Dr. John W. Kunstman, MD

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Get to know Surgical Oncologist Dr. John W. Kunstman, who serves patients in New Haven, Connecticut. 

Dr. Kunstman is a board-certified surgical oncologist specializing in the care of patients, children and adults, with cancers or benign diseases of the pancreas, liver, bile ducts, stomach, and intestines. 

Working at Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven, he has expertise in cystic diseases of the pancreas. He maintains an active research program at Yale examining the development of such cystic lesions as well as the genetics of associated pancreatic cancers. He also conducts clinical research seeking to improve the outcomes of those patients undergoing pancreatic surgery.

He says his favorite part of his job is incorporating innovative research from Yale into his practice and directly seeing the results benefit patients. 

“The rapid development and refinement of new cancer treatments and surgical techniques allows us to offer potentially curative surgery to an increasing number of patients over time. More than anything, I am excited about the prospects for the future as we continue to offer better and more effective therapies to our patients” said Dr. Kunstman.

Academically, he received an undergraduate degree (with honors) from the University of Wisconsin and also attended medical school at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. He completed residency training in general surgery at Yale-New Haven Hospital, as well as a fellowship in complex general surgical oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. He also holds a master’s degree from Yale University.

“During training, I had a fantastic series of mentors that demonstrated the enormous impact the surgeon has on patients with cancer. It is that impact and those interactions with every patient and family that drove me to a career in surgical oncology. My relationship with patients is built on durable trust and mutual understanding. Determining a course of treatment is a joint decision, made with the patient and their family after a thorough review of all the possible outcomes. No matter what happens, our team will always be there for our patients, even if the treatment does not include surgery. No question or concern is too small for us to address” expressed Dr. Kunstman.

Specializing in many areas in his field, he is board-certified in general surgery and complex general surgical oncology by the American Board of Surgery (ABS). The ABS is an independent, non-profit organization located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, founded for the purpose of certifying surgeons who have met a defined standard of education, training, and knowledge.

On the Program Committee of the Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association, Dr. Kunstman is a member of the Society of Surgical Oncology and the American College of Surgeons.  

Alongside his clinical role, he serves as an Assistant Professor of Surgery (Oncology) at the Yale School of Medicine.

Surgical oncology is the branch of surgery applied to oncology. It focuses on the surgical management of tumors, especially cancerous tumors. A surgical oncologist removes the tumor and nearby tissue during surgery. He or she also performs certain types of biopsies to help diagnose cancer.

Throughout his fruitful career, Dr. Kunstman has received numerous awards recognizing his contributions to research and teaching, as well as excellence in clinical care. These include: Ira S. Goldenberg Award for Outstanding Performance as A First Year Resident: (2010); Resident of the Year Award for Research in the Basic Sciences: (2013); Dennis Wasson Award for Outstanding Performance in Surgical Residency: (2016); and Samuel Harvey Award for Outstanding Performance as a Chief Resident: (2016).

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