Camran Nezhat



Dr. Camran Nezhat, MD F.A.C.O.G.,  F.A.C.S., is a  reproductive endocrinologist and  infertility sub specialist who has been practicing medicine and surgery at  Stanford University Medical Center in Palo Alto since 1993.

He is the pioneer and leading practitioner in the field of laparoscopic surgery, specializing in laparoscopic treatment of severe  endometriosis involving multiple organs,like the bowel,bladder,ureter,etc., management of infertility and other pathologies.

Dr. Nezhat has been called the father of modern day laparoscopy due to his numerous innovations and inventions in the field of minimally invasive surgery. His techniques, foresight, innovations and courage have revolutionized modern day endoscopic surgery, which has been called the most significant advancement in surgery since the discovery of antibiotics. Amongst others he is the forerunner of technique of video laparoscopy and is the first surgeon in the world to treat and report surgical management of extensive pathology laparoscopically, thus opening the road for surgeons all over the world to follow.

Dr. Camran Nezhat’s vision, perseverance, and humanistic focus have propelled the field of Endoscopic Surgery away from the established yet awkward “single eye” and mostly diagnostic laparoscopy to his method of operative laparoscopy, which has revolutionized modern day surgery. Also, his prediction and claim that almost all open surgeries could be and should be avoided is increasingly becoming a reality. Indeed, he has paved the way through the years by his pioneering work of successful management of many complex surgical pathologies laparoscopically for the first time and proving that is possible and probably preferable.

At the 2nd European Congress in Gynecological Endoscopy in Heidelberg, Germany, a packed audience sat transfixed on uncomfortably hard folding chairs as Dr. Camran Nezhat unveiled his uncanny prescient vision for the field of laparoscopy, foretelling of a time years into the future when large incisions would eventually become obsolete. This was in 1993, ten years ahead of the curve, when operative laparoscopy was still considered quite limited and dangerous, especially since the technology did not exist to match this futuristic view.

Despite this technological lag, Dr. Camran Nezhat demonstrated via video footage that laparoscopic techniques could be integrated into therapy for the abdominal and pelvic cavity, heart, brain, lungs, vessels, endocrine system, and to every aspect of surgery where a cavity existed or a cavity could be created. For, in these situations, he found that the anatomy could be magnified and therefore better visualized.

As with so many pioneers in Medicine and Science, Dr. Camran Nezhat indeed originally attracted numerous negative reviews, in the category of “medical heresy”. Yet, today, we see that his early commitment to advancing medicine has helped pave the way for laparoscopic specialists the world over to provide patients with the option of speedier recoveries and improved outcomes.

Dr. Camran Nezhat introduced the technique of operating in an upright position off the television monitor and on the images rather than in the tissue! By doing so, he changed the “single eye” world of endoscopy forever. Second, he is the forerunner of successful laparoscopic reparative management of many diseases of the pelvic and abdominal organs including laparoscopic bladder, ureter, bowel and diaphragm resection, laparoscopic paraortic lymph node dissection, radical hysterectomy, vesicovaginal fistulas, rectovaginal fistulas; and laparoscopic treatment of ovarian remnant. Sacral colpopexy and laparoscopy during advanced pregnancy and repair of major vessels were also first reported by Dr. Camran Nezhat and his team. Thus, Dr. Camran Nezhat opened the road for those in other surgical disciplines to approach almost all surgical pathologies laparoscopically. Third, his claims are becoming increasingly evident that advantages of laparoscopic surgery when performed by an experienced surgeon are, fewer complications and better results than laparotomy.

Dr. Camran Nezhat has always shared his experiences with his colleagues around the world and has continued to present his methods, results, and his experiences at different medical societies and congresses to explain the benefits of this technique.

Dr. Camran Nezhat has demonstrated that even the most advanced pelvic and abdominal pathologies including advanced stages of endometriosis involving bowel, bladder, ureter, diaphragm, and liver can be successfully treated by videolaparoscopy.

After achieving clinical success numerous times with videolaparoscopy, Dr. Camran Nezhat stated early on, that “if advanced stages of endometriosis can be successfully treated by videolaparoscopy, with the results at least as good as [those of] laparotomy, we can perform practically all the surgical procedures by videolaparoscopy.” In his opinion, videolaparoscopy is the method of choice for an operation whenever a cavity exists in the body or when a cavity can be created.

In collaboration with their colleagues, such as urologists, colorectal surgeons, oncologists, cardiothoracic, vascular and neurosurgeons, Dr. Camran Nezhat and his two brothers, who also are laparoscopic surgeons, were the forerunners to perform some the most advanced procedures laparoscopically.

In 1995, Dr. Mary Lake Polan, OB/GYN Department Chairman at Stanford said: Nezhat’s contribution was and is unique. He has developed such facility with the technique in the operating room that he serves as a mentor for other physicians, challenging us to learn the new technique by showing us not only the art of the possible, but the tremendous advantage minimal access surgery offers. When you watch him operate, you have to cast off the excuse, ‘this procedure can’t be done using laparoscopy.’ The introduction of videolaparoscopy and videolaparoscopy by Nezhat allowed the involvement of the entire operating team in surgery. Camran along with his brothers not only performed these procedures elegantly, but he was also willing to teach any and everyone who expressed interest. They are very freely and unselfishly willing to share their experience and knowledge with the world. In 2000, Kurt Semm, the German Pioneer who performed the first laparoscopic appendectomy said:

Dr. Camran Nezhat widened the operative field, creating new techniques, employing new instruments, and appartuses. In my opinion, with the cooperation of his brothers, Camran enriched the entire field of surgical laparoscopy. On June 30, 1980, I performed a laparoscopic appendectomy, which ultimately opened the door to surgeons to perform endoscopic surgery, especially since the appendix was a holy grail of surgery. Today, Dr Nezhat’s book opens a new door to a whole new era od endoscopic surgery.

In 1995, Alan DeCherney, MD then the Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UCLA, and now Chairman of the Department of OB/GYN at the National Institutes of Health said:

In the past decade, gynecologic surgery, because of endoscopic surgery, has undergone a tremendous revolution. There are few cases in the gynecologist’s surgical armamentarium that cannot be carried out through an endoscopic approach. Many of these changes are due to courage, innovativeness, and technical skill of Dr. Camran Nezhat. Just as in Star Trek, he dared to go where no man had gone before, and by doing this, he opened up unimagined vistas to endoscopic surgeons all over the world. For his courage, Camran over the years has suffered but persevered.

Like manu prioneers in medicine, Dr. Camran Nezhat too was subjected to undue ridicule. For centuries, there has been resistence to accepting novel ideas, even for concepts as simple as washing hands before an operation. It cost Semmelweis his life, while Louis Pasteur was challenged to a duel by a general surgeon. Dr. Camran Nezhat too had to suffer years of struggle and hardship.

Dr. Camran Nezhat is testament to the fact that being a pioneer is often a very lonely place until our beliefs are tested and proven. It took 20 years, but Dr. Camran Nezhat persevered and held steadfast to his dreams.

Today we take operating directly off the video monitor or managing advanced surgical pathology laparoscopically for granted, but Dr. Camran Nezhat paid dearly for it. His declaration that “almost all laparotomies can be avoided” was not popularly received at the time, but created such a shift in the thinking that it sparked a while new generation of surgical specialists to become inspired, opening the door for all disciplines.

Dr. Camran Nezhat has traveled to many developed and underdeveloped countries and communities to promote and teach the technology of  minimally invasive surgery for the benefit of mankind. Dr. Nezhat has also donated hundreds of thousands of dollars and personal time to charitable foundations.

Dr. Camran Nezhat continues to contribute to the Art and Science of Surgery. He is the past president of the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons, is the Director of the Center For Special Minimally Invasive Surgery, and is Clinical Professor of Surgery and OB/GYN at Stanford University School of Medicine, also Clinical Professor of OB/GYN at  University of California at San Francisco. He has published more than 500 articles, book chapters, abstracts, letters to the editor, and video presentations. He is coauthor of 2 textbooks and has won numerous awards and honors from prestigious societies like the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, American College of Surgeons, and the Excel Award from the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons and American College of Obstetrician Gynecologists.

Press and Publications

 * 1) The Career Woman's Disease. TIME Magazine 1990[[1]
 * 2) Newsweek February 12, 1990pg 58-59 "Hanging up the Knife", Cowley, Geoffrey
 * 3) Newsweek October 13, 1986 pg 95 "Conquering Endometriosis" Clark, Matt, Carroll, Ginny
 * 4) Business Week September 27, 2004 pg 121-122 "Women's surgery: Less of an ordeal" Cropper, Carol Marie
 * 5) MarketWatch February 7, 2005 "Robots as surgical enablers" Gerencher, Kristen
 * 6) The San Francisco Examiner May 26, 2005 "Fertility surgery nets success 10 years later" Wein, Josh
 * 7) Journal of the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons Presidents Corner "Operative Endoscopy will replace almost all open procedures" 2004;8 2):103-107
 * 8) Mountain View Voice Volume 14 No 7 February 10, 2006 "A baby at all costs" Sadoughi, Marjan
 * 9) Conceive Magazine Spring 2006 Vol 3 Issue 1" Dayna's Story: From endometriosis to happy ending" Sherwood, Sarah
 * 10) The Wall Street Journal December 13, 2005 Section D1 "What you should know before you start IVF" Westphal, Sylvia Pagan
 * 11) OBGYN.net- Advisory Board: Camran Nezhat,M.D.
 * 12) Nezhat Medical Center: About Us
 * 13) Stanford News
 * 14) Nezhat Medical Center: Exonerated (pdf)
 * 15) Emory Caselaw: 11ca