Why Choose Us?

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Specialized hernia care

At the Columbia Hernia Center, our surgeons focus on hernia repair and abdominal wall surgery. Our clinical care, research, and surgical education cover abdominal wall and groin hernias, recurrent and complex hernias, mesh complications, flank and back hernias, chronic pain, and sports injuries involving the groin and abdominal wall.

Our Division of Abdominal Wall Surgery brings together specialized experience and a treatment plan tailored to your condition. As a high-volume referral center, we regularly evaluate patients with previous failed repairs, mesh infection, large abdominal wall defects, and other conditions that require advanced planning.

Yuri Novitsky, MD, leads the center’s clinical care, surgical training, and academic collaboration. Our experience and ongoing review of outcomes help us refine techniques and improve care for both routine and challenging cases.

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Comprehensive care

Your repair should fit your hernia, your health, and your goals. Our team offers open, laparoscopic, robotic, and selected mesh-free approaches, along with evaluation of complications after earlier operations.

When needed, we work with specialists in rehabilitation medicine, physical therapy, sports medicine, interventional radiology, clinical nutrition, and orthopedic surgery. This coordinated approach supports evaluation, treatment, and recovery.

We focus on durable repairs, managing pain, and helping patients return to everyday activities. Your surgeon will explain the benefits, risks, and alternatives for your individual situation.

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Pioneering treatments

Hernia and abdominal wall surgery continue to evolve. Dr. Novitsky helped develop transversus abdominis release (TAR), a technique used to reconstruct the abdominal wall in selected patients with large or complex hernias. Our team also uses robotic approaches when appropriate.

Some complex repairs can be performed through smaller incisions, while others require an open operation. The approach and expected hospital stay depend on your anatomy, health, and the complexity of the repair.

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Research and continuous improvement

We combine clinical experience, ongoing outcomes review, and peer-reviewed research to improve hernia care. Our work addresses surgical technique, mesh, recovery, and the needs of patients with complex abdominal wall conditions.

Our surgeons collaborate with investigators and statisticians and share research at meetings of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES), American College of Surgeons (ACS), Americas Hernia Society (AHS), and European Hernia Society (EHS). Learn more about our research and surgeons.

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Appointments and convenient locations

We offer clinic visits in Manhattan, Teaneck, White Plains, and Goshen, with surgical care at affiliated facilities in New York and New Jersey. Your consultation and surgery may take place at different locations.

Call our office to discuss appointment availability and whether a telemedicine visit is appropriate. After surgery, follow your discharge instructions for contacting the surgical team with urgent concerns.

Request a consultation or learn about our facilities.