Jeffrey Zitsman



Jeffrey Zitsman, MD, is the current Director of Minimal Access Surgery at the Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian (MSCHONY), as well as an Associate Clinical Professor at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Dr. Zitsman is best known for being the Director of the Center for Adolescent Bariatric Surgery at MSCHONY. This center is one of only three weight loss centers in the US to offer FDA-approved surgery programs to children as young as 14 (NYP 2007). One of Dr. Zitsman’s main focuses is on a comprehensive health program for obese children that gives them the option of losing weight with and without surgery. Before surgery is an option, the program requires patients to undergo a six-month program of rigorous weight loss education and therapy (CS Obesity 2007). If the patient still chooses surgery, the center is one of the first in the nation to offer Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding (Lap-band) surgery to overweight teens—a minimally invasive procedure that does not cut the stomach and is completely reversible (CS Obesity 2007). Dr. Zitsman has performed over 500 minimal access procedures, and remains the Principal Investigator for the Adolescent Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding Study at the Children’s Hospital (Babysurg 2007).

Dr. Zitsman has been featured in New York Magazine’s Best Doctors issue in 2002, 2003, 2006, and 2007 for pediatric surgery (Castle Connolly 2007).

Selected Publications

 * Pneumatically assisted laparoscopic reduction of intussusception. Goldstein AM, Cho NL, Mazziotti MV, Zitsman JL. Pediatr Endosurg Innovative Techniques. 7(1,): 33-37. 2003.
 * Current Concepts in Minimal Access Surgery for Children. Zitsman JL. Pediatrics. 111: 1239-1252. 2003
 * Pseudoaneurysm following penetrating trauma in children and adolescents. Zitsman JL. J Pediatr Surg. 33: 1574-1578. 1998.
 * Pitfalls in transinguinal diagnostic laparoscopy for contralateral hernia. John R, Zitsman JL. Pediatr Endosurg Innovative Technique. 2: 55-9. 1998.