More Than 40 Columbia Surgeons Named New York’s Top Doctors in 2026

When it comes to exceptional healthcare, Columbia Surgery continues to lead the way. More than 40 surgeons from the Department of Surgery have been named Castle Connolly Top Doctors for 2026.

Castle Connolly Top Doctors represent the top 7% of practicing physicians in the United States. This highly selective honor is based on peer nominations and a rigorous, physician-led research and vetting process that evaluates clinical excellence, professional reputation, and commitment to patient care.

About Castle Connolly Top Doctors

• Peer Nominated: Physicians must first be nominated by fellow licensed physicians. In 2025 alone, Castle Connolly received more than 47,000 peer nominations nationwide.
• Rigorous Research Process: Each nomination is thoroughly reviewed by Castle Connolly’s physician-led research team to ensure candidates meet the organization’s exacting standards.
• Top 7% Nationwide: In 2026, more than 72,000 physicians were recognized from a pool of over 1.1 million U.S. doctors, underscoring the significance of this achievement.

Year after year, Columbia surgeons are recognized not only by Castle Connolly, but also by the patients and communities they serve. The Department of Surgery extends its sincere congratulations to the following faculty members honored as 2026 Castle Connolly Top Doctors:

Abdominal Organ Transplantation

• Jean C. Emond, MD
• Tomoaki Kato, MD
• Lloyd E. Ratner, MD

Bariatric Surgery

• Francisco Guzman-Pruneda, MD
• Abraham Krikhely, MD

Bariatric and General Surgery (at NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester)

• Makram Gedeon, MD
• Arpan Goel, MD
• Miguel R. Silva, MD

Breast Surgery

• Bret Taback, MD
• Lisa S. Wiechmann, MD

Cardiac Surgery

• Michael Argenziano, MD
• Arnar Geirsson, MD
• Isaac George, MD
• Craig R. Smith, MD
• Hiroo Takayama, MD
• Koji Takeda, MD 

Cardiac Surgery (Pediatric & Adult Congenital)

• Emile A. Bacha, MD
• Andrew Goldstone, MD

Colorectal Surgery

• Cary B. Aarons, MD
• Pokala Ravi Kiran, MD

General Surgery

• Spencer Eugene Amory, MD
• Tracey D. Arnell, MD
• Subhash Krishnamoorthy, MD 

General Surgery (Abdominal Wall)

• Yuri Novitsky, MD 

GI/Endocrine Surgery

• John A. Chabot, MD
• James A. Lee, MD
• Beth A. Schrope, MD 

Plastic Surgery

• Jeffrey Ascherman, MD
• Christine Hsu Rohde, MD

Pediatric Surgery

• Jennifer DeFazio, MD
• William Middlesworth, MD
• Jeffrey Zitsman, MD

Thoracic Surgery

• Frank D'Ovidio, MD
• Mark E. Ginsburg, MD
• Lyall A. Gorenstein, MD
• Michael I. Ebright, MD
• Joshua R. Sonett, MD

Transplant Hepatology (Adult)

• Lorna Dove, MD
• Alyson Nicole Fox, MD

Transplant Hepatology (Pediatric)

• Steven J. Lobritto, MD
• Mercedes Martinez, MD

Vascular Surgery

• Danielle Bajakian, MD
• Nicholas J. Morrissey, MD
• Virendra Patel, MD
• Edvard Skripochnik, MD 

These surgeons collaborate closely with colleagues across NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia, where more than 400 physicians were also recognized as 2026 Castle Connolly Top Doctors. Together, they provide comprehensive, multidisciplinary expertise spanning diagnostic radiology, cardiology, oncology, gastroenterology, endocrinology, pediatrics, and more.

Explore the complete list of Castle Connolly’s Top Doctors, featuring specialists from NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia, NewYork-Presbyterian/Westchester, and Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, and learn more about the full directory of surgeons at Columbia Surgery.

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