Brian Mitzman, MD, MSCI, FACS, FCCP
Dr. Brian Mitzman is a general surgeon at the University of Utah Health and the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City, Utah. He has special expertise in robotic surgery and a particular interest in thoracic surgical oncology and the use of robotics for the removal of complex tumors like those of malignant pleural mesothelioma.[1]
Dr. Mitzman says that robotics allows surgeons to perform surgery “more efficiently, more precisely.” He explains that “because the incisions are so much smaller, we’re able to sneak in between the ribs, do the same cancer surgery we’d be able to do with the bigger incision, shorter time in the hospital, one or two days instead of five or six, much less pain.”[2]
Education and Career
Dr. Mitzman graduated magna cum laude from the University of Buffalo, earning a bachelor of science with a major in Biomedical Sciences and a minor in Biochemical Pharmacology. He then earned his medical degree at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Buffalo and went on to complete his internship and residency at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell at Lenox Hill Hospital. He completed a fellowship in Thoracic Surgery at the University of Chicago and fulfilled all of the requirements for certification under the American Association of Thoracic Surgery Robotics Fellowship.
In addition to treating patients with lung cancer, malignant pleural mesothelioma, and other thoracic malignancies, Dr. Mitzman serves as Huntsman Cancer Institute’s Director of Robotic Thoracic Surgery and the Associate Program Director for the General Surgery Residency, with an emphasis on robotic surgical training.[1]
Professional Memberships and Activities
Dr. Mitzman is a member of both the Cardiothoracic Surgery Network and The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. He is also on the editorial board of numerous professional journals and publications, including The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery; Annals of Thoracic Surgery, and STS Online Curriculum. He is an Associate Editor of CTSNet – Interviews and Roundtables. He has also served as a peer-reviewer for the Journal for Surgical Research and Innovations.[3]
Additionally, he participates on the American College of Surgeons Operative Decision-Making Workforce the ACGME Milestones 2.0 Committee, and the STS Communications Taskforce.
Research
Dr. Mitzman’s research is conducted through his role as a Huntsman Cancer Institute investigator. His focus is on clinical outcomes and optimizing treatment approaches for lung, thoracic, and esophageal cancer. Following his studies, he has gained expertise in cost-effectiveness and determining the appropriate balance of cost and innovation in surgical technology.[1]
He has presented his findings at annual meetings of both the Society for Thoracic Surgeons and the American Association of Thoracic Surgery and has been an invited author on numerous textbook chapters used by both practicing thoracic surgeons and trainees.
His recent work includes:[3]
Pulmonary Open, Robotic and Thoracoscopic Lobectomy (PORTaL) Study: An Analysis of 5,721 Cases. Ann Surg. 2021; In Press. Kent M, Hartwig M, Vallieres E, Abbas A, Cerfolio R, Dylewski M, Fabian T, Herrera L, Jett K, Lazzaro R, Meyers B, Mitzman B, Reddy R, Reed M, Rice D, Ross P, Sakharia N, Schumacher L, Tisol W, Wigle D, Zervos M.
Percutaneous Dilational Tracheostomy for Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients Requiring Mechanical Ventilation. Crit Care Med. 2021; In Press. Angel LF, Amoroso NE, Rafeq S, Mitzman B, Goldenberg R, Shekar SP, Troxel AB, Zhang Y, Chang SH, Kwak P, Amin MR, Sureau K, Nafday HB, Thomas S, Kon Z, Sommer PM, Segal LN, Moore WH, Cerfolio R.
Society of Thoracic Surgeons Virtual Conference taskforce: Recommendations for Hosting a Virtual Surgical Meeting. Ann Thorac Surg. 2020; In Press. Doi:10.1016/j.athoracsur.2020.10008. *Co-First Author Antonoff MB, *Mitzman B, Backhus L, et al.
Novel Approaches in the Post-Tracheostomy Care of the COVID-19 Patient. Crit Care Innov. 2020;3:13-19. doi:10.32114/CCI.2020.3.3.13.19. Rai A, Chang AP, Soo S, Thomas J, Ackerman J, Mitzman B, Bender MT.
Outpatient Thoracoscopic Mediastinal Biopsy: a Safe and Cost Effective Approach. Ann Thorac Surg. 2020; In Press. doi:10.1016/j.athoracsur.2020.04.056. Brownlee A, Mitzman B, Ferguson MK.
Novel Percutaneous Tracheostomy for Critically Ill Patients with COVID-19. Ann Thorac Surg. 2020;1100:1006-11. doi:10.1016/j.athoracsur.2020.04.010. Angel L, Kon ZN, Chang SH, Rafeq S, Shekar SP, Mitzman B, Amoroso N, Goldenberg R, Sureau K, Smith D, Cerfolio RJ.
