Surgical Specialties

North York General’s (NYG) comprehensive Surgical Program brings together leading experts in minimally invasive and complex surgery to deliver exceptional care. With a focus on innovation, precision, and compassion, our multidisciplinary team is committed to improving outcomes and quality of life for every patient we serve.

Division of General Surgery

Minimally Invasive Surgical Oncology

• Our surgeons specialize in advanced, minimally invasive approaches to colorectal and stomach cancer surgery. This involves using laparoscopic and robotic techniques to reduce recovery time, minimize complications, and support a faster return to daily life.
• Our surgical oncologists work closely with medical and radiation oncology, genetics, and supportive care teams to ensure seamless, personalized treatment.
• NYG is a major referral centre and receives patients from across the GTA and Ontario.

Breast Surgical Oncology

• NYG’s Breast Oncology Program provides state-of-the-art care for patients facing breast cancer with expertise in breast-conserving surgery, mastectomy, reconstruction and oncoplastic techniques.
• The Program delivers integrated and compassionate care with a focus on effective cancer control and cosmetic outcomes.
• The Program collaborates with radiologists, pathologists, medical oncologists, and reconstructive surgeons.

Complex Hernia Surgery

• NYG’s Complex Hernia Program is one of the first in Canada.
• The Program offers expert evaluation and surgical repair for complex and recurrent hernias including abdominal wall reconstruction.
• The Program’s surgeons use both open and advanced minimally invasive techniques and tailors each approach to the patient’s specific needs to support strong recoveries.

Acute Care Surgery

• Our Acute Care Surgery team provides rapid, high-quality surgical care for patients experiencing emergent or urgent conditions, including bowel obstruction, appendicitis, cholecystitis, and trauma.
• Available 24/7, the Acute Care Surgery team ensures timely intervention and continuity of care during critical moments.

Our Surgeons

Minimally Invasive Surgical Oncology (Colorectal Cancer, Stomach Cancer)

Dr. Peter Stotland (Chief of Surgery)
Dr. Usmaan Hameed (Division Chief)
Dr. Sarah Temple

Colorectal Cancer/Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Dr. Daniel Abramowitz
Dr. Stanley Feinberg

Complex Abdominal Wall/Hernia

Dr. Yasser Botros
Dr. Benjamin Fung
Dr. David Smith
Dr. Lloyd Smith

Breast Oncology and Reconstruction

Dr. Yasser Botros
Dr. Brain Pinchuk
Dr. David Smith
Dr. Katelynn Tang
Dr. Sara Temple

Acute Care Surgeons

Dr. Neelesh Jain
Dr. Stephanie Tung
Dr. Natalya Zhang

North York General Hospital is a very busy obstetrical unit, with over 4,500 babies delivered each year. We care for many higher risk pregnancies and the hospital’s advanced level 2 Tippet Foundation Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) provides specialized care for babies born 30 weeks or later in a pregnancy

Our community’s gynaecologic needs are also met by our group of highly skilled surgeons, many of whom have sub-specialty training in such areas as minimally invasive surgery, robotic surgery, paediatric and adolescent gynaecology, urogynecology, and advanced care for genetic loss.

The Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at North York General has a longstanding, highly evaluated training program affiliated with the University of Toronto from undergraduate to final year postgraduate trainees, and a nationally recognized fellowship in minimally invasive surgery. It has nationally recognized teachers who have presented locally, nationally and internationally at conferences.

Numerous surgical procedures are performed, including:

• Hysterectomy – vaginal, abdominal, laparoscopic, robotic
  • See our Hysterectomy Patient Guide
• Laser laparoscopy and advanced laparoscopic surgery, MIS and robotic surgery
• Hysteroscopy
• Urinary incontinence surgeries
• Operations for pelvic prolapse
• Female genital cutting reconstruction

Obstetric and Gynaecological Surgeons

Dr. Lynne Zolis (Chief of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Program Medical Co-director of Maternal, Newborn and Paediatric Care)
Dr. Adrian Brown
Dr. Rebecca Cherniak
Dr. Angela Deane
Dr. Karthika Devarajan
Dr. Lacey Harding
Dr. Danny Kreichman
Dr. Elyse Lackie (Deputy Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology)
Dr. Sabrina Lee
Dr. Elad Mei-Dan
Dr. Alexandra Nevin Lam
Dr. Alice Pham
Dr. Abheha Satkunaratnam
Dr. Kalpana Sharma
Dr. Nicholas Shilletto
Dr. Kirsten Smith
Dr. Pallavi Sriram
Dr. Modupe Tunde-Byass
Dr. Cici Zhu

Ophthalmologists are medical doctors specialized in eye and vision care. They are specialists in the medical and surgical treatment of eye diseases or other conditions. Our ophthalmologists perform cataract surgery in two dedicated eye surgery operating rooms at the NYGH Minor Surgical Procedures and Elder Care Centre (243 Consumers Road).

The Cataract High Volume Centre is a regional centre for cataract surgery. The centre, a partnership between North York General, Markham Stouffville and Humber River Regional hospitals, is serving more people in our community, and decreasing the wait time for cataract implants and surgery.

Non-cataract surgery

As a designated regional eye centre of the southern area of the Central LHIN, surgeons perform glaucoma and cornea transplants among other non-cataract surgeries such as enucleation, pterygium, and oculoplastic surgery.

Cataract surgery

The decision to operate is made with the patient based on the degree of vision impairment and the impact on their quality of life. Two operating rooms are shared by ophthalmologists from the three hospitals. This collaboration has meant standardizing procedures and processes, such as surgical equipment and medication, to enhance patient safety and patient flow.

Ophthalmology Surgeons

Dr. Raj Rathee (Division Head)
Dr. Andre Ali-Ridha
Dr. Minoo Azadeh
Dr. Graham Belovay
Dr. Ying Kathy Cao
Dr. Jeremy Goldfarb
Dr. Shelley Herzig
Dr. Baseer Khan
Dr. Stephanie Low
Dr. Rajiv Maini
Dr. Jeffrey Martow
Dr. Zale Mednick
Dr. Toylin Musewe
Dr. Jason Noble
Dr. Ted Rabinovitch
Dr. Sohel Somani
Dr. David Weinstock
Dr. Victor Moss Weinstock

The Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS) provide evaluation, surgical and adjunctive (additional and complementary) treatment for disorders, defects, injuries, and diseases affecting the mouth, jaws, face, and related structures.

NYG’s Oral and Maxillo-Facial surgeons provide care and expertise in:

• Orthognathic surgery (corrective jaw surgery)
• Dental implant surgery
• Bone grafting
• Wisdom tooth removal
• Dentoalveolar surgery
• Maxillofacial trauma

Oral/Maxillo-Facial Surgeons

Dr. Robert M. Klein (Division Head)
Dr. Tina Meisami
Dr. Victoria Seto

As a member of the Total Joint Network and GTA Rehab Network, NYGH’s orthopaedic surgery program collaborates with over 25 other network partners across the GTA to follow best practices and ensure patients receive the best care. The orthopaedic services include a major focus on sports injuries and the treatment of fractures referred from our busy emergency department. In addition, we provide corrective surgery for foot deformities.

Several outstanding facilities are located at North York General, the Gulshan & Pyarali G. Nanji Orthopaedic and Plastics Centre (OPC), the Total Joint Assessment Centre Preoperative, Assessment Clinic.

We are a major centre for:

• Hip and knee joint replacement surgery
• Hip fractures
• Arthroscopies: shoulder replacements, foot and ankle surgeries

Learn more here.

The Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery focuses on the upper airway (nose, sinuses and throat), ears, and glands and tumours of the head and neck. Our surgeons provide comprehensive care in all sub-specialties including:

• Paediatric otolaryngology surgery (one of the largest providers of this service in Ontario)
• Thyroid and parathyroid surgery
• Salivary gland surgery
• Surgical treatment of sleep apnea and sleep disorders
• Rhinology (disorders of the nose and sinuses)
• Laryngology (voice disorders)

Highlights

NYG’s Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery:

• Our surgeons work with other specialists including Endocrinologists, Diagnostic Imaging specialists, and Pathologists to provide comprehensive treatment for patients.
• Many NYG Otolaryngology-Head and Neck surgeons share their expertise through research and teaching at the University of Toronto.

Otolaryngology Surgeons

Dr. Manish D. Shah (Division Head)
Dr. Thileeban Kandasamy
Dr. Daniel Lee
Dr. Jason Xu
Dr. Josie Xu

North York General Hospital offers a wide range of paediatric surgery. Our hospital has long had a strong paediatric general surgical presence. Dr. Noelle Grace, who retired in 2012 after more than 30 years as a paediatric surgeon at North York General, was the first female paediatric surgeon in Canada.

We have several specialists who perform surgery on paediatric patients. Our team includes experienced paediatric anesthesiologists, otolaryngologists, orthopaedic surgeons, gynecologic surgeons, urologists, and plastic and reconstructive surgeons. Before surgery, children and parents go to our paediatric waiting room Grace’s Place, where they will be joined by a health care professional. Parents can walk with their child as far as the operating room door.

Surgical and Endoscopy Community Partnerships (SCP) Program

SickKids and North York General Hospital (NYGH) have partnered to improve access to paediatric urology services through the Surgical and Endoscopy Community Partnerships (SCP) Program. As part of this initiative, NYGH supports SickKids by performing select paediatric urology surgeries, helping to reduce surgical wait times and bring care closer to families.

Paediatric surgery resources

Paediatric surgery resources

Caring for your child after a Tonsillectomy and/or Adenoidectomy

Important instructions before surgery

Post-Anaesthesia Care Unit — Paediatrics

The Division of Plastic Surgery provides a full spectrum of services including:

• Reconstructive surgery
• Breast surgery
• Hand surgery
• Aesthetic surgery
• General plastic surgery for skin cancers, soft tissue injuries, and infections

Highlights

NYG’s Division of Plastic Surgery

• Has a special focus in wrist, peripheral nerve and hand trauma surgery with skilled hand therapists providing supportive care.
• Is affiliated with the University of Toronto as a training site for Plastic Surgery residents.
• Is home to NYG’s Breast Reconstruction Centre, one of Ontario’s largest Centres by volume of reconstructions delivered. The Centre offers special expertise in all types of breast reconstruction, including free flaps, implant-based and oncoplastic surgeries in a multidisciplinary setting.

Plastic Surgeons

Dr. Mary-Helen Mahoney (Division Head)
Dr. Yasser El-Sheikh
Dr. Waqqas Jalil
Dr. Petra Schiller
Dr. Ron Somogyi
Dr. Celine Yeung

The Division of Urology is dedicated to delivering advanced medical and surgical care for a wide range of urological disorders including conditions affecting the urinary tract, kidneys, bladder, and male reproductive organs.

Highlights

NYG’s Division of Urology

• Offers cutting-edge treatments and procedures through endoscopic, minimally invasive, robotic and open surgical techniques.
• Provides comprehensive cancer care that includes screening, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up.
• Is home to surgeons with specialized expertise in all areas of urology who are recognized internationally for their leadership in bladder and prostate cancer treatment.
• Takes a personalized approach to care that is tailored to each patient’s needs.
• Innovative clinical program development, active research, and participation in clinical trials. The Gale and Graham Wright Prostate Centre, pioneered timely diagnosis and expert resources in a community hospital setting and remains at the forefront of prostate cancer care in the province.
• Is affiliated with the University of Toronto and contributes significantly to the education and training of medical students and residents.

Urology Surgeons

Dr. Stanley Yap (Division Head)
Dr. Roger Buckley
Dr. Stan Flax
Dr. Nicole Golda
Dr. David Hajek
Dr. Imraan Nagdee
Dr. Lesley Spevack