Spencer E. Amory, MD, FACS
Clinical Professor of Surgery
Dr. Amory, Chief of the Division of General Surgery at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, received his medical training from Johns Hopkins and Columbia Universities. He developed techniques in laparoscopic cholecystectomy that enabled his group to have the lowest open cholecystectomy rates in the state. In addition, Dr. Amory has earned a reputation for his diagnostic acumen in complex surgical problems and fir highly individualized and personalized care. In 2007, he received Columbia's Leonard Tow award for humanism in medicine.
Marc Bessler, MD, FACS
Director, Metabolic and Weight Loss Surgery,
Professor of Clinical Surgery, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
Lawrence Hospital Division
Dr. Marc Bessler is Professor of Clinical Surgery at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons; Director Metabolic and Weight Loss Surgery at Lawrence Hospital Center. A fellow of the American College of Surgeons, Dr. Bessler’s clinical specialties include laparoscopic and single incision bariatric surgery. He earned his medical degree from New York University School of Medicine, and completed his residency in general surgery and his fellowship in surgical endoscopy at the Presbyterian Hospital in New York City.
Leaque Ahmed, MD, FACS
Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
Dr. Ahmed was trained in endocrine and pancreatic surgery at Columbia University Medical Center and serves as Director of Bariatric Surgery at Harlem Hospital Center, where he has performed hundreds of minimally invasive weight loss procedures. In addition to bariatric surgery, he specializes in minimally invasive thyroid and parathyroid surgery and pancreatic surgery.
Allen B. Chefitz, MD
Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery
Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
Lawrence Hospital Division
Dr. Chefitz is a Board-certified surgeon, specializing in laparoscopic surgery and the use of biomaterials, with interests in hernia and breast research. He received his surgical training from Montefiore Medical Center / Albert Einstein College of Medicine and his medical training from the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worchester. He also has extensive experience in surgical quality assurance.
Helen A. Pass, MD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Surgery
Dr. Pass, heads breast care at Lawrence Hospital Center. She received her advanced surgical training at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, the National Institutes of Health, and Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC. She is past President of the American Society of Breast Surgeons. Before joining the Lawrence Hospital team, she led breast care programs at the University of Michigan Medical Center and William Beaumont Hospital in Michigan.
Aaron Roth, MD, FACS
Assistant Professor of Clinical Surgery
Dr. Roth specializes in general and bariatric surgery with an emphasis on minimally invasive techniques. He is a former member of the Institute for Minimally Invasive Surgery in White Plains, NY, that was a center for education and training for minimally invasive surgeons. He received his medical degree from the Chicago Medical School and surgical training at Lenox Hill Hospital in NY, with a fellowship from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Miguel Silva, MD, FACS
Assistant Professor of Clinical Surgery
Dr. Silva specializes in minimally invasive bariatric surgery. He is known as one of the early adopters of the gastric sleeve technique and is among the most experienced surgeons in the New York area in Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomies. He received advanced training in laparoscopic surgery at Baptist Hospital in Miami, FL and received his medical training at Albert Einstein College of Medicine / Montefiore Medical Center, Mount Sinai School of Medicine and University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey / Robert Wood Johnson.
Jane Alexander, ANP-C
Clinical Coordinator, Center for Metabolic and Weight Loss Surgery
Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
Lawrence Hospital Division
A Board-certified Advanced Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Coordinator, Jane Alexander specializes in bariatric surgery and focuses on a comprehensive approach to patient management and teaching in the field. Jane works closely with her patients, partnering with them to ensure they have a positive surgical experience, and helping them to achieve their goals for a healthier weight and lifestyle.
Marypat S. Hughes, MS, RD, CDN
Registered Dietitian and Certified Nutritionist
Center for Metabolic and Weight Loss Surgery
Lawrence Hospital Division
Registered Dietitian and Certified Dietitian Nutritionist, Marypat Hughes received her MS in Nutrition Education from CUNY, New York and completed her BA in Foods and Nutrition from Marymount College in New York. Marypat focuses on providing the necessary follow-up, support, and educational resources to bariatric patients before and after surgery. Marypat ensures optimal results in addressing the continuum of nutritional needs throughout the weight loss and maintenance process.