Med. P 38, 219 -- 224. (1987) 8) Nezhat C, Videolaseroscopy: a new modality for the treatment of diseases of the reproductive organs. Colposc Gynecol Laser Surg 1986; 2: 221 – 224 9) Nezhat, C, Nezhat F, Nezhat C, Operative laparoscopy (minimally invasive surgery). State of the art, J Gynecol Surg. 1992; 8:111–141. 10) Nezhat C, Saberi NS, Shahmohamady B, Nezhat F. Robotic-assisted laparoscopy in gynecological surgery JSLS. Vol 10 (3), p 317 -- 320. (2006) 11) Nezhat C, Winer WK, Nezhat F. Laparoscopic removal of dermoid cysts. Obstet Gynecol, February 1989;73(2): 278 -- 281. 12) Nezhat C, Nezhat F. Silfen SL. Videolaseroscopy: the CO2 laser for advanced operative laparoscopy. Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am. 1991;18:585–604. 13) Nezhat C, Burrell M, Nezhat F, Benigno B, Welander CE. Laparoscopic radical hysterectomy with paraaortic and pelvic node dissection. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1992;166:864–865. 14) Nezhat CR, Nezhat FR, Ramirez CE, et al. Laparoscopic radical hysterectomy and laparoscopic assisted vaginal radical hysterectomy with pelvic and paraaortic node dissection, J Gynecol Surg. 1993;9:105–120. 15) Nezhat F, Nezhat C, Silfen S, Fehnel S. Laparoscopic Ovarian cystectomy during pregnancy. J Laparoendosc Surg. 1991;1:161–164. 16) Nezhat C. Letter to the Editor: Radical Hysterectomy. Am J Obstet Gynecol, May 1993;168(5): 1643-1644. 17) Nezhat F, Nezhat C. Operative laparoscopy for the treatment of ovarian remnant syndrome. Fertil Steril, May 1992;57(5): 1003 - - 1007. 18) Nezhat F, Nezhat C, Nezhat CH. Laparoscopic sacral colpopexy for vaginal wall prolapse. Obstet Gynecol. 1994;84:885– 888. 19) Nezhat C, Nezhat F, Bess O, Nezhat CH, Mashiach R. Laparoscopically assisted myomectomy: a report of a new technique in 57 cases. Int J Fertil Menopausal Stud. P 39(1): 39 -- 44. (1994) 20) Nezhat CH, Nezhat F, Nezhat C, Rottenberg H. Laparoscopic repair of a vesicovaginal fistula: a case report. Obstet Gynecol. 1994;83:899 – 901. 21) Nezhat CH, Nezhat F, Seidman DS, Nezhat C. Vaginal vault evisceration after total laparoscopic hysterectomy. Obstet Gynecol 1996;87: 868–870.

22) Amara DP, Nezhat C, Teng NN, Nezhat F, Nezhat C, Rosati M. Operative laparoscopy in the management of ovarian cancer. Surgical Laparoscopy 1996 Endoscopy & Percutaneous Techniques. P 6(1): 38 -- 45. (1996) 23) Jacobson M, Osias J, Velasco A, Charles R, Nezhat C. Laparoscopic repair of a uteroperitoneal fistula. JSLS. 2003;7:367–369. 24) Nezhat CR, Nezhat FR. Safe laser excision and vaporization of endometriosis. Fertil Steril, 1989; P 52(1): 149 – 151 25) Nezhat C, Pennington E, Nezhat F, Silfen SL. Laparoscopically assisted anterior rectal wall resection and reanastomosis for deeply infiltrating endometriosis. Surg Laparosc Endosc, June 1991;1(2): 106 -- 108. 26) Nezhat F, Nezhat C, Pennington E. Laparoscopic proctectomy for infiltrating endometriosis of the rectum. Fertil Steril, May 1992;57(5): 1129-1132. 27) Nezhat F, Nezhat C, Pennington E, Ambroze W Jr. Laparoscopic segmental resection for infiltrating endometriosis of the recto sigmoid colon: a preliminary report. Surg Laparosc Endosc. 1992;2:212–216. 28) Nezhat C, Nezhat F, Pennington E. Laparoscopic treatment of lower colorectal and infiltrating rectovaginal septum endometriosis by the technique of videolaseroscopy. Br J Obstet Gynae- col. 1992;99:664–667. 29) Nezhat C, Nezhat F, Nezhat CH. Surgery for Endometriosis of the Bowel, Bladder, Ureter, and Diaphragm. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1997; 828: 332-340 30) Nezhat C, Nezhat F, Pennington E, et al. Laparoscopic disk excision and primary repair of the anterior rectal wall for the treatment of full thickness bowel endometriosis. Surg Endosc. 1994;8:682– 685. 31) Nezhat C., Nezhat F. Ambroze W. & Pennington E. Laparoscopic repair of small bowel and colon: A report of 26 cases. Surg Endosc. P 7(2): 88 – 8 9. (1993) 32) Nezhat F. Triumphs and controversies in laparoscopy: the past, the present, and the future. JSLS. 2003;7:1–5. 33) Nezhat C, Nezhat F, Green B. Laparoscopic treatment of obstructed ureter due to endometriosis by resection and ureteroureterostomy. A case report. J Urol. 1992;148:865–868. 34) Nezhat CH, Nezhat F, Freiha F, Nezhat C. Laparoscopic vesicopsoas hitch for infiltrative ureteral endometriosis. Fertil Steril. 1999;71:376– 379. 35) Nezhat C, Nezhat F. Laparoscopic segmental bladder resection for endometriosis: a report of two cases. Obstet Gynecol. 1993;81:882– 884. 36) Nezhat CH, Malik S, Nezhat F, Nezhat C. Laparoscopic ureteroneocystostomy and vesicopsoas hitch for infiltrative endometriosis. JSLS. 2004;8:3–7. 37) Nezhat F, Nezhat C, Levy JS. Laparoscopic treatment of symptomatic diaphragmatic endometriosis: A case report. Fertil Steril. 1992;58:614–616. 38) Nezhat C, King LP, Paka C, Odegaard J, Beygui R. Bilateral thoracic endometriosis affecting the lung and diaphragm. JSLS. 2012 Jan-Mar; 16(1): 140–142 39) Nezhat C, Main J, Paka C, Nezhat A, Beygui R. Multidisciplinary Treatment for Thoracic and Abdominopelvic Endometriosis. JSLS. 2014 Jul-Sep; 18(3) 40) Nezhat C, Kazerooni T, Berker B, LaShay N, Susan Fernan- dez S, Marziali M. Laparoscopic management of hepatic endometriosis: report of Two Cases and review of literature. J Min Invas Gynecol. 2005;12:196–200. 41) Nezhat C, Childers J, Nezhat F, et al. Major retroperitoneal vascular injury during laparoscopic surgery. Hum Reprod. 1997; 12:480 – 483. 42) Jacobson M, Oesterling S, Milki A, Nezhat CR. Laparoscopic control of a leaking inferior mesenteric vessel secondary to trocar injury. JSLS. 2002;6:389–391. 43) Nezhat F, Nezhat C, Allan CJ, Metzger DA, Sears DL. Clinical and histologic classification of endometriomas: implications for a mechanism of pathogenesis. J Repro Med. 1992;37:771–776 44) Nezhat C, Lavie O, Hsu S, Watson J, Barnett O, Lemyre M. Robotic-assisted laparoscopic myomectomy compared with standard laparoscopic myomectomy -- a retrospective matched control study. Fertility and Sterility Vol. 91 (2), p 556 -- 565. (2009) 45) Nezhat C, Hajhosseini B, King LP. Robotic-assisted laparoscopic treatment of bowel, bladder, and ureteral endometriosis. JSLS. 2011 Jul-Sep; 15(3): 387–392 46) Shah A, Schipper E. Robot-Assisted Laparoscopy. In: Nezhat C, Nezhat F, Nezhat CH, editors. Nezhat’s Video-Assisted and Robotic- Assisted Laparoscopy and Hysteroscopy. New York: Cambridge University Press; 2013: 628-632. 47) Nezhat CR, Lewis M, Kotikela S, Veeraswamy A, Saadat L, Hajhosseini B, Nezhat CH. Robotic Versus Standard Laparoscopy for the Treatment of Endometriosis. Fertility and Sterility, (2010) Feb-Dec, Volume 94, Issue 7, P 2758 -- 2760. 48) Nezhat C, Lavie O, Lemyre M, Gemer O, Bhagan L, Nezhat CH. Laparoscopic hysterectomy with and without a robot: Stanford experience. JSLS. 2009 Apr-Jun; 13(2): 125–128)

49) Nezhat C, Lavie O, Lemyre M, Unal E, Nezhat CH, Nezhat FR. Robotic-Assisted Laparoscopic Surgery in Gynecology: Scientific Dream or Reality? Fertility and Sterility, Volume 91, Issue 6, P 2620 -- 2622, (2008). 50) Nezhat C, My Journey with AAGL. Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology. 2010; 17(3): 271-277. 51) Nezhat C. Operative endoscopy will replace almost all open procedures. JSLS. 2004;8:101–102. 52) Nezhat C. 2005 Presidential address. JSLS. 2005; 9:370-375 53) Nezhat C, Nezhat F. Laparoscopic Repair of Ureter Resected During operative Laparoscopy. Obstet Gynecol. September 1992; 80(3 Pt 2): 543-544. 54) Nezhat C, Nezhat F, Nezhat CH. Nezhat’s Operative Gynecologic Laparoscopy and Hysteroscopy.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, New York, NY. 4th edition. 2013.

 

Some other early reports, by Drs. Camran, Farr, and Ceana Nezhat, in peer reviewed journals

1) Nezhat C, Nezhat F, Silfen SL. Laparoscopic hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy using multifire GIA surgical stapler. J Gynecol Surg, 1990;6: 287-288.

2) Nezhat F, Winer WK, Nezhat, C. Fimbrioscopy and salpingoscopy in patients with minimal to moderate pelvic endometriosis. Obstetrics and Gynecology. P 75(1): 15 -- 17. (1990)

3) Nezhat F, Nezhat C, Gordon S, Wilkins E. Laparoscopic versus abdominal hysterectomy. J Reprod Med, March 1992;37(3): 247 - - 250.

4) Nezhat, F., Nezhat, C., Welander, C. E. & Benigno, B. Four ovarian cancers diagnosed during laparoscopic management of 1011 women with adnexal masses. American journal of obstetrics and gynecology 167, 790 -- 796 (1992).

5) Nezhat C, Nezhat F, Burrell M. Laparoscopically assisted hysterectomy for the management of borderline ovarian tumor: A case report. J Laparoendosc Surg, Aug 1992; 2(4): 167-169

6) Nezhat F, Nezhat C, Bess O, Nezhat CH. Laparoscopic amputation of a noncommunicating rudimentary horn after a hysteroscopic diagnosis: a case study. Surg Laparosc & Endosc. P 4(2):155 -- 156. (1994)

7) Nezhat CH, Bastidas A, Pennington E, Nezhat F, Raga F, Nezhat C. Laparoscopic treatment of type IV rectovaginal fistula . J of Am Assoc. of Gyn Lap, Vol. 5, No. 3, Pp: 297 -- 299, August 1998.