Michael A. Palese

Biography

Dr. Michael Palese is the Director of Minimally Invasive Urology and is a Board Certified Fellowship trained surgeon specializing in robotic, laparoscopic and endoscopic surgery. He joined the surgical staff at Mount Sinai School of Medicine after serving as a clinical fellow in Laparoscopy and Minimally Invasive Urology at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University. Prior to his fellowship, he completed his urology residency at the University of Maryland Medical System, one of the largest centers in the country for laparoscopic surgery. During the time of his residency he performed research in the field of erectile dysfunction at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He completed his undergraduate training at Cornell University.

As the Director of Minimally Invasive Urology, Dr. Palese established the robot surgery program for the Department of Urology at Mount Sinai Hospital. He performs radical robotic prostatectomies as a treatment option for prostate cancer with success rates equal to or better than open surgical experiences. He performed the first robotic nephrectomy and partial nephrectomy at The Mount Sinai  Medical Center. He has also pioneered the use of robot surgery in other procedures such as kidney reconstructive surgery or pyeloplasty.

He has extensive experience with laparoscopic renal and adrenal surgery performing over 1,000 surgeries including laparoscopic donor nephrectomy, radical nephrectomy, partial nephrectomy, nephroureterectomy, pyeloplasty and adrenalectomy, using both standard and hand-assisted laparoscopic techniques. He has also performed nephron sparing procedures including radiofrequency ablation and cryosurgery. He is a member of the kidney transplant team and performs living laparoscopic donor nephrectomies.

He is  trained in the latest techniques for the minimally invasive treatment of kidney stone disease including laser, shock wave and percutaneous procedures. He offers a comprehensive medical assessment of kidney stone risks and preventive measures based on these risks.

Dr. Palese performs the newest procedures for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) including photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP) or greenlight laser, holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) and holmium laser ablation of the prostate (HoLAP).

He currently serves as the course director for a biannual course on the advanced treatment of prostate cancer given at Mount Sinai. He is a faculty member and instructor for the basic laproscopy course held at the headquarters of The American Urological Association in Houston. He was also recently nominated to co-direct the American Urological Association sponsored Advanced Laparoscopy Course held in New York City in April 2007.

He currently serves on the faculty of  two international laparoscopy courses where he instructs other urologists and surgeons to perform laparoscopy. He is the recipient of many awards including an Outstanding Achievement Award from the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons, the Pfizer Scholar Award and the Gerald P. Murphy Scholar Award. He has authored several book chapters and published numerous manuscripts on topics related to his field of expertise.