The Esophageal Institute at Allegheny Health Network in Pittsburgh, PA, has a one-year Minimally Invasive Foregut Surgery Fellowship program.
The program is accredited by the Fellowship Council for one Fellowship position, selected through the Fellowship Council’s annual match program. It is open to board eligible/board certified surgeons completing residency in General Surgery who have an interest in diseases of the esophagus; surgeons seeking to enhance their endoscopic and minimally invasive surgical skills and clinical accumen. The Fellowship emphasizes advanced endoscopic, laparoscopic, and robotic techniques used in the management of patients with foregut diseases. Our clinical philosophy is to provide individualized care to patients utilizing a multidisciplinary team approach.
The Fellowship is a highly focused program that provides surgeons the opportunity to acquire specialized technical ability and knowledge in the field of foregut disease. In addition to extensive operative exposure to the spectrum of foregut diseases, fellows will have the opportunity to gain a unique clinical experience that focuses on diagnosis and management. At the Esophageal Institute, fellows build on basic endoscopic techniques, affording them the ability to be facile in both diagnostic and advanced therapeutic approaches to foregut disease.
There are currently three foregut surgeons staffing the Esophageal Institute. Fellows are afforded direct clinical, operative and research experience throughout their training. There is a PGY4 resident position that is filled on a continuous basis. Due to the number of surgeons and overall volume, there is not overlap with cases. Fellows can expect to learn a broad mix of procedures, including fundoplication (e.g. Nissen, Toupet, and Dor), complex revisions, gastrectomy, esophagectomy, Heller myotomy, paraesophageal hernia repair, Zenker’s diverticular repair, and magnetic sphincter augmentation device (LINX) implantation. Fellows additionally have high-volume exposure to therapeutic and diagnostic endoscopic procedures such as: peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM), gastric peroral endoscopic myotomy (G-POEM), Zenker’s peroral endoscopic myotomy (Z-POEM), radiofrequency ablation (RFA), endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR), Stretta, photodynamic therapy (PDT), endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), stenting, and dilation, amongst other techniques.
The Esophageal Institute partners closely with Allegheny Health Network’s Cancer Institute to treat esophageal cancer patients. Fellows attend and present at a weekly multidisciplinary tumor board for esophageal disease. They participate in monthly M&M conferences for continuous improvement in quality of care, as well as Journal Club and other educational opportunities. It is expected that each fellow will design, conduct, and complete a clinical research project under the guidance of senior faculty members. We provide opportunities for them to present their work locally and to submit to national conferences as appropriate. Access to an onsite, state-of-the-art laboratory is also available to fellows if they wish to pursue bench research. We expect our fellow to participate in the full range of esophageal endoscopic and surgical cases, learn the multidisciplinary management of esophageal cancers with special emphasis on emerging therapies through our robust trial programs, and contribute to clinical research.
To be eligible, candidates MUST be board-certified or board-eligible in General Surgery or Cardiothoracic Surgery from a U.S. residency program. The candidates must also demonstrate eligibility to obtain a full Pennsylvania medical license. Interested prospective fellows should apply through the Fellowship Council Match program, which opens in January of each calendar year. Candidates without a complete application will not be considered. Applications must include: Personal Statement including your reasons for selecting the program; current CV; all available ABSITE, COMLEX, and USMLE scores; current contact information; three letters of recommendation, including at least one reference from your current program.
If you have questions about the Esophageal Institute Fellowship, please refer to the Fellowship Council webpage for contact information: Fellowship Council.
