Welcome.
The Danbury Hospital Department of Surgery is one of the leading surgery departments in the state of Connecticut and is comprised of over 150 surgeons. Our goal is to provide the highest level of complex and innovative surgical care, education for the next generation of surgeons as well as groundbreaking quality enhancements and clinical research.
Collaborations among our specialties and with our medical colleagues result in cutting-edge care delivery to our patients. Our commitment to quality and the most advanced treatments encourages us to incorporate promising new therapies combined with the highest standards of care.
We are continually cultivating a unique environment to further our mission of clinical practice, clinical research, and education. We hold ourselves to the highest standards, and our strategic vision emphasizes:
- Premier multidisciplinary clinical programs anchored in evidence-based medicine and distinguished by leading-edge technology
- High quality training programs that encompass all aspects of surgical practice within a unique framework of ethics and professionalism
- Incorporation of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) to constantly review and improve surgical outcomes
- Stewardship of the Danbury Hospital Department of Surgery and its legacy, leading by example to meet complex and dynamic challenges that face the Danbury community and greater metropolitan area
We hope you find the information on this web site helpful and invite you to learn more about our outstanding program.
Director, Comprehensive Liver, Pancreas and Biliary Center
Steven L. Brandwein, M.D.
Director of the Comprehensive Liver, Pancreas and Biliary CenterDr. Brandwein is specialty trained in advanced endoscopic techniques. He is dedicated to the discovery and application of new advancements. His team was the first to do the Spyglass cholangioscopy in Connecticut with hundreds conducted to date.
Find a Doctor Profile
Procedures and Specialties
- Biliary tract disease: ERCP/Stone removal/Stent placement and Spyglass cholangioscopy
- Endoscopic ultrasound
- Stenting for malignant and benign diseases
Related Centers and Departments
Director, Center for Weight Loss Surgery
Laura Choi, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Director of the Center for Weight Loss Surgery
Fred and Irmi Bering Chair in Laparoscopic SurgeryDr. Choi is a fellowship trained, nationally recognized board certified general and bariatric surgeon. Her focus is on minimally invasive techniques for general surgery and bariatric surgery procedures.
Find a Doctor Profile
Fellowship trained in laparoscopy, she serves as the Director of the Center for Weight Loss Surgery and holds the Fred and Irmi Bering Chair in Laparoscopic Surgery.
Procedures and Specialties
- Bariatric Surgery; Roux-en-y Bypass Procedure, Gastric Banding, Sleeve Gastrectomy
- General Surgery Laparoscopic Procedures
- Gallbladder disease, hernia, complex hernia, recurrent hernia, hiatial hernia/paraesophageal hernia, reflux disease, stomach and small intestinal disease and splenectomy.
Related Centers and Departments
Chief, Section of Vascular Surgery
Alan M. Dietzek, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Chief of Vascular Surgery
The Linda and Stephen R. Cohen Chair in Vascular Surgery
Director, Non-invasive Vascular Laboratory
Director, Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric MedicineDr. Dietzek is fellowship trained in vascular surgery, performing complex endovascular procedures, open surgery and minimally invasive venous techniques. He holds the Linda and Stephen R. Cohen Chair in Vascular Surgery at Danbury Hospital.
Find a Doctor Profile
He utilizes a hybrid operating room equipped with advanced imaging to improve , quality and safety for some of the most complex vascular surgeries.
“We have the latest and most sophisticated technology and devices. More importantly, we know how and when to use this technology in order to achieve the safest and best outcomes for our patients. From basic procedures in the office to our high volume of aneurysm surgery, we do them at the highest level. I try to help every patient develop a level of comfort that we are doing everything to achieve a good outcome, and that he or she cannot get better care anywhere. I look at the whole patient including risk factors, managing them medically when possible, or with minimally invasive or surgical treatment when necessary. It is important to me to remain highly accessible to other physicians also caring for the patient so that a more coordinated care can be provided.”
Procedures and Specialties
- Minimally invasive endovascular arterial and venous surgery
- Endovascular aortic stent grafting for abdominal and thoracic aortic aneurysm repair
- Mini-incision carotid surgery
- Venous procedures: Radiofrequency ablation (VNUS closure), microphlebectomy and sclerotherapy
- Minimally-invasive pharmacomechanical thrombolysis for acute deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
Related Centers and Departments
Medical Director, Sports Medicine Program
D. Ross Henshaw, M.D.
Medical Director of Sports Medicine ProgramDr. Ross Henshaw is the Medical Director of the Sports Medicine Program at Danbury Hospital. Fellowship trained, he specializes in treating shoulder and sports-related injuries in athletes of all ages from the recreational to professional. Most procedures can be completed with a minimally invasive approach offering less pain, small incisions and quick recovery times.
Find a Doctor Profile
Procedures and Specialties
- Shoulder, knee and hip arthroscopy
- Total shoulder arthroplasty
- Multiligament knee reconstruction
- Elbow arthroscopy and ligament reconstruction
- Osteoarthritis
- Sports Medicine
Cartilage Restoration and Preservation Techniques
- ACI
- OATS
- Meniscal transplant
- Osteotomy
“Physicians and patients alike should understand that Orthopedics has become extremely sub-specialized. Patients should see the best trained physician in their area of need in order to become educated about all available treatments and ultimately, to achieve the best outcomes.”
Related Centers and Departments
Chair, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology
Shohreh Shahabi, M.D.
Chair of Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology
Chair of the Reproductive Tumor Biology Research Laboratory at Danbury Hospital Biomedical Research Institute
Gynecologist Oncologist and Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at University of Vermont School of MedicineTreating all complex and benign gynecological issues, Dr. Shahabi is board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Shahabi and her team offer a multidisciplinary approach that offers patients the skill and special expertise of many for optimal outcomes.
Find a Doctor Profile
A noted surgeon, researcher, teacher and author, Dr. Shahabi brings a wide range of experiences to her gynecologic work. Before joining Danbury Hospital, Dr. Shahabi was director of gynecologic oncology division and head of the Gynecologic Oncology Research Laboratory, Moses Division at Montefiore Medical Center, which is part of Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
Procedures and Specialties
- Advanced pelvic surgery for incontinence, fibroids, adnexal masses and pelvic floor prolapse
- Gestational trophoblastic disease
- Omentectomy
- Pelvic node sampling and dissection
- Para-aortic node sampling and dissection
- Radical hysterectomy
- Radical vulvectomy; cystoscopy/sigmoidoscopy for cervical cancer staging
- Bowel resection and/or anastomosis
- Ureteral anastomosis or repair
- Colostomy repair
- Pelvic exteneration
Treatment of the Following Cancers:
- Ovary, vaginal, vulva
- Cervix
- Endometrium
- Fallopian tube
- Peritoneal
Related Centers and Departments
Sections of the Department of Surgery