For more than a hundred years, the Department of Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine has been a leader in clinical care, medical research and surgical training.
The department’s tradition of excellence has roots in the history of the New York Hospital, which is now known as NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. The hospital, the second oldest in the country, quickly established itself as a leader in surgical care after hiring its first surgeons in 1792.
The hospital was the cradle of early surgical developments and instruction in the United States. For example, Wright Post, M.D., one of the first surgeons appointed to the hospital, was the first in the country to treat aneurysms using state-of-the-art surgical techniques he developed. As surgeons developed new treatments and procedures, they also trained the next generation of healthcare providers.
In 1898, Dr. Lewis Atterbury Stimson, the first professor of surgery at New York Hospital, helped charter the creation of what is now Weill Cornell Medicine. Since then, our surgeons have made significant contributions to the field – including pioneering efforts in cardiac surgery and organ transplantation – earning it a worldwide reputation for excellence and innovation.
Today, our surgeons continue to lead the way in clinical treatment and medical innovation. Many of our faculty are considered master surgeons and experts in the field. They provide compassionate, personalized treatment to each person under their care while researching new and less invasive ways to achieve the best surgical outcomes. Our surgeons publish widely and are regularly recognized for their work and contributions to the field.
