Avo Artinyan, MD, MS
CEO and Founder of Academic Surgical Associates
Surgical Oncology and Colorectal Surgery
Nationally Recognized Expert and Innovator
Dr. Artinyan is board-certified general surgeon, a fellowship-trained surgical oncologist, and a colorectal surgeon. He is a nationally recognized expert in minimally-invasive gastrointestinal surgical oncology, particularly laparoscopic, robotic, and transanal colon and rectal cancer surgery. He is particularly known for sphincter-preserving and organ-preserving resection techniques for rectal cancer and was among the early developers of transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS). He is also an expert in the surgical treatment of gastric, pancreaticobiliary, soft tissue and breast cancers as well as inflammatory bowel disease, diverticulitis, abdominal wall hernias and other general surgical diseases.
Dr. Artinyan is a surgeon’s surgeon, having been asked to operate on his own colleagues, residents, students and their family members. He is one of the few surgeons in Southern California that offers what is termed totally intracorporeal laparoscopic and robotic surgery, which provides excellent oncologic results, with superior short-term and long term post-operative outcomes.
Comprehensive Surgical Training
Dr. Artinyan graduated from UCSD School of Medicine and completed his general surgery training and colorectal surgery research fellowship at the University of Southern California-Los Angeles County Medical Center. He then completed a 3-year clinical and research surgical oncology fellowship at City of Hope Cancer Center focusing on gastrointestinal and colorectal surgical oncology and robotic surgery.
Clinical Distinction and Leadership at World Renowned Institutions
Dr. Artinyan joined the faculty of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX in the world-renowned Texas Medical Center in 2009, where he established one of the busiest robotic surgical oncology and colorectal surgery programs in the country with local, regional, national and international referrals. He went on to serve as the Chief of the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine and was recognized with the Fulbright and Jaworski Faculty Excellence Award, the Baylor STAR Award for Excellence in Clinical Practice, and multiple teaching awards including the Gene A. Guinn Outstanding Faculty Teaching Award by the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery.
Dr. Artinyan was recruited to Los Angeles in 2018 by Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong as Co-Director of Surgical Oncology for the Verity Medical Foundation, with the goal of developing a world-class cancer center in Los Angeles. He is continuing the goal of creating a world-class private surgical oncology practice and, eventually, a multidisciplinary integrated cancer institute.
Continued Research and Academic Activity
Dr. Artinyan continues to be active in clinical research and has authored over 60 peer-reviewed publications, several book chapters and has been an invited guest lecturer nationally and internationally.
He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons (ACS), a member of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgery (ASCRS), Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO), Association for Academic Surgery (AAS), and the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES). He is currently on the editorial board of the Journal of Surgical Research (JSR) and is also past president of the International Armenian Association of Hematology and Oncology (AAHO).
Natalie Seiser, MD
Hepatopancreaticobiliary Surgery and Surgical Oncology
Dr. Natalie Seiser is a fellowship trained surgical oncologist who specializes in the treatment of hepatobiliary, pancreatic and other gastrointestinal cancers. Dr. Seiser trained at some of the top academic medical centers in the country including the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC).
Farzad Alemi, MD
Hepatopancreaticobiliary Surgery
Dr. Alemi is a fellowship trained hepatopancreaticobiliary surgeon with clinical and research expertise in the management of liver, bile-duct and pancreatic cancers. Dr. Alemi received his undergraduate and medical degrees from Stanford University School of Medicine and trained at University of California, San Francisco Medical Center and Virginia Mason Medical Center. Prior to joining Academic Surgical Associates, he was Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Division of Hepatopancreaticobiliary Surgery at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, Missouri.
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Gastroenterology
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