Cheguevara Afaneh, M.D., FACS
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Cheguevara Afaneh, M.D., FACS
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About Cheguevara Afaneh, M.D., FACS
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Cheguevara Afaneh, MD, FACS is an Associate Professor of Surgery at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/³ûÖÊÓƵ Medical Center. He serves as the Program Director of the Advanced GI and Minimally Invasive Surgery Fellowship at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. He is the Director of the Cornell Comprehensive Hernia Center. He specializes in Robotic Surgery, General surgery, Foregut surgery, Bariatric surgery, as well as gastroesophageal motility disorders and colorectal disorders. He has a special interest in minimal access surgery, including single-incision laparoscopy and robotic surgery, offering patients improved cosmesis and potentially less postoperative pain. He also has expertise in Endoscopy (both EGDs and Colonoscopies), BRAVO wireless pH probe monitoring, and High-resolution Esophageal Manometry. Dr. Afaneh also offers Linx as a treatment for GERD.
For more information on the BRAVO pH probe, please view our video in the media section.
Dr. Afaneh was the first surgeon in New York City to successfully perform Totally Robotic Bariatric Surgery (Sleeve Gastrectomy, Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass) in 2015 and has performed Robotic-assisted Single-Anastomosis Duodenal Switch and Robotic-assisted One Anastomosis Gastric Bypass procedures. Dr. Afaneh successfully performed a Robotic Sleeve Gastrectomy without the use of any staples.
Dr. Afaneh has successfully completed over 4000 robotic procedures. His expertise in robotic surgery has aided in expanding the frontiers of robotics in the Department of Surgery at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. On September 9, 2016, Dr. Karim Halazun and Dr. Cheguevara Afaneh successfully performed the first Totally Robotic Liver Resection (Extended Left Hepatectomy) at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/³ûÖÊÓƵ Medical College. Dr. Afaneh has trained many surgeons in the New York City area in robotic surgery, with a wide range of specialties including Colorectal Surgery, Hepatobiliary Surgery, Bariatric Surgery as well as General Surgery.
Dr. Afaneh received his BS in 2003 from the University of Miami, FL, and earned his MD from Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science/The Chicago Medical School, IL, in 2007. He completed his general surgery internship and residency training and a surgical research fellowship in transplantation medicine at NewYork-Presbyterian/³ûÖÊÓƵ Medical Center. Additionally, he was named the Administrative Chief Resident of his graduating residency class. He subsequently completed his Advanced GI & Minimally Invasive Surgery Fellowship at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/³ûÖÊÓƵ Medical Center. Dr. Afaneh has authored over 80 articles in peer reviewed journals, co-edited a textbook, authored >25 textbook chapters, and has given more than 150 national and international presentations. Dr. Afaneh has won many awards and honors including being selected for Alpha Omega Alpha in 2007, and was named twice to Cambridge’s Who’s Who among Executives and Professionals. He received Genzyme Fellow’s Clinical Science Award in 2010, the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital Falcon Award in 2011, the First place Resident Research Award at the 2nd Annual Scott & White’s Surgical Innovations Conference in 2012, the 13th Annual Hassan Naama Chief Resident Teaching Award in 2014, received 2nd Place in the Top Gun Competition at the annual meeting for the Society for Laparoendoscopic Surgeons in 2014, and received the 2015 Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract Residents and Fellows Research Conference Presentation Award. He serves as an ad hoc reviewer for Surgical Endoscopy, Obesity Surgery, Surgical Infections, Cancer Investigation, BMC Surgery, World Journal of Gastroenterology & Surgery for Obesity & Other Related Disorders.
Dr. Afaneh has been invited to give lectures both nationally and internationally on topics ranging from Robotic Bariatric Surgery to Foregut Disease such as Gastroparesis, GERD, and Achalasia. On October 27, 2016 Dr. Afaneh was invited and participated in a panel discussing the current status and the future of Robotic surgery at the 92nd St Y in New York City. In March 2018 he discussed his use of biosynthetic mesh for hernia repair at the American Hernia Society. Dr. Afaneh has been named by the New York Times as a Super Doctor Rising Star in 2018, 2019, and 2020 as well as New York Times Super Doctor List numerous times, including 2024.
Dr. Afaneh is Board Certified in General Surgery. He has also has certifications in the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) and the Fundamentals of Endoscopic Surgery (FES). He is a member of the American College of Surgeons (ACS), Association for Academic Surgery (AAS), Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES), American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), New York Academy of Science (NYAS), Society for Surgeons of the Alimentary Tract (SSAT), Medical Society of the State of New York (MSSNY), International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO), and the Society of Robotic Surgery (SRS). He served on the Education/Curriculum Committee for the Fellowship Council as the SSAT Representative and has served on the Advanced GI Surgery Training Taskforce for the SSAT. He currently serves on the Fellowship Council Admission Committe and also serves as a member of the ASMBS Flexible Endoscopy Committee and ASMBS Clinical Issues Committee. He is the American College of Surgeons Committe on Applicants Chair for Manhattan District and also serves as the SAGES Champion for New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Afaneh is fluent in both Spanish and Arabic.
Dr. Afaneh has won many awards and honors including being selected for Alpha Omega Alpha in 2007, and was named twice to Cambridge’s Who’s Who among Executives and Professionals. He received Genzyme Fellow’s Clinical Science Award in 2010, the New York-Presbyterian Hospital Falcon Award in 2011, the First place Resident Research Award at the 2nd Annual Scott & White’s Surgical Innovations Conference in 2012, the 13th Annual Hassan Naama Chief Resident Teaching Award in 2014, and 2nd place in the Top Gun competition at the annual meeting for Society for Laparoendoscopic Surgeons (SLS) in 2014. At the 2015 Digestive Disease Week (DDW), he received the 2015 Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract (SSAT) Residents and Fellows Research Presentation Award for his work on gastric cancer. In 2017 he was awarded Consumers' Research Council on America's Top Surgeon Award as well as the Annual Faculty Teaching Award from the Department of Surgery at ³ûÖÊÓƵ Medical College in June of 2017.
New York SuperDoctor: an Honor given to 5% of all New York physicians
Peer Reviewed Articles
Shah S, Saumoy M, Afaneh C, Shariaha R. EUS-Guided Transrectal Pelvic Abscess Drainage Through Use of a Lumen Apposing Metal Stent. Endoscopy 2018 [Accepted, in press] Gray KD, Moore MD, Panjwani S, Afaneh C, Fahey TJ III, Zarnegar R. Predicting survival and response to treatment in gastroesophageal neuroendocrine tumors: an analysis of the national cancer database. Ann Surg Oncol. 2018 May;25(5):1418-24. 1. Gray KD, Burshtein JG, Obeid L, Moore MD, Dakin G, Pomp A, Afaneh C. Laparoscopic appendectomy: minimally invasive surgery training improves outcomes in basic laparoscopic procedures. World J Surg. 2018 Jun;42(6):1706-13. Parikh M, Adelsheimer A, Somoza E, Saunders JK, Ude Welcome A, Chui P, Ren-Fielding C, Kurian M, Fielding G, Chopra A, Goriparthi R, Roslin M, Afaneh C, Pomp A, Chin E, Pachter HL. Factor VIII elevation may contribute to portomesenteric vein thrombosis after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy: a multicenter review of 40 patients. Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2017 Aug 30. Gray KD, Moore MD, Bellorin O, Abelson JS, Dakin G, Zarnegar R, Pomp A, Afaneh C. Increased metabolic benefit for obese, elderly patients undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass vs sleeve gastrectomy. Obes Surg. 2017 Aug 29 [Epub ahead of print] Moore M, Afaneh C, Gray KD, Tholey R, Panjwani S, Abelson J, Dakin G, Fahey TJ, Pomp A, Zarnegar R. The Impact of the Robotic Platform on Assistant Variability in Complex Gastrointestinal Surgery. J Surg Res. 2017 [Accepted, in press] Afaneh C. Comment: Value on routine upper gastrointestinal swallow study after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2017 May;13(5):766-767. Dawod E, Novikov A, Nassani N, Xu MM, Saumoy M, Afaneh C, Sharaiha R. Successful endoscopic removal of an eroded gastric ring with subsequent endoscopic suturing of the luminal defect. Endoscopy 2017 Jul;49(7):E173-E174. Xu MM, Carames C, Novikov A, Saumoy M, Afaneh C, Kahaleh M, Sharaiha R. One-step endoscopic ultrasound-direct gastro-gastrostomy ERCP for treatment of bile leak. Endoscopy 2017 Jul;49(7):715-716. Finnery BM, Wu X, Giambrone GP, Gaber-Baylis LK, Zabih R, Bhat A, Zarnegar R, Pomp A, Fleischut P, Afaneh C. Conversion-to-open in laparoscopic appendectomy: A cohort analysis of risk factors and outcomes. Int J Surg Mar 8;40:169-175. Tholey RM, Hassen S, Benhuri D, Abelson J, Zarnegar R, Dakin G, Pomp A, Afaneh C. Upper gastrointestinal studies following laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy: a study that prolongs length of stay. Bariatric Surg Pract Patient Care. 2017 Mar;12(1):21-4. Abelson JS, Spiegel J, Afaneh C, Mao J, Sedrakyan A, Yeo H. Evaluating cumulative and annual surgeon volume in laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Surgery 2017 Mar;161(3):611-617. Moore M, Afaneh C, Benhuri D, Antonacci C, Abelson J, Zarnegar R. Gastroesophageal reflux disease: A review of surgical decision making. World J Gastrointest Surg. 2016 Jan 27;8(1):77-83. Abelson J, Mitchell KB, Afaneh C, Rich BS, Frey TJ, Gellman C, Pomp A, Michelassi F. Quality improvement-focused departmental Grand Rounds reports: A strategy to engage General Surgery residents. J Grad Med Educ. 2016 May;8(2):232-6 Abelson JS*, Afaneh C*, Dolan P, Chartrand G, Dakin G, Pomp A. Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy: co-morbidity profiles and intermediate-term outcomes. Obes Surg. 2016 Aug;26(8):1788-93. *Both authors contributed equally to this work Afaneh C, Zoghbi V, Finnerty B, Aronova A, Ciecierega T, Crawford C, Fahey III TJ, Zarnegar R. BRAVO wireless esophageal pH monitoring: A more cost-effective approach than empiric proton-pump inhibitor therapy for suspected gastroesophageal reflux disease. Surg Endosc. 2015 Nov 4 [Epub ahead of print] Afaneh C, Levy A, Selby L, Ku G, Yoon SS, Tang L, Coit D, Strong VE. Ex-vivo lymphadenectomy during gastrectomy for adenocarcinoma optimizes lymph node yield. J Gastrointest Surg. 2016 Jan;20(1):165-71. Abelson JS, Turbendian H, Pomp A, Afaneh C. Recurrent intussusception in a gastric bypass patient with incidental Meckel’s diverticulum: a case report. J Minim Access Surg. 2015 Oct-Dec;11(4):271-2. Finnerty BM, Afaneh C, Aronova A, Fahey TJ, Zarnegar R. General surgery training and robotics: are residents improving their skills? Surg Endosc 2016 Feb;30(2):567-73. Afaneh C, Finnerty B, Abelson J, Zarnegar R. Robotic-assisted Heller myotomy: a modern technique and review of outcomes. Journal of Robotic Surgery. 2015;9:101-108. Torghabeh MH, Afaneh C, Saif T, Dakin GF. Achalasia five years following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. J Minim Access Surg. 2015 Jul-Sep;11(3):203-4. Afaneh C, Gerszberg D, Slattery E, Seres DS, Chabot JA, Kluger MD. Pancreatic cancer surgery and nutrition management. Hepatobiliary Surg Nutr. 2015 Feb;4(1):59-71. Abelson J*, Afaneh C*, Rich B, Dakin G, Zarnegar R, Fahey TJ, Pomp A. Advanced laparoscopic fellowship training decreases conversion rates during laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute biliary diseases: a retrospective cohort study. Int J Surg. 2015 Jan;13:221-6. *Both authors contributed equally to this work Afaneh C, Abelson J, Schattner M, Janjigian YY, Ilson D, Yoon SS, Strong VE. Esophageal reinforcement with an extracellular scaffold during total gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Ann Surg Oncol. 2015 Apr;22(4):1252-7.. Afaneh C, Costa R, Pomp A, Dakin G. A Prospective Randomized Control Trial Assessing the Efficacy of Omentopexy During Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy in Reducing Gastrointestinal Symptoms. Surg Endosc 2015 Jan;29(1):41-7. Aull MJ, Afaneh C, Charlton M, Serur D, Douglas M, Christos PJ, Kapur S, Del Pizzo JJ. A randomized, prospective, parallel group study of laparoscopic vs. laparoendoscopic single site donor nephrectomy for kidney donation. Am J Transplant March 2014 Jul;14(7):1630-7. Afaneh C, Abelson J, Rich B, Dakin G, Zarnegar R, Barie PS, Fahey TJ, Pomp A. Obesity does not increase morbidity of laparoscopic cholecystectomy. J Surg Res. 2014 Aug;190(2):491-7. Rich BS, Creasy J, Afaneh C, Muensterer OJ. The international experience of single incision pediatric endosurgery: current state of the art. J Laparoendosc Adv Surg Tech A. 2014 Jan;24(1):43-9. Afaneh C, Cheng E, Aull MJ, Watkins AC, Kim J, Leeser DB, Kapur S. Renal allograft outcomes following early corticosteroid withdrawal in Hispanic transplant recipients. Clin Transplant. 2013 Nov-Dec;27(6):E611-8. Afaneh C & Kluger MD. Laparoscopic liver resection: lessons at the end of the second decade. Semin Liver Dis 2013;33(3):226-35. Afaneh CI, Fish D, Rich B, Barie P. Image of Surgical Infections: contained cecal perforation within a strangulated scrotal hernia.Surgical Infections 2013 Oct;14(5):486-7. Marcotte E, Afaneh C, Pomp A, Cherqui D. Image of the Month-Quiz Case. JAMA Surg. 2013;148(4):395-6. Muthukumar T*, Afaneh C*, Ding R, Tsapepas D, Lubetzky M, Jacobs S, Lee J, Sharma V, Lee J, Dadhania D, Hartono C, McDermott J, Aull M, Leeser D, Kapur S, Serur D, Suthanthiran M. . Transplantation. 2013;95(5):711-720. *Both authors contributed equally to this work Afaneh CI, Ho VP, McWhorter P, Nicolau DP, Barie PS. Minor fluctuations of renal function may alter therapeutic drug concentrations substantially during high-dose, continuous-infusion beta-lactam therapy of multi-drug-resistant gram-negative bacilli. Surg Infect (Larchmt). 2012 Dec;13(6):415-7. Aull MJ, Dadhania D, Afaneh C, Leeser DB, Hartono C, Lee JB, Serur D, Del Pizzo JJ, Suthanthiran M, Kapur S. Early corticosteroid withdrawal in high risk recipients of renal allografts: a single center report of ethnically diverse recipients and recipients of marginal deceased donor kidneys. Transplantation 2012 Oct 27;94(8):837-44. Balachandran VP, Aull MJ, Charlton M, Afaneh C, Serur D, Leeser DB, Del Pizzo J, Kapur S. Kidneys from older living donors provide excellent intermediate-term outcomes after transplantation. Transplantation. 2012 Sep 15;94(5):499-505. Leeser DB, Aull MJ, Afaneh C, Dadhania D, Charlton M, Walker J, Hartono C, Serur D, Del Pizzo JJ, Kapur S. Living donor kidney paired donation transplantation: experience as a founding member center of the National Kidney Registry. Clin Transplant. 2012 May-Jun;26(3):E213-22. Afaneh C, Aronova A, Ross JR, Leeser DB. Use of Hybrid Vascular Grafts in Failing Access for Hemodialysis: Report of Two Cases. J Vasc Access. 2012 Jun 12;0(0):513-515. Rich BS, Keel R, Ho VP, Turbendian H, Afaneh CI, Dakin GF, Pomp A, Nicolau DP, Barie PS. Cefepime Dosing in the Morbidly Obese Patient Population. Obes Surg. 2012 Mar;22(3):465-71. Afaneh C, Ramasamy R, Aull MJ, Leeser DB, Sosa RE, Kapur S, Del Pizzo JJ. The Evolution of Laparoscopic Right Donor Nephrectomy: Progression to Single Site Surgery. J Transplant Technol Res 2011, 1:103. Afaneh C, Sheth S, Aull MJ, Leeser DB, Kapur S, Del Pizzo JJ. Laparoendoscopic Single-Site Nephrectomy in Obese Living Renal Donors. J Endourol. 2012 Feb;26(2):140-6. Epub 2011 Dec 5. Wang GJ, Afaneh C, Aull MJ, Charlton M, Ramasamy R, Leeser DB, Kapur S, and Del Pizzo JJ. Laparoendoscopic single-site (LESS) live donor nephrectomy: single institution report of initial 100 cases. J Urol. 2011 Dec;186(6):2333-7. Afaneh C, Aull MJ, Schubl S, Leeser DB, Kapur S. Induction Therapy: A Modern Review of Kidney Transplantation Agents. J Transplant Technol Res 2011, S4-001. Afaneh C, Aull MJ, Gimenez E, Wang G, Charlton M, Leeser DB, Kapur S, and Del Pizzo JJ. Comparison of Laparoendoscopic Single Site Donor Nephrectomy and Conventional Laparoscopic Donor Nephrectomy: Donor and Recipient Outcomes. Urology. 2011 Dec;78(6):1332-7. Ho VP, Jenkins SG, Afaneh CI, Turbendian HK, Nicolau DP, and Barie PS. Use of Meropenem by Continuous Infusion to Treat a Blakpc-2-Positive Klebsiella pneumoniae Blood Stream Infection. Surg Infect (Larchmt). 2011 Aug; 12(4):325-7. Ramasamy R, Afaneh C, Aull M, Leeser DB, Kapur S, and Del Pizzo JJ. Comparison of Complications in Laparoscopic Versus Laparoendoscopic Single Site Donor Nephrectomy Using the Modified Clavien Grading System. J Urol 2011 Oct;186(4):1386-90. Afaneh C, Rich B, Aull MJ, Hartono C, Leeser DB, and Kapur S. Pancreas Transplantation: Does Age Increase Morbidity? J Transplant 2011; 2011:596801. Afaneh C, Rich B, Aull MJ, Hartono C, Kapur S, and Leeser DB. Pancreas Transplantation Considering the Spectrum of Body Mass Indices. Clin Transplant . 2011 Sept-Oct; 25(5): E520-9. Afaneh C, Ramasamy R, Leeser DB, Kapur S and Del Pizzo JJ. Is Right Sided Laparoendoscopic Single Site (LESS) Donor Nephrectomy Feasible? Urology 2011. Jun; 77(6): 1365-9. Afaneh C, Muthukumar T, Lubetzky M, Ding R, Seshan S, Snopkowski C, Sharma C, Dadhania D, Suthanthiran M. Urinary Cell Levels of mRNA for OX40, OX40L, PD-1, PD-L1 or PD-L2 and Acute Rejection of Human Renal Allografts. Transplantation. 2010 Dec 27;90(12):1381-7. Afaneh C, Halpern J, Cheng E, Aull MJ, Figueiro J, Kapur S, and Leeser D. Steroid Avoidance in 2-Haplotype Matched Living Donor Renal Transplants with Basiliximab Induction Therapy. Transplant Proc. 2010 Dec;42(10):4526-9.
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Books, Book Chapters and Reviews
Brendan M. Finnerty, Cheguevara Afaneh, Rasa Zarnegar (2015). Robotic Cholecystectomy. Acute Cholecystitis. 1st edition. Soumitra Eachempati and R. Lawrence Reed (Eds), ISBN 978-3-319-14823-6, Springer. Cheguevara Afaneh and Fabrizio Michelassi (2015). Bowel Sparing Procedures in Crohn’s Disease of the Small Intestine. Crohn’s Disease: Basic Principles. 1st Edition. Alessandro Fichera and Mukta Krane (Eds), ISBN 978-3-319-14180-0. Springer. Cheguevara Afaneh and Alfons Pomp (2015). Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy: Technique, Pearls, and Pitfalls. Minimally Invasive Bariatric Surgery, 2nd Edition, Philip R. Schauer, Bruce D. Schirmer, and Stacy A. Brethauer (Ed.), ISBN 978-1-4939-1637-5, Springer. Cheguevara Afaneh and Gregory Dakin (2014). Enteric Leaks after Gastric Bypass: Prevention and Management. Bariatric Surgery Complications and Emergencies, 1st Edition. Herron (Ed.), ISBN. Springer. Cheguevara Afaneh and Alfons Pomp (2014). Biliopancreatic Diversion with Duodenal Switch for the Treatment of Morbid Obesity. Evidence-based Approach to Minimally Invasive Surgery, 2nd Edition. Kenric Murayama (Ed), ISBN. Springer. Cheguevara Afaneh and Vivian Strong (2014). Mid-stage gastric cancer: surgical resection techniques.Textbook of Complex General Surgical Oncology. Morita, Balch, Klimberg, Posner, Schulick, Tanabe (Ed.), ISBN, McGraw-Hill. Cheguevara Afaneh, Meredith J. Aull, Joseph J. Del Pizzo and Sandip Kapur (2012). Surgical Advances in Laparoscopic Donor Nephrectomy, Current Concepts in Kidney Transplantation, Sandip Kapur, Cheguevara Afaneh and Meredith J. Aull (Ed.), ISBN: 978-953-51-0900-6, InTech, DOI: 10.5772/54283. Available from:
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M.D.Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science2007
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B.S.University of Miami2003
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Associate Attending SurgeonNewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
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Associate Professor of Surgery³ûÖÊÓƵ Medical College, Cornell University
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External Relationships
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