Umut Sarpel, MD Email Umut Sarpel

Umut Sarpel, MD, MSc, is a board-certified surgeon who specializes in Surgical Oncology.  She received her Bachelor of Science degree with distinction in research from the University of Rochester, where she was selected to participate in the competitive “Take 5” Program.  She earned her medical degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo and completed her residency at one of the top general surgery programs in the country, at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.  Dr. Sarpel then pursued an additional two years of specialty training in the field of surgical oncology while attaining a Master of Science in Clinical Research.  She is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and a member of the Society of Surgical Oncology, the American HepatoPancreatoBiliary Association, and the International Liver Cancer Association. Dr. Sarpel is also the Associate Director of Cancer Quality at The Mount Sinai Hospital.

At The Mount Sinai Hospital, Dr. Sarpel specializes in the care of patients with cancers of the stomach, pancreas, liver, biliary tree, small bowel, and colon, as well as sarcomas.  Her practice includes open and laparoscopic surgery, as well as novel robotic surgery for the pancreas, stomach, liver, and colon.  In addition, she performs Heated Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) for the treatment of carcinomatosis. A compelling story of Dr. Sarpel with one of her patients was featured in the book "Twelve Patients.”

Dr. Sarpel, who is heavily involved in clinical and outcomes research, has published several articles in the fields of surgical oncology, hepatobiliary surgery, and healthcare disparities.  She is a recent recipient of a prestigious National Cancer Institute grant to investigate the disparities in the treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma, the second leading cause of death from cancer in the world.

Dr. Sarpel is also strongly committed to medical education and has been honored with multiple teaching awards, including the Medical Student Teaching Award in Surgery, the House Staff Award for Excellence in Teaching, and the Humanism and Excellence in Teaching Award.  She has authored chapters in "Acute Care Surgery" and "Chassin's Operative Strategy" textbooks, and is the sole author of “Surgery; An Introductory Guide,” a book for medical students on their surgical clerkship, now in its second edition.

In the News:

• Dr. Sarpel weighs in on the new study supporting lowering the age of your first colonoscopy.