With the introduction of the da Vinci Surgical System, the advent of robotic surgery using a laparoscopic approach has significantly changed the way prostate cancer surgery and prostatectomy procedures in general are performed as compared to the traditional 'open' methodology. Much of Tewari's research projects serve to promote robotic surgery as opposed to open procedures. For example, Tewari has shown that the operating field has become more visible to the surgeon, unobscured by the copious amounts of blood encountered in traditional surgery and is thus able to view the urological structures under three-dimensional, enlarged magnification. Patients reap even greater benefits. Due to the minimally invasive nature of the procedure, they experience minimized pain, minimized blood loss, less scarring and fewer complications. Post-surgery recovery is accelerated and patients experience quicker return to urinary continence and sexual function. Some of Tewari's current research is focused on comparing the benefits of robot-assisted surgery with traditional open prostatic surgery.
On October 15, 2013, Dr. Tewari was named the Chairman of Urology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. Previously he served as Director of the Lefrak Institute of Robotic Surgery, Director of Prostate cancer, as well as the Director of Robotic Prostatectomy and Prostate Cancer-Urologic Oncology Outcomes at the Brady Urology Foundation of Weill Medical College. He is a tenured Professor of Urology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. In addition, Tewari directs a fellowship program in Robotic Prostatectomy and Prostate Cancer Outcomes that has conducted research comparing robotic surgery outcomes versus those of laparoscopic and open surgeries. Tewari is an Attending physician at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.
Receiving his medical degree from Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Memorial Medical College (GSVM) in Kanpur city of Uttar Pradesh, India, Tewari graduated with honors in 1984 with 17 gold academic medals to credit. He received his training in urology from Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) in India under the mentorship of Professor Mahendra Bhandari and completed the McH and DNB program in 1991.
Tewari has trained in the U.S. at UCSF, University of Florida and at HFHS under Dr. Mani Menon, where was part of the surgical team that performed the first robotic procedure at VUI. Tewari completed his urology residency at the Vattikuti Urology Institute (VUI) of the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan in 2004. He received his urologic oncology research training at the University of California, San Francisco in 1994, the University of Florida in 1998, and VUI in 2004.
Tewari's research interests revolve around the diagnosis and treatment of patients with urological cancers, with a focus on prostate cancer. His research ranges from the study of patient outcomes, robotic techniques, molecular markers for cancer aggressiveness, racial disparity in cancer biology, quality of life studies, strategies to improve nerve sparing and sexual function recovery, and anatomic studies to facilitate continence preservation to the development of next generation robotic techniques. He has received several federal and non-federal research funding grants for his research on prostate cancer, totaling several million dollars in grant capital. He is one of the few urologists in the world to receive an NIH R01 Grant. Additionally, he is among the first surgeons to use real time tissue imaging during surgery to minimize nerve damage in the patient and was the first surgeon in the world to use the catheter-less Prostate Surgery. The catheter-less surgery minimizes postoperative pain after prostatectomy.
Honors, awards, and prizes
A few of the medical conference and achievement awards earned by Tewari and his research team are:
Gold Cystoscope Award, [2], 2012Member NIH Distinguished Editorial Panel (ZRGl ETTn-B(50). Neurotechnology Study Section Emerging Technologies and Training in Neurosciences (ETTN) Integrated Review Group. Center for Scientific Review, NIH. Robotics Technology Development and Deployment, Participating agencies are: National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), National Science Foundation (NSF), United States Department of Agriculture, Department of Homeland Security.3rd Prize Clinical Research Essay Award, AUA, Washington, DC, 2011Yahaya Cohen memorial Lecture and medal, College of Surgeons of Singapore, 2011Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow honorary FRCS in 2010The Clarke Medal for Surgical Innovation awarded by the Royal College of Surgeons of EnglandProstate Cancer Foundation Award- 2007American Urological Association Best Video Award for 2010, 2008 and 2006 First Place Video Award for Retro-Apical Technique of Robotic Prostate Cancer Surgery, Annual AmericanUrological Association (AUA) Meeting, San Francisco, California 2010Syme Medal, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, 2009Cutlers’ Surgical Prize, Royal College of Surgeons of England, 2009BJU International Visiting Professor Award, University of Mainz, Germany, 2009American Urological Association/Gyrus Prize Essay Contest (Clinical Research), Time tissue recognition of periprostatic tissue architecture and its relevance to nerve sparing radical prostatectomy: a pilot study using multiphoton microscopy and second harmonic generation, 2009Best Scientific Paper (Urology) Award, Society of Laporoendoscopic Surgeons, Orlando, Florida, 2008Grand Prize, International College of Surgeons Research Essay Award, 2008Best Basic Science Research Abstract Award, Sexual Medicine Society of North America Annual Meeting, 2008Best Research Abstract, American Urological Association Annual Meeting, Orlando, Florida, 2008First Prize Winner, Anatomic foundations for nerve sparing robotic prostatectomy: Correlations between anatomic, surgical and "real time tissue recognition" with multiphoton microscopy, American Urological Society-AUA-ACMI Clinical Research, Orlando, Florida, 2008Clinical Research- Second Place Award, Surgical technique overcoming anatomic shortcoming: Balancing post prostatectomy continence outcomes of sphincteric urethral lengths on preoperative MRI, American Urological Society-AUA-ACMI Clinical Research, Orlando, Florida, 2008First Prize - Best Video Presentation, Grades of nerve sparing, AUA, Orlando, Florida, 2008Best Video and Best Poster Award, First and Second Prizes ACMI Gyrus Research Essay Awards, AUA Annual Meeting, 2008Best Video (Urology) Award, Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons Annual Meeting, 2008Second Prize, Endourology Society Essay Award, 2008Astellas/AUA Best Poster Award for Impotence Research, AUA, 2008America’s Best Doctors and New York’s Best Doctors, 2007 and 2008Prostate Cancer Foundation Award, Real time tissue recognition to identify nerves and prostate cancer cells- Utility as an intraoperative tool during robotic prostatectomy, Lake Tahoe, 2007G. M. Phadke Memorial Oration, Current state of prostate cancer treatment, Urology Society of India, 2007World Congress of Endourology Essay Second Prize Pelvic neuroanatomy- foundations for nerve sparing prostatectomy, Cancun, 2007First Place in Surgical Video, Athermal technique of nerve sparing prostatectomy, AUA, 2005First Prize Winner-AUA-ACMI-Ambrose Reeds Prize, Cost Effective Essay Contest, Racial disparities in prostate cancer outcomes- Impact of socioeconomic factors, 2005First Prize Winner- AUA-ACMI Prize, Survival modeling tables in the management of prostate cancer: A propensity risk method, AUA, Chicago, Illinois, 2003First Prize AUA-ACMI-Ambrose Reeds Cost Effective Essay Contest, Factor affecting differences in survival in African American and Caucasian races, AUA, Chicago, Illinois, 2003Second Prize Best Surgical Video, Technique of nerve sparing robotic prostatectomy, AUA, 2003First Place Joseph F. McCarthy/ACMI Physician Essay Contest, Predicting the outcome of prostate biopsy in a racially diverse population, 78th Western Section AUA, Kauai, Hawaii, 2002First Prize-Traveling Fellowship NCS-AUA: Impact of robotics on surgical Skill. North Central Section American Urological Association, Chicago, 2002First Prize Clinical Paper, Role of surgery in high-grade cancer prostate, Michigan Urological Society, 2002Recognition in Laparoscopic Surgery Resident Achievement Award, Society of Laparoscopic Urology. New Orleans, Louisiana, 2002Gerald Murphy Scholar in Prostate Cancer, AUA, Orlando, Florida, 2002Third Prize, Utility of predictive modeling tables in patients following radical prostatectomy, Michigan Research Forum, 2002Golden Glove Membership, L’ Institut Mutualiste Montsouris, University Pierre & Marie Curie, France, 2002Who’s Who in World, Millennium Edition, 2000Pfizer Scholar Award, 1999Second Prize Montague Boyd Essay Contest, Cost effective staging algorithm for prostate cancer: a novel approach using genetic adaptive neural networks, South Eastern Section AUA, 1997First Prize John Harrington Tanous Award for Distinguished Research in Cancer, Post radical prostatectomy sling procedure: clinical-anatomical study, 1997Best Scientific Presentation, University of Florida Research Day, 1996Distinction in Physiology, Pathology and Social & Preventive Medicine Award, 1984Five Gold Medal Awards for securing highest marks in Anatomy, Physiology, Pathology, Medicine, Obstetrics/Gynecology, Ophthalmology, and Surgery, 1983Physiology Society Gold Medal and Pathology Society Silver Medal, 1983Dr. B.N. Gold Medal and a Gold Medal for securing highest marks in M.D. and all examinations, 1983Best Overall Graduate of the Year, 1982Chancellor’s Gold Medal for securing first position in final professional M.D. examination, 1982Five Gold Medals for highest marks in Physiology, Forensic Medicine, Pathology, Social/Preventive Medicine, 1981S.P.M. Society Silver Medal for securing distinction in Social and Preventive Medicine, 1981Three Gold Medals for highest marks in first professional M.D. exam, Physiology, and in E.N.T., 1980Physiology Society Silver Medal, distinction in Physiology, 1980AUA Best Clinical Essay award for 2008World Congress of Endourology Prize Essay- 2007Gerald Murphy Scholar in Prostate Cancer. AUA, Orlando, FL 2002Golden Glove Membership for being proctor in laparoscopic prostatectomy at L' Institut Mutualiste Montsouris, University Pierre & Marie Curie, Paris, France 2002Pfizer Scholar Award, 1999Tewari serves as a reviewer for a number of prestigious professional journals including the Journal of Urology, British Journal of Urology, Contemporary Urology, Medscape, Post Graduate Medicine, and Oncology Operational. He is the associate editor for BJU International. Tewari has served as a visiting professor and lecturer at dozens of venues both in the United States and abroad. Recently, Tewari spoke at the Annual International Prostate & Robotics Symposium in the United Arab Emirates and the Ohio State World Symposium of Robotic Surgery. He is also previously been on faculty of the International Robotic Urology Symposium.
In addition to directing serving as Chairman of Urology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Tewari is a member of several professional societies including: American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, American Urological Association, NYS Medical Advisory Board, International Society of Quality of Life Research, Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons, Society of Minimally Invasive Therapy, Society of Urologic Oncology (SUO), Indian Association of Urological Surgeons and Michigan Prostate Cancer Consortium.
In collaboration with Vanderbilt University School of Medicine urologist, Joseph A. Smith, Jr., Tewari co-authored Robotics in Urologic Surgery. Smith, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Urology at Vanderbilt, worked with Tewari to publish a textbook that explains the foundation of robotic surgery and its role in urological operations. In 2013, Dr. Tewari published a comprehensive textbook on prostate cancer, published by Springer Publishing.
Tewari has published articles, book chapters and invited articles on various aspects of urologic cancer, urology and robotics. He has authored and co-authored over 250 published manuscripts, research abstracts, and book chapters. A selection of Tewari's publications includes:
Prensner, JR; Chen, W; Iyer, MK; Cao, Q; Ma, T; Han, S; Sahu, A; Malik, R; Wilder-Romans, K; Navone, N; Logothetis, CJ; Araujo, JC; Pisters, LL; Tewari, AK; Canman, CE; Knudsen, KE; Kitabayashi, N; Rubin, MA; Demichelis, F; Lawrence, TS; Chinnaiyan, AM; Feng, FY (2014). "PCAT-1, a long noncoding RNA, regulates BRCA2 and controls homologous recombination in cancer". Cancer Research. 74 (6): 1651–60. PMID 24473064. doi:10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-13-3159. Ploussard, G; Briganti, A; de la Taille, A; Haese, A; Heidenreich, A; Menon, M; Sulser, T; Tewari, AK; Eastham, JA (2014). "Pelvic lymph node dissection during robot-assisted radical prostatectomy: efficacy, limitations, and complications-a systematic review of the literature". European Urology. 65 (1): 7–16. PMID 23582879. doi:10.1016/j.eururo.2013.03.057. Tewari, A; Srivastava, A; Sooriakumaran, P; Grover, S; Dorsey, p; Leung, R (2011). "Technique of traction-free nerve-sparing robotic prostatectomy: delicate tissue handling by real-time penile oxygen monitoring". The Journal of Sexual Medicine. 24 (1): 11–19. PMID 21850014. doi:10.1038/ijir.2011.40. Dev, HS; Sooriakumaran, P; Srivastava, A; Tewari, AK (2012). "Optimizing radical prostatectomy for the early recover of urinary continence". Nature Reviews Urology. 9 (4): 189–95. PMID 22270136. doi:10.1038/nrurol.2012.2. Tewari, A; Grover, S; Sooriakumaran, P; Srivastava, A; Gupta, A; Gray, R; Leung, R; Paduch, DA (2011). "Nerve sparing can preserve orgasmic function in most men after robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy". BJU Int. 109 (4): 596–602. PMID 21851544. doi:10.1111/j.1464-410X.2011.10402.x. Tewari, AK; Srivastava, A; Huang, MW; Robinson, BD; Shevchuk, MM; Durand, M; Sooriakumaran, P; Grover, S; Yadav, R; Mishra, N; Mohan, S; Brooks, DC; Shaikh, N; Khanna, A; Leung, R (2011). "Anatomical grades of nerve sparing: a risk stratified approach to neural-hammock sparing during robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP)". BJU Int. 108 (6): 984–92. PMID 21917101. doi:10.1111/j.1464-410x.2011.10565.x. Tewari, AK; Shevchuk, MM; Sterling, J; Grover, S; Herman, M; Yadav, R; Mudalair, K; Srivastava, A; Rubin, MA; Zipel, WR; Maxfield, FR; Xu, C; Webb, WW; Mukherjee, S (2011). "Multiphoton microscopy for structure identification in human prostate and periprostatic tissue:implications in prostate cancer surgery". BJUI. 108 (9): 1421–9. PMC 3163799 . PMID 21443651. doi:10.1111/j.1464-410X.2011.10169.x. Tewari, AK; Srivastava, A; Sooriakumaran, P; Grover, S; Desir, S; Dev, H; Yadav, R; Leung, R; Shevchuk, M (2011). "Pathological outcomes and strategies to achieve optimal cancer control during robotic radical prostatectomy in Asian-Indian men". Indian J Urol. 27 (3): 326–30. PMC 3193731 . PMID 22022054. doi:10.4103/0970-1591.85428. Tewari, A; Patel, ND; Leung, RA; Yadav, R; Vaughan, ED; El-Douaihy, Y; Tu, JJ; Amin, MB; Akhtar, M; et al. (2010). "Visual cues as a surrogate for tactile feedback during robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy: posterolateral margin rates in 1340 consecutive patients". BJUI. 106 (4): 528–36. PMID 20192955. doi:10.1111/j.1464-410X.2009.09176.x. Tewari, A; Gamito, EJ; Crawford, ED; Menon, M (2004). "Biochemical recurrence and survival prediction models for the management of clinically localized prostate cancer". Clinical prostate cancer. 2 (4): 220–7. PMID 15072605. Menon, M; Hemal, AK; Tewari, A; Shrivastava, A; Bhandari, A (2004). "The technique of apical dissection of the prostate and urethrovesical anastomosis in robotic radical prostatectomy". BJU international. 93 (6): 715–9. PMID 15049978. doi:10.1111/j.1464-410X.2003.04748.x. Sarle, R; Tewari, A; Shrivastava, A; Peabody, J; Menon, M (2004). "Surgical robotics and laparoscopic training drills". Journal of Endourology. 18 (1): 63–6; discussion 66–7. PMID 15006057. doi:10.1089/089277904322836703. Tewari, A; Menon, M (2003). "Vattikuti Institute prostatectomy: surgical technique and current results". Current Urology Reports. 4 (2): 119–23. PMID 12648428. doi:10.1007/s11934-003-0038-7. Tewari, A; Peabody, JO; Fischer, M; Sarle, R; Vallancien, G; Delmas, V; Hassan, M; Bansal, A; Hemal, AK; et al. (2003). "An operative and anatomic study to help in nerve sparing during laparoscopic and robotic radical prostatectomy". European Urology. 43 (5): 444–54. PMID 12705985. doi:10.1016/S0302-2838(03)00093-9. Menon, M; Tewari, A; Peabody, J; Vip, Team (2003). "Vattikuti Institute prostatectomy: technique". The Journal of Urology. 169 (6): 2289–92. PMID 12771773. doi:10.1097/01.ju.0000067464.53313.dd. Tewari, A; Peabody, J; Sarle, R; Balakrishnan, G; Hemal, A; Shrivastava, A; Menon, M (2002). "Technique of da Vinci robot-assisted anatomic radical prostatectomy". Urology. 60 (4): 569–72. PMID 12385908. doi:10.1016/S0090-4295(02)01852-6. 
