Camran R. Nezhat
Camran Nezhat MD, FACOG, FACS, is a minimally invasive and robotic surgeon specializing in treating endometriosis. Dr. Nezhat is recipient of AMA’s highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award for meritorious service in the science and art of medicine for the year 2020.1-4
“Innovation is a key driver in transforming health care and Dr. Nezhat’s pioneering work has fundamentally changed contemporary surgery and opened a path for surgeons around the world to help their
patients”, said AMA President Susan R. Bailey M.D. “He continues to push the leading-edge of advanced procedures and the development of the safest, most efficacious technologies to enhance patient care and improve outcomes.”1-4
Dr. Nezhat was chosen by the AMA as an exceptional innovator and trailblazer whose significant contributions have revolutionized modern day surgery. He is best known for inventing video-assisted endoscopy and was the first to perform groundbreaking advances in minimally invasive surgical procedures that have helped millions of patients
around the globe.1-4
Camran Nezhat, M.D. has been called the father of modern-day surgery for inventing and pioneering video-assisted endoscopic surgery, which to this day, continues to replace old techniques of open surgery.5-15
His developments have revolutionized surgery and gradually replaced laparotomy. He and his team were the
first to perform many of the most advanced laparoscopic surgical procedures with and without robotic-arm assistance.5-60 Early on he advocated15,16and proved that the majority of the open procedures of the time could be performed via video-laparoscopy.5-60By doing so, he opened the door for surgeons all over the world to advance the field of minimally invasive surgery and help their patients.5-57
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.15,16
In the 1990’s he collaborated with robotic pioneers Ajit Shah and Phil Green on development of the
daVinci Robot56and has innovated many of its applications.17,54-59
His 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 the 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.
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 Clinical Professor of OBGYN University of California San Francisco School of Medicine; Former Chair Association of Adjunct Clinical Faculty, Deputy Chief of the Department of OBGYN, and Adjunct Clinical Professor of Surgery and OBGYN at Stanford University Medical School; Adjunct
Professor at the Medical University of Vienna in Vienna, Austria; Fellowship Director Society of Reproductive Surgeons, American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and Society of Laparoscopic and Robotic Surgeons (SLS); and Director of Camran Nezhat Institute, Center for
Special Minimally Invasive and Robotic Surgery.
Camran Nezhat, M.D. and his team 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 7, 16-20, 22, 34-42
● Laparoscopic removal of dermoid cyst 1989 21
● Radical hysterectomy with paraaortic and pelvic node dissection 1989-1992 16, 22-24
● Operative laparoscopy during advanced pregnancy 1990-1991 25
● Management of ovarian remnant 1991-1992 27
● Sacral colpopexy 1992, 1994 16, 28
● Laparoscopic-assisted myomectomy 1994 29
● Laparoscopic repair of vesico vaginal fistulas 1994 30
● Vaginal cuff dehiscence following laparoscopic hysterectomy 1995-1996 31
● Laparoscopic debulking for advanced ovarian cancer 1996 32
● Laparoscopic repair of Cesarean scar defect (Niche, Isthmocele, Diverticulum repair.) 2003 33
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 16,18,22,34-42
UROLOGY
● Ureter resection 1990, 1992 43,44
● Bladder resection 1992 45
● Ureteroneocystostomy with and without Psoas Hitch 1992,1999 43,44,46
● Vesico vaginal fistula repair 1994 30
UPPER ABDOMEN AND CHEST
● Diaphragm resection and repair 1992 47
● Laparoscopic treatment of lung endometriosis 1992, 2012 48,49
● Laparoscopic treatment of liver endometriosis 2005 50
VASCULAR
● Laparoscopic repair of major retroperitoneal vessels 1997, 2002 51,52
DISCOVERY OF NEW ANATOMICAL SPACE IN BODY - “NEW SPACE”
● Reverse vesicouterine fold dissection for laparoscopic hysterectomy after prior Cesarean
deliveries 2016 65
For more information, please visit www.nezhat.org.
1) AMA Press Release: https://www.ama-assn.org/press-center/press-releases/ama-distinguished-service-award-goes-video-assisted-surgery-pioneer
2) ASRM Press Release:
https://www.asrm.org/news-and-publications/news-and-research/press-releases-and-bulletins/asrm-member-camran-nezhat-md-receives–ama-distingu
i shed-service-award/
3) Stanford Health Care MedStaff Update:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zjisLs6cdcpzTcG3AsmfSZXCq4s1IB0E/view?usp=sharing
4) Recording of Award Ceremony:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4rOh4LYQsY
5) 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.
6) 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.
7) Tokunaga R. Video surgery expands its scope. Stanfor Med
1993/1994: 11(2);12-16
8) Stanford News Services Media Monitor. Stanford Report. February 9, 2005; 9.
9) Carter JE. Biography of Camran Nezhat,
MD, FACOG, FACS. JSLS : Journal of the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons. 2006;10(2):275- 280.
10) Page B. Camran Nezhat the Advent of Advanced Operative Video laparoscopy. In: Nezhat C, ed. Nezhat’s History of Endoscopy. Endo Press, Tuttlingen, Germany. 2011: 159-187
11) Baker, Sherry. “A Dozen Atlanta 'Super Doctor'.” Atlanta Magazine, Nov. 1984.
12) Wallis, Claudia. “Medicine: The Career Woman's Disease?” Time Magazine,
28 Apr. 1986.
13) Clark, Matt. “Conquering Endometriosis. Lasers battle ‘the career women’s disease’.” Newsweek. 13 Oct. 1986; 95.
14) Cowley Geoffrey. “Hanging up the knife. A novel surgical technique promises to save patients time, money and blood.” Newsweek. February 12, 1990; 58 –59.
15) Nezhat, C., Crowgey, S. R. & Garrison, C. P. Surgical treatment of endometriosis via laser laparoscopy. Fertility & Sterility. P 45, 778 -- 783. (1986)
16) Nezhat, C, Nezhat F, Nezhat C, Operative laparoscopy (minimally invasive surgery). State of the art, J Gynecol Surg. 1992; 8:111–141.
17) Nezhat C, Saberi NS, Shahmohamady B, Nezhat F. Robotic-assisted laparoscopy in gynecological surgery JSLS. Vol 10 (3), p 317 -- 320. (2006)
18) 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
19) Nezhat C, Hood J, Winer W, et al. Videolaseroscopy and laser
laparoscopy in gynecology. Br J Hosp Med. P 38, 219 -- 224. (1987)
20) Nezhat C, Videolaseroscopy: a new modality for the treatment of diseases of the reproductive organs. Colposc Gynecol Laser Surg 1986; 2: 221 – 224
21) Nezhat C, Winer WK, Nezhat F. Laparoscopic removal of dermoid cysts.
Obstet Gynecol, February 1989;73(2): 278 -- 281.
22) Nezhat C, Nezhat F. Silfen SL. Videolaseroscopy: the CO2 laser for advanced operative
laparoscopy. Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am. 1991;18:585–604.
23) 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.
24) 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.
25) Nezhat F, Nezhat C, Silfen S, Fehnel S. Laparoscopic Ovarian cystectomy during pregnancy. J Laparoendosc Surg. 1991;1:161–164.
26) Nezhat C. Letter to the Editor: Radical Hysterectomy. Am J Obstet Gynecol, May 1993;168(5): 1643-1644.
27) Nezhat F, Nezhat C.
Operative laparoscopy for the treatment of ovarian remnant syndrome. Fertil Steril, May 1992;57(5): 1003 - - 1007.
28) Nezhat F, Nezhat C, Nezhat CH.
Laparoscopic sacral colpopexy for vaginal wall prolapse. Obstet Gynecol. 1994;84:885– 888.
29) 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)
30) Nezhat CH, Nezhat F, Nezhat C, Rottenberg H. Laparoscopic repair of a vesicovaginal fistula: a case report. Obstet Gynecol. 1994;83:899 – 901.
31) Nezhat CH, Nezhat F, Seidman DS, Nezhat C. Vaginal vault evisceration after total laparoscopic hysterectomy. Obstet Gynecol 1996;87: 868–870.
32) 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)
33) Jacobson M, Osias J, Velasco A, Charles R, Nezhat C. Laparoscopic repair of a uteroperitoneal fistula. JSLS. 2003;7:367–369.
34) Nezhat CR, Nezhat FR. Safe laser excision and vaporization of endometriosis. Fertil Steril, 1989; P 52(1): 149 – 151
35) 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.
36) Nezhat F, Nezhat C, Pennington E. Laparoscopic proctectomy for
infiltrating endometriosis of the rectum. Fertil Steril, May 1992;57(5): 1129-1132.
37) 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.
38) 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.
39) 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
40) 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.
41) 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)
42) Nezhat F. Triumphs and controversies in laparoscopy: the past, the present, and the future. JSLS. 2003;7:1–5.
43) 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.
44) Nezhat CH, Nezhat F, Freiha F, Nezhat C. Laparoscopic vesicopsoas hitch for infiltrative ureteral endometriosis. Fertil Steril.
1999;71:376– 379.
45) Nezhat C, Nezhat F. Laparoscopic segmental bladder resection for endometriosis: a report of two cases. Obstet Gynecol. 1993;81:882– 884.
46) Nezhat CH, Malik S, Nezhat F, Nezhat C. Laparoscopic ureteroneocystostomy and vesicopsoas hitch for infiltrative endometriosis. JSLS. 2004;8:3–7.
47) Nezhat F, Nezhat C, Levy JS. Laparoscopic treatment of symptomatic diaphragmatic endometriosis: A case
report. Fertil Steril. 1992;58:614–616.
48) 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
49) Nezhat C, Main J, Paka C, Nezhat A, Beygui R. Multidisciplinary Treatment for Thoracic and
Abdominopelvic Endometriosis. JSLS. 2014 Jul-Sep; 18(3)
50) 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.
51) Nezhat C, Childers J, Nezhat F, et al. Major retroperitoneal vascular injury during laparoscopic surgery. Hum Reprod. 1997; 12:480 – 483.
52) 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.
53) 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
54) 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)
55) Nezhat C, Hajhosseini B, King LP. Robotic-assisted laparoscopic treatment of bowel, bladder, and ureteral endometriosis. JSLS. 2011
Jul-Sep; 15(3): 387–392
56) 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.
57) 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.
58) 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)
59) 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).
60) Nezhat C, My Journey with AAGL. Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology. 2010; 17(3): 271-277.
61) Nezhat C. Operative endoscopy will replace almost all open procedures. JSLS. 2004;8:101–102.
62) Nezhat C. 2005 Presidential address. JSLS. 2005; 9:370-375 63) Nezhat C, Nezhat F. Laparoscopic Repair of Ureter Resected During operative Laparoscopy. Obstet Gynecol. September 1992; 80(3 Pt 2): 543-544.
64) Nezhat C, Nezhat F, Nezhat CH. Nezhat’s Operative Gynecologic Laparoscopy and Hysteroscopy.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, New York, NY. 4th edition. 2013.
65) Nezhat C, Grace L, Razavi G, Mihailide C, Bamford, H. Reverse Vesicouterine Fold Dissection for Laparscopic Hysterectomy After Prior Cesarean Deliveries, OB/GYN Journal, Vol 128, No. 3, September (2016).
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