INTRODUCING NEW FACULTY: Pediatric Surgeon (Dr. Thomas K. Lee) + Plastic and Cosmetic Surgeon (Dr. Balvant Arora)

In September, Thomas K. Lee, MD, joined Richard J. Scriven, MD, and Cedric J. Priebe, Jr., MD, in our Division of Pediatric Surgery as assistant professor of surgery. Board certified in both general surgery and pediatric surgery, Dr. Lee comes to Stony Brook from a prestigious private pediatric surgical practice in New Hyde Park, NY.

With Dr. Lee's arrival, Stony Brook University Hospital is one of the few centers in the New York City area and on Long Island that offers a full range of pediatric minimally-invasive surgery.

Dr. Lee received his MD from the University of Chicago in 1988. He subsequently completed his residency in general surgery at the New York Hospital–Cornell University Medical Center in 1995. During his general surgery residency, he spent two years in the laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh Health Center, studying small bowel transplantation. In 1997, he completed his residency training in pediatric surgery at Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital–St. Louis University.

Dr. Lee's clinical practice at Stony Brook will provide comprehensive surgical care for children — from newborn infants to adolescents. The spectrum of his pediatric surgical expertise includes the management of congenital and/or acquired diseases of the neck (cystic hygroma, torticollis, masses) and chest (airway, chest wall deformity, mediastinal, lungs, esophagus), hepatobiliary system (biliary atresia, gallbladder disease, liver, spleen), alimentary tract (appendicitis, Hirschsprung's disease, anorectum abnormality), and the skin and soft tissues; repair of inguinal hernia and undescended testicles; and surgical management of childhood tumors, including those of the kidney and adrenal glands.

In addition, Dr. Lee will also be associated with the pediatric trauma program at Stony Brook. As a member of the perinatal group at Stony Brook, he will be assisting our maternal-fetal medicine and neonatology physicians in the management of congenital anomalies and newborn emergencies. He also has extensive experience in extracorporeal life support (ECMO), and plans to eventually bring that special treatment to Suffolk County.

Areas of Dr. Lee's special clinical interest include pediatric advanced minimally access surgery (laparoscopy and thoracoscopy).

In addition to performing laparoscopic cholecystectomy and appendectomy, he performs advanced minimally invasive surgery in children including antireflux procedures (fundoplications), splenectomy, orchiopexy for intra-abdominal testicle, and a variety of thoracic operations.

Dr. Lee is also planning to introduce to our area "minimal access repair" of pectus excavatum, a chest wall deformity seen in children and adolescents.

Dr. Lee is a member/fellow of several prestigious national and local medical associations. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, surgery specialty fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, member of the American Pediatric Surgical Association, associate member of the Children's Oncology Group, and member of Suffolk County Medical Society and Medical Society of the State of New York.

For consultations/appointments with Dr. Lee, please call 631-444-4538.

In July, Balvant Arora, MD, joined Alexander B. Dagum, MD, and Steven M. Katz, MD, in our Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery as assistant professor of surgery. He comes to Stony Brook from Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, where he spent the previous academic year as a fellow in cosmetic surgery.

Dr. Arora received his MD in 1984 from the University of Baroda, in Vadodara, India. From the same institution, he then received his MS (Master of Surgery, 1988) in general surgery and his MCh (Magister Chirurgie, 1991) in plastic surgery.

In 1992, after practicing plastic surgery in India, Dr. Arora moved to the United States. He subsequently joined our residency program here at Stony Brook in 1995. He left in 1998 to pursue further training in plastic surgery at the Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland, which he completed in 2000.This training was followed by his fellowship in cosmetic surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital.

Dr. Arora's practice at Stony Brook includes general plastic and reconstructive surgery, with an emphasis on cosmetic surgery in which he has special expertise. He is skilled at providing care for both adults and children.

Among the cosmetic surgery procedures that Dr. Arora performs are face-lift, blepharoplasty (eyelid lift), liposuction, breast augmentation and reduction, total body contouring, laser resurfacing, chemical peel, Botox injection, collagen injection, and hair transplantation.

In addition, Dr. Arora also performs minimally-invasive endoscopic plastic surgery including breast augmentation and brow-lift.

Dr. Arora's research interests include cultured skin graft and skin substitution.

For consultations/appointments, please call 631-444-4545.