Columbia Thyroid Center

Highlights | Conditions & Treatments | Team | Resources

Welcome to the Columbia Thyroid Center. We're here to help treat thyroid diseases like thyroid cancer, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism and more.  Our dedicated thyroid experts and related subspecialists will partner with you to form a comprehensive treatment plan that meets your specific goals of care. We offer unique services like our Thyroid Biopsy Clinic for same-day biopsies and evaluations, our Interventional Endocrinology Program for non-surgical procedures, and our Pediatric Thyroid Program for children with thyroid disease.

Your experience matters to us. We want you to feel prepared for your visit and confident about your health choices.  From our educational FAQs to a gallery of post-surgical cosmetic results, our resources are here to empower your decisions. 

Call (212) 305-0444 or request an appointment online.

Highlights of Our Center

More Care, Fewer Visits

Coming back and forth to the doctor's office for multiple appointments is a burden, which is why we work with you to coordinate efficient and effective visits. See multiple specialists, get blood work completed and even have a procedure all in a single appointment.  For added convenience, we have both a Manhattan and a Westchester location, and we offer video visits which can be done from the comfort of your own home. Need to be seen soon? We also do same-day consultations. Just call to be seen by the next available doctor on our team.

Dedicated Patient Navigator

Our on-site patient navigator is here to help make sure your experience with us goes as smoothly as possible. They’ll help you prepare for your appointment, coordinate appointments with other specialists, clarify any insurance and billing concerns, and will always be available to make sure your questions are answered.

More Surgical Experience and Better Results

Our endocrine surgeons take on more thyroid-related cases than any other surgeons in the region, giving them a level of experience that’s been proven to translate to better surgical outcomes and results. Research has shown that a surgeon should do more than 50 thyroid operations a year to be considered an expert. Our Columbia Thyroid Center surgeons perform many times that number each year and have each performed thousands of neck operations in their careers. As experts in minimally invasive thyroid procedures, they can treat your condition while also leaving you with minimal scarring and a quicker recovery time.

Comprehensive Thyroid Cancer Care

Our surgeons and endocrinologists work closely with oncologists, radiologists and other specialists to create personalized treatment plans for all forms of thyroid cancer, at any stage. We are proud to be part of Columbia’s Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, one of only a few programs in the country to earn the National Cancer Institute’s official “comprehensive cancer center” designation.

Stories & Perspective

State of the Union: Thyroid, Parathyroid and Endocrine Surgery in 2020

Chief of Endocrine Surgery James Lee, MD, explains the current state of the field and discusses coming advances. Read More »

Specialized Thyroid Programs

Pediatric Thyroid Services

We’ve gathered a team of pediatric specialists to address the specific needs of children dealing with thyroid conditions, as well as their families.

Active Surveillance Program for Thyroid Cancer

Until recently, the treatment recommendation for most thyroid cancers was immediate surgery—a total removal of the thyroid. As our ability to monitor the growth and change of nodules has improved, we’ve found that we can now take a much less aggressive approach, especially for smaller tumors. Our Active Surveillance Program involves keeping a watchful eye on any changes or growth in low risk cancers through regular ultrasounds and symptom monitoring so that we can make sure we’re only intervening if needed to keep you healthy. By watching carefully, we can often delay surgery significantly and make sure that, if it does become necessary, the procedure is smaller and only requires removing the diseased part of the thyroid instead of the entire gland.

  • For appointments with our Active Surveillance Program, call (212) 305-0078

Thyroid Biopsy Clinic

Biopsies are commonly used tests for diagnosing and staging thyroid cancer. For your convenience, we offer same day appointments for thyroid biopsies.  In addition, we have a pathologist look at your biopsy results while you are in the room with us so we can make sure that we have an adequate sample to give you a diagnosis.  This “on-site cytology” service reduces the chance that you will need another biopsy to less than 1%. 

Interventional Endocrinology Program

Interventional endocrinology involves the use of non-invasive procedures like radiofrequency ablations (RFA) and alcohol ablations to treat thyroid nodules. Our Interventional Endocrinology Program is one of the few in the nation offering these safe, state-of-the-art techniques that can potentially eliminate the need for an operation.

Research & Clinical Trials

Our team is actively involved in researching the causes and treatments for all types of thyroid diseases. We have written international guidelines on the care of patients with thyroid conditions and serve in the leadership of national and international Endocrine Surgery societies.

Related Services

Stories & Perspectives

What Kind of Scar does Thyroid Surgery Leave? Know what to expect from our minimally-invasive procedures by browsing through our Thyroid Scar Gallery »

About Thyroid Conditions & Treatments

We want you to know as much about the thyroid as we do, so we’ve put together these handy articles to explain the ins and outs of thyroid disease and help you make informed choices about your treatment plan.

About the Thyroid Gland

Thyroid Conditions

Thyroid Tests & Treatments

Our Team

At the Columbia Thyroid Center, a team of expert adult and pediatric physicians from multiple specialties work in concert to present every individual we see with a comprehensive and personalized treatment plan for his or her thyroid disease.

To get started with our team, call (212) 305-0444 or request an appointment online.

Clinical Care Team

Thyroid Surgery

Endocrine Surgeons specialize in operating on glands like the thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal.  Surgery is often the only true cure for thyroid diseases. 

James Lee, MD
Endocrine Surgeon


Jennifer Kuo, MD
Endocrine Surgeon

Catherine McManus, MD
Endocrine Surgeon

William Middlesworth, MD
Pediatric Surgeon

Endocrinology

Endocrinologists are typically the first line in establishing a diagnosis of thyroid disease and setting up a treatment plan, and they help coordinate your care with other thyroid specialists. 

Robert McConnell, MD
Endocrinologist

John Ausiello, MD
Endocrinologist

Susana Ebner, MD
Endocrinologist

Salila Kurra, MD
Endocrinologist

Hyesoo Lowe, MD
Endocrinologist

Pinar J. Smith, MD
Endocrinologist

Patricia Vuguin, MD
Pediatric Endocrinologist

Gaya S. Aranoff, MD
Pediatric Endocrinologist

Ilene Fennoy, MD
Pediatric Endocrinologist

Medical Oncology

This is the study of cancer and its treatment.  Oncologists on our team are experts in the diagnosis and treatment of Thyroid cancers.

Additional Specialists

Anesthesiology – Doctors in this field oversee sedation during surgery and pain management in the immediate post-surgery period

Genetics – Some thyroid disorders have an inherited component, and some inherited diseases may affect the thyroid.  Geneticists help identify your risk for these conditions and the risk of passing them on to your children.

Nuclear Medicine – Testing for thyroid disease can involve the use of radioactive isotopes to visualize thyroid cells.  Nuclear Medicine doctors are experts at performing and interpreting these tests.

Radiation Oncology – This is a field of medicine focused specifically on the treatments of cancer through radiation exposure.

Ophthalmology – This is the study of the eye and its related diseases.  Some thyroid disorders have complications that involve the eye and require an eye expert.

Pathology – This is the study of disease at the cellular level.  Pathologists look at samples from biopsies and surgeries to confirm whether or not diseases like cancer are present.

Resources & More

Contact Information

Call us at (212) 305-0444 or reach us through our online appointment form.
Documents and records can be faxed to us at (212) 305-0445.

Manhattan Office

Herbert Irving Pavilion, 8th Floor
161 Fort Washington Avenue
New York, NY 10032
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Westchester Office

155 White Plains Road
Tarrytown, NY 10591
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Planning & Preparing


Stories & Perspectives

More Resources

Call us at (212) 305-0444 or reach us through our online appointment form.