Robotic Laparoscopic Bladder,
Kidney & Prostate Cancer Surgery;
Robotic Laparoscopic Reconstructive Surgery

Dr. Fernando Bianco

Fernando J. Bianco, M.D., is the Director of Urology and Robotic Surgery in the Columbia University Division of Urology at Mount Sinai Medical Center and Assistant Professor of Urology at Columbia University. Dr. Bianco is a comprehensive urologic-oncologist-robotic surgeon who specializes in surgery for men and women with cancers of the genitourinary system. Dr. Bianco describes his mission as "empowering patients to understand their illness and likely impact on their quantity and quality of life". He received his medical degree from The Central University of Venezuela. He completed a residency training in the Department of Urology at Wayne State University in 2003. Dr. Bianco then completed a three-year urological oncology and laparoscopic fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. Bianco has published extensively on outcomes and translational research. During his tenure at Sloan-Kettering he was a Scholar for the American Urological Association Foundation (2003-05) and the Koch and Albittron Foundations Scholar for prostate cancer research (2005-2006), where he lead research evaluating the impact of surgeon execution and desired outcomes. Prior to joining Columbia University, Dr. Bianco was the head of Urology Oncology at the Department of Urology of The George Washington University in Washington DC (2006-2008).

Dr. Bianco's contributions to the field have been highlighted by the urological community. During the annual meeting of the American Urological Association, he was awarded by the American Urological Association and the Society of Urological Oncology for best clinical paper (2007) and runner-up best study (2006). For his research, Dr. Bianco was given the merit award by the American Society of Clinical Oncology in 2004, 2005, and 2006. He serves on the review panel and editorial board of numerous publications, including the Journal of Urology, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Urology, Cancer, Lancet Oncology, and European Urology - where he was a member of the editorial board-at large during 2008. To date, Dr. Bianco has published over 80 scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals, and has written over 20 chapters and reviews. Dr. Bianco is pushing the boundaries of robotic surgery with sound oncological principles. He currently performs robotic surgery for prostate, bladder and kidney entities - benign or malignant.

Professional Associations:
American Urology Association, American Society of Clinical Oncology; Society or Urologic Oncology; Society of Robotic Surgery; Sexual Medicine Society

General Surgery
Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery

Dr. Rafael Azuaje

Rafael Azuaje, M.D., earned his medical degree at The Universidad Centroccidental in Venezuela in 1998. His post-graduate training included a residency in general surgery at Indiana University and a Fellowship in Advanced Laparoscopic, Endoscopic and Bariatric Surgery at the University of Miami. Dr. Azuaje practices general surgery in Miami Beach, FL. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Surgery, Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of The Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons. He has received numerous awards throughout his career and has given many presentations in the field of minimally invasive surgery. He is also the author/editor of two general surgery textbooks.