Dr. Michael A. Palese, is an American urologist specializing in robotic, laparoscopic and endoscopic surgery, with a special emphasis on robotic surgeries relating to kidney cancer and kidney stone disease.
Palese is the Chairman of the Department of Urology at the Mount Sinai Beth Israel. He is a Professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. He is also the Director of Minimally Invasive Surgery for the Mount Sinai Health System and specializes in robotic, laparoscopic and endoscopic surgery.
As a board-certified urologist and fellowship-trained surgeon, he specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of kidney, ureter, adrenal, bladder and prostate disease.
Palese performed the first robotic radical nephrectomy, robotic partial nephrectomy, robotic donor nephrectomy, robotic nephroureterectomy, robotic adrenalectomy, and robotic ureteral reimplant & reconstruction at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. He holds several patents for the design of novel surgical devices.
He has been included in the Castle Connolly’s List of America’s “Top Doctors” in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 & 2017 and The New York Times publication of “Superdoctors” in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 & 2017.
Palese graduated from Cornell University in 1993 with a double major degree as well as a minor degree in Human Biology. He received his medical degree (M.D.) from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in 1997. He completed his general surgery and urology residency at the University of Maryland Medical Center and performed research at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he was a research resident. He finished a fellowship in robotic and laparoscopic surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University in 2004.
In 2004, Palese joined the Mount Sinai Medical Center where he established the robotic surgery program for the Department of Urology. He served as the Chief of Urology at the North General Hospital in New York City from 2004-2008.
Palese is on the Medical Advisory Board of the National Kidney Foundation of Greater New York and as a consultant for The Journal of Urology. He is on the steering committee for the Initiative on Kidney Cancer (sponsored by the National Kidney Foundation) and serves on the Medical Advisory Board to the New York Giants. He is a member of the American Medical Association (AMA), the American Urological Association (AUA), the New York section of the American Urological Association, and the Society of Laparoscopic Surgeons (SLS).
Professional activities, memberships and distinctions: Palese is the author of book chapters and more than one hundred articles and abstracts. He is on the Medical Advisory Board of the National Kidney Foundation of Greater New York and is a reviewer and consultant for the periodicals of the Journal of Urology, Urology, Urologic Oncology and Journal of Endourology . He is an Editor for the Urologic Oncology (Journal): Seminars and Original Investigations in the section of New Technologies. He is on the steering committee for the Initiative on Kidney Cancer sponsored by the National Kidney Foundation. He also serves on the Medical Advisory Board to the New York Giants. He is a member of multiple organizations including the American Medical Association (AMA), the American Urological Association (AUA), the New York Section of the American Urological Association and the Society of Laparoscopic Surgeons (SLS).
Palese lectures and presents his clinical research at national and international medical conferences. As a Visiting Professor he has performed live surgery and given clinical talks in the United States, Austria, Argentina, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates. He teaches and mentors college students, medical students, residents and fellows. He is a course director and faculty member for several educational courses to teach urologists and other physicians. In particular he is a faculty member for the annual Basic Laparoscopy Course sponsored by the American Urological Association in Houston, Texas. He has been a guest faculty member for Laparoscopy Courses in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He has also been the Course Director for several robotic surgery and advanced prostate courses & workshops held at Mount Sinai. He has been featured in the news media on multiple occasions including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, New York Daily News, CBS, CNN and WPIX TV.
Palese is included in the Castle Connolly Medical LTD America’s Top Doctors and Top Doctor for Cancer edition, The New York Times published Superdoctors and the New York magazine’s annual Top Doctors issue.
American Board of Urology
Honors and awards
America’s Top Doctor: Castle Connolly Medical LTD -2017 (15th Edition), 2016 (14th Edition), 2015 (14th Edition), 2014 (13th Edition)
America’s Top Doctor for Cancer: Castle Connolly Medical LTD - 2017 (12th Edition), 2016 (11th Edition), 2015 (10th Edition), 2014 (9th Edition)
Super Doctors of New York (The New York Times) -2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009
New York Magazine: Top Doctors -2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011
New York Metro Area Top Doctor: Castle Connolly Medical LTD - 2017 (20th Edition), 2016 (19th Edition), 2015 (18th Edition), 2014 (17th Edition), 2013 (16th Edition), 2012 (15th Edition), 2011 (14th Edition), 2010 (13th Edition)
Guide to America’s Top Surgeon -2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007
Best Doctors in America -2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005
Cornell University Extern Program Sponsor 2008-2017
Best Video/Multispecialty: Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons (SLS) 2014
Best Video/Urology: Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons (SLS) 2014
Best Poster Presentation: Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons (SLS) 2014
Best Video/Multispecialty: Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons (SLS) 2012
Best Reviewer Award - Journal of Urology (Kidney Section) 2011
Best Video/ Urology: Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons (SLS) 2005
Fellow; American College of Surgeons (ACS) 2004
Resident Achievement Award: Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons (SLS) 2003
Pfizer Scholar Award and Grant 2003
Gerald P. Murphy Scholar 2003
Emil Tanagho Prize for Best Innovative Research; International Society for Sexual and Impotence Research (ISSIR) 2002
Sponseller Award for Excellence in Research 2002
National Kidney Foundation of Maryland Grant; (NKF) 2001-2002
Current clinical trials include:
GCO 99-415. Tissue Banking of Prostate, Kidney, Bladder Tissue and Blood.
GCO 03-0962. A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo Controlled Phase 3 Trial of Immunotherapy with Autologous Antigen Presenting Cells Loaded with PA2024 (Provenge®, APC8015) in Men with Metastatic, Androgen Independent Prostatic Adenocarcinomas.
GCO 03-0962(2). An Open Label, Single Arm Trial of Immunotherapy with Autologous Antigen Presenting Cells Loaded with PA2024 (APC8015F) for Subjects With Objective Disease Progression and Disease-Related Pain on Trial D9902 Part B (PB01).
GCO 08-0813. A Randomized, Multicenter, Single Blind Study in Men with Metastic Androgen Independent Prostate Cancer to Evaluate Sipuleucel-T Manufactured with Different Concentrations of PA2024 Antigen (P07-2).
GCO 09-1509. An open label study of sipuleucel-T in men with castrate resistant prostate cancer.
GCO 10-0751. A Phase I Neoadjuvant Study of In-Situ REIC/Dkk-3 Gene Therapy Followed by Prostatectomy in Patients with High Risk of Localized Prostate Cancer (MTG-REIC-PC001).
Wedmid A and Palese MA. Complications of Laparoscopic Donor Nephrectomy. Complications of Laparoscopic and Robotic Urologic Surgery. Springer, New York, 2010:127-142.
Palese MA, Del Pizzo JJ, Munver R and Poppas D. Robotic assisted adult and pediatric pyeloplasty. Textbook of Laparoscopic Urology. Informa Healthcare, New York, 2006:303-311.
Palese MA, Mulhall JP and Goldstein I. Surgical treatments for vasculogenic erectile dysfunction. Atlas of Male Sexual Dysfunction. Current Medicine LLC, Philadelphia, 2004:115-125.
Palese, MA (Jan 2011). "Opposing views: Laparoscopic cryoablation for a 3 cm nonhilar renal tumor". J Urol. 185 (0): 1–3. doi:10.1016/j.juro.2010.10.005.
Wedmid, A; Palese, MA (Feb 2010). "Diagnosis and treatment of the adrenal cyst". Curr Urol Rep. 11 (1): 44–50. doi:10.1007/s11934-009-0080-1.
Chin, EH; Hazzan, D; Edye, M; Wisnivesky, JP; Herron, DM; Ames, SA; Palese, MA; Pomp, A; Gagner, M; Bromberg, JS (Jul 2009). "The first decade of a laparoscopic donor nephrectomy program: effect of surgeon and institution experience with 512 cases from 1996 to 2006". J Am Coll Surg. 209 (1): 106–113. PMID 19651070. doi:10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2009.02.060.
Maniar, KP; Kalir, TL; Palese, MA; Unger, PD (2009). "Endosalpingiosis of the Urinary Bladder: A Case of Probable Implantative Origin With Characterization of Benign Fallopian Tube Immunohistochemistry". Int J Surg Pathol. 18 (5): 381–3. PMID 19282293. doi:10.1177/1066896909332730.
Simon, DR; Palese, MA (Jan 2009). "Clinical update on the management of adrenal hemorrhage". Curr Urol Rep. 10 (1): 78–83. PMID 19116100. doi:10.1007/s11934-009-0014-y.
Mufarrij, PW; Woods, M; Shah, OD; Palese, MA; Berger, AD; Thomas, R; Stifelman, MD (Oct 2008). "Robotic dismembered pyleoplasty: A 6-year, multi-institutional experience". J Urol. 180 (4): 1391–1396. PMID 18707739. doi:10.1016/j.juro.2008.06.024.
Muller, A; Akin-Olugbade, Y; Deveci, S; Donohue, JF; Tal, R; Kobylarz, KA; Palese, M; Mulhall, JP (2008). "The Impact of Shock Wave Therapy at Varied Energy and Dose Levels on Functional and Structural Changes in Erectile Tissue". Eur Urol. 53 (3): 635–642.
Simon, DR; Palese, MA (Jan 2008). "Noninvasive adrenal imaging in hyperaldosteronism". Curr Urol Rep. 9 (1): 80–87. PMID 18366979. doi:10.1007/s11934-008-0015-2.
Disick, GI; Palese, MA (Jan 2007). "Extra-adrenal pheochromocytoma: diagnosis and management". Curr Urol Rep. 8 (1): 83–88. doi:10.1007/s11934-007-0025-5.
Raman, JD; Palese, MA; Ng, CK; Boorjian, SA; Scherr, DS; Del Pizzo, JJ; Sosa, RE (Dec 2006). "Hand-Assisted Laparoscopic Nephroureterectomy for Upper Urinary Tract Transitional Cell Carcinoma". JSLS. 10 (4): 432–438. PMC 3015762 . PMID 17575752.
Deveci, S; Palese, MA; Parker, M; Guhring, P; Mulhall, JP (2006). "Erectile function profiles in men with Peyronie's disease". J Urol. 175 (5): 1807–11. PMID 16600766. doi:10.1016/S0022-5347(05)01018-9.
Hurt KJ, Sezen SF, Champion HC, Crone JK, Palese MA, Huang PL, Sawa A, Luo X, Musicki B, Snyder SH, Burnett AL. "Alternatively spliced neuronal nitric oxide synthase mediates penile erection. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Feb 28; 103(9):3440-3. doi:10.1073/pnas.0511326103 PMID 16488973
Schiff, JD; Palese, MA; Vaughan, ED; Sosa, RE; Coll, D; Del Pizzo, JJ (2005). "Laparoscopic vs. open partial nephrectomy in consecutive patients: The Cornell Experience". BJU Inter. 96 (6): 811–814. PMID 16153207. doi:10.1111/j.1464-410X.2005.05718.x.
Boorjian, S; Ng, C; Munver, R; Palese, MA; Vaughan, ED Jr.; Sosa, RE; Del Pizzo, JJ; Scherr, D. (Aug 2005). "Impact of delay to nephroureterectomy for patients undergoing ureteroscopic biopsy and laser tumor ablation of upper tract transitional cell carcinoma". Urology. 66 (2): 283–287. PMID 16098357. doi:10.1016/j.urology.2005.02.022.
Palese, MA; Munver, R; Phillips, CK; Dinlenc, C; Stifelmann, M; DelPizzo, JJ (2005). "Robot-assisted laparoscopic dismembered pyeloplasty". JSLS. 9 (3): 252–257. PMC 3015619 . PMID 16121866.
Palese, MA; Stifelmann, MD; Munver, R; Sosa, RE; Philipps, CK; Dinlenc, C; Del Pizzo, JJ (Apr 2005). "Robot-assisted laparoscopic dismembered pyeloplasty: A combined experience". J Endourol. 19 (3): 382–6. PMID 15865532. doi:10.1089/end.2005.19.382.
Boorjian, S; Ng, C; Munver, R; Palese, MA; Sosa, RE; Vaughan, ED; Del Pizzo, JJ; Scherr, DS (Nov 2004). "Abnormal selective cytology predicts tumor recurrences in upper tract transitional cell carcinoma treated with endoscopic laser ablation". J Endourol. 18 (9): 912–916. PMID 15659932. doi:10.1089/end.2004.18.912.
Musicki, B; Palese, MA; Crone, JK; Burnett, AL (Feb 2004). "Phosphorylated endothelial nitric oxide synthase mediates vascular endothelial growth factor-induced penile erection". Biol Reprod. 70 (2): 282–289. doi:10.1095/biolreprod.103.021113.
Palese, MA; Crone, JK; Burnett, AL (September 2003). "A castrated mouse model of erectile dysfunction". J Androl. 24 (5): 699–703. doi:10.1002/j.1939-4640.2003.tb02729.x.
Palese, MA; Colonna, JO; Chai, TC (March 2003). "Donor to native ureteroureterostomy in a patient with preexisting ileal conduit during renal transplantation". Urology. 61 (3): 643. doi:10.1016/s0090-4295(02)02376-2.
Palese, MA; Su, LM; Kavoussi, L (July 2002). "Laparoscopic retroperitoneal lymph node dissection after chemotherapy". Urology. 60 (1): 130–134. doi:10.1016/s0090-4295(02)01670-9.
Hurt, KJ; Musicki, B; Palese, MA; Crone, JK; Becker, RE; Moriarity, JL; Snyder, SH; Burnett, AL (2002). "Akt-dependent phosphorylation of endothelial nitric-oxide synthase mediates penile erection". Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 99 (6): 4061–4066. PMC 122648 . PMID 11904450. doi:10.1073/pnas.052712499.
Palese, MA; Burnett, AL (Dec 2001). "Corporoplasty using pericardium allograft (tutoplast) with complex penile prosthesis surgery". Urology. 58 (6): 1049–1052. doi:10.1016/s0090-4295(01)01410-8.
Palese, MA; Ferrer, F; Perlman, E; Gearhart, JP (Sep 2001). "Metanephric stromal tumor: A rare benign pediatric renal mass". Urology. 58 (3): 462. doi:10.1016/s0090-4295(01)01171-2.
