Nikhil Kumta, MD, is the director of surgical and bariatric endoscopy at Mount Sinai Hospital and an associate professor at the Icahn School of Medicine. He was the chief gastroenterology fellow during residency, after which he completed an advanced subspecialty fellowship at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical School.
Nikhil Kumta, MD, always has an eye on the future when caring for his patients. As a specialist in surgical endoscopy, he's got innovation on his mind.
"I seek to provide world-class care to patients at the bedside and in the procedure room," says Kumta, who finished his residency and fellowship programs in 2016 and is now director of surgical and bariatric endoscopy at Mount Sinai Hospital and an associate professor at the Icahn School of Medicine in New York City. "That includes taking care of patients today and trying to push the envelope for patients we see in the future."
In a surgical endoscopy procedure, Kumta uses a flexible scope in the gastrointestinal tract to resect early-stage cancers. The procedure involves no incisions, which speeds up recovery time and lowers the risk for infection.
He also heads up a research program for the advanced endoscopy group. "We refine current techniques and future techniques, in terms of device development," Kumta says.
During the pandemic, Kumta has pivoted his research time to study COVID-19 and its effect on the GI tract. He also did double-duty, working overnight shifts to treat COVID-19 patients.
"We've all had to adapt and our roles have been redefined," Kumta says. "It has spoken to the will of healthcare workers in New York City."
As part of Medscape's celebration of our 25th anniversary this year, we're recognizing 25 young physicians who are rising stars in medicine, poised to become future leaders of their fields. View the full list here.
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Cite this: Medscape at 25: Recognizing Medicine's Rising Stars - Medscape - Dec 07, 2020.
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