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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Sitting on Top of the World with Dr. David Samadi

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As any New Yorker can attest to, the streets around the city’s finest hospitals are filled with robust pedestrian traffic on any given day. Both doctors, patients and visitors are scurrying about and the same was true last week as I walked down East 77th Street near the storied Lenox Hill Hospital. On my way to the lobby to meet and interview internationally renowned prostate cancer specialist, Dr. David B. Samadi, I saw a man on a cell phone speaking in an animated and highly energetic manner. As I approached ever so gingerly, he flashed me an impish smile. It was then that I knew with complete certitude that the subject of my interview was standing right in front of me.

After introducing myself, this most gregarious man regaled me with the most fascinating stories of his background. “You are Orthodox?” he queried. Answering in the affirmative, he said, “I must tell you that Orthodox Jews saved my life when I was in Belgium; having left Iran.”

And that was only the beginning. Traveling with Dr. Samadi to his brand new office in midtown Manhattan, I had no idea that this man was literally “sitting on top of the world.” Outside his 21st floor office is a terrace with one of the most spectacular views of the New York City panorama.

Dr. Samadi with the state-of-the-art robot that helps during prostate surgery. It is called , SMART (Samadi Modified Advanced Robotic Technique).

So, who exactly is this doctor who appears every Sunday morning on the “House Call’ show on FOX News? Well, one thing is for sure. This doctor does not spew forth medical platitudes in a didactic manner. His friendly, layman’s approach to the complicated work he does in the field of prostate surgeries smacks of a palpable passion for his patients and the satisfaction he takes in saving lives.

As a young boy in Iran, Dr. Samadi took a keen interest in medicine as his father was an importer of radiology equipment. Meeting doctors in their scrubs, the young Samadi liked their “green and blue pajamas” as he stared at them with a wondrous expression.

“My mother was a big believer in education and all my siblings became doctors as well,” said Dr. Samadi with great pride. “Helping people; caring for them; saving lives and knowing that you can impact people in such a positive manner was the driving force behind my decision to practice medicine, ” he added.

After completing his medical school studies at the Stonybrook campus of SUNY, Dr. Samadi did his residence at the Albert Einstein School of Medicine and the venue of his fellowship was at New York’s Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital. Taking things a step further, Dr. Samadi then traveled to France where he intensively studied open and laparoscopic surgery.

Until recently, Dr. Samadi was the Vice Chairman of the Department of Urology, and the Chief of Robotics and Minimally Invasive Surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center. Known by his contemporaries and myriad of patients as both a board-certified urologist and an oncologist specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of urologic diseases, kidney cancer, bladder cancer, and prostate cancer, Dr. Samadi has distinguished himself as a specialist in many advanced minimally invasive treatments for prostate cancer, including the life saving procedure he personally devised. The newest robotic surgery procedure, SMART (Samadi Modified Advanced Robotic Technique) Surgery has not only secured him a hallowed place on the medical map but in the hearts of his patients.

Over the last 11 years, Dr. Samadi has performed over 5000 robotic prostatectomies using his state-of-the-art method. Despite the fact that robotic prostate surgery has recently been scrutinized by some physicians, Dr. Samadi stresses the safety of such procedures with one critical caveat. The robot does not perform the surgery. That responsibility, he says, falls squarely in the hands of the surgeon. “The robot is a tremendous technology that reduces time in the operating room and improves patient recovery. But you have to know what you’re doing; the learning curve cannot be overlooked,” he observes.

He says that the robot is but a tool that permits enhanced anatomic radical prostatectomy by improving vision and allowing angles of dissection not possible with open or straight laparoscopic instruments.

And how do Dr. Samadi’s patients feel about having both a skilled physician and robot at their side? Offering candid testimonials are such patients as Pat W who said, “When I entered the operating room, I was at ease and knew I was in the hands of the “best team”. I know this is related to all of the confidence I have in Dr. Samadi and his team. Believe me when I say that I was relaxed and confident; not a small achievement given that I am 61 years old and had never been sick, let alone operated on for cancer.”

Caring and treating the individual has consistently remained Dr. Samadi’s overriding priority. He says, “the reason we’re still standing today is because of the trust of the patient and that will never be compromised.”

As he speaks in his new office, he offers cogent explanations of why he jumped ship from Mount Sinai Hospital and came onboard with the prestigious Lenox Hill Hospital. “While I am proud of the multitude of accomplishments made at Mount Sinai, I must say with complete honesty, that my vision and their vision has changed dramatically.”

Vocally critical of “assembly line” patient treatment that is practiced on a routine basis by many hospitals, Dr. Samadi says, “I have not and will not ever divide my time when I am treating a patient or performing surgery.” With a rueful tone in his voice, he says, “I cannot in good conscience be one of those doctors that we often see working on several patients at the same time; meaning some doctors have five or six patients in different rooms and they run from one patient room to the next and then back to the first patient and so on. I have way too much respect for my patients to behave in such a reprehensible manner and I will not allow any hospital to dictate such terms to me.”

The major reason Dr. Samadi is now practicing at Lenox Hill is because of its dedication to its patients rather than medical expediency. For those not in the know, Lenox Hill is part of the North Shore-LIJ Hospital system and is constantly expanding its array of patient care modalities. “When I met and spoke with Michael J. Dowling, the CEO of North Shore-LIJ, his vision was totally patient centered as was mine. I am deeply honored to be part of this fine hospital and I expect that we can both make some great advancements in the years to come. I place tremendous value on the expertise, scientific research and technology that has come to be synonymous with Lenox Hill and I must say that in all my years of practicing medicine I have never seen this kind of level of commitment before.”

Asked about what Dr. Samadi envisions in the new era of medicine at Lenox Hill, he says, “Medicine is not a solitary profession. Every doctor needs a superlative staff and I have taken my operating room staff with me from Mount Sinai as well as my office staff. Without them my patients would be floundering.”

Dr. Samadi’s boundless exuberance about his profession fills the room as he explains, “What is most important to me is the quality of surgery and of course the outcome.” He reminds us that many patients are overwhelmed with concerns about post-surgical complications. “With the kind of robotic surgery that I perform, my patients do not experience any sexual performance or incontinence related problems. After the surgery, patients are generally released the following day,” he says.

Making a psychological distinction between male and female patients, Dr. Samadi says, “Because my patients are men, I know that unlike women who want to know as many details as possible, men just want to know the basic facts and return to their normal routines as soon as possible and I’m not here to encumber them.”

With a brand new robot and a brand new operating room at his disposal, Dr. Samadi says, “I am overjoyed at the fact that I will be providing my patients with concierge service. That translates into complete attention to the personal and medical needs of every patient and they will be made to feel as though there is no one else in the world but them when they are in my office and under my care.”

Because patients from around the globe call upon the unique services of Dr. Samadi, the good doctor has solidified a stellar reputation and intends to vigorously maintain the lofty standards that have become his hallmark. “The future of robotic surgery has such incredible potential,” he says with an energetic charm. “But we should all remember that behind every successful robot is an experienced surgeon.”

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